GREEN ISSUES – How Nine Elms Might Have Been

The recent completion of the redevelopment of Nine Elms, one of many previously Industrial Area where it had been hoped for many years that the British post-war Industrial Renaissance might have been sparked, illustrates the pace of quickly changing ideas where Green Issues are now beginning to figure much more strongly. This study by Peter Deakins from about 2005 illustrates just how quickly ideas and political change should be brought about. Unfortunately what has been built is little more than a rather blank re-hash of ‘what developers always do’, ie get what can be got from the site (whilst groaning under what are seen as being the demands of the local Planning Authority, however feeble or minimal) whilst ignoring very much of any idea of Urban Benefit.