London in a global context

Public lecture of the Understanding cities series hosted by Urban Age

As engines of growth and social integration, cities are the magnets for more than half the world’s population. “Understanding Cities” is a five-part public debate addressing the complexities involved in designing and running the powerhouses of today’s global economy. This series will address the most provocative ideas in city-making, including environmental responsibility and climate change, social cohesion and the built form of cities.

What is the new administration’s vision for London? Presentation and debate about how to design and manage the powerhouses of the global economy assesses London’s development compared to the megacities of the world.

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Profiles

    Ricky Burdett

    Ricky Burdett is Professor of Urban Studies at the London School of Economics (LSE), and director of LSE Cities and the Urban Age project. He is a member of the Mayor of London’s Cultural Leadership Board, and was chief advisor on Architecture and Urbanism for the London 2012 Olympics and architectural advisor to the Mayor of London from 2001 to 2006. He was director of the International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2006. With Deyan Sudjic he is co-editor of The Endless City (2007) and Living in the Endless City (2011) and, with Philipp Rode Shaping Cities in an Urban Age (2018).

    Simon Milton

    Sir Simon Milton was appointed Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning by Mayor Boris Johnson after serving as Chairman of London's Local Government Association.

    Deyan Sudjic

    Deyan Sudjic is Director of the Design Museum in London. He was the founding editor of Blueprint magazine (1983-1996), editor of Domus (2000-04) and the architecture critic of the Observer (1998-2006). Before joining the Design Museum in 2006, Sudjic was Dean of the Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design at Kingston University and Visiting Professor at the Royal College of Art. Sudjic has published widely on design and architecture. His most recent book, Shiro Kuramata, was published by Phaidon in June 2013.

    Tony Travers

    Tony Travers is Director of the IPA and also of LSE London.  He is a professor in the Department of Government. His key research interests include local and regional government and public service reform. He has been an advisor to the Communities & Local Government Select Committee and also to other Parliamentary committees. He has published a number of books on cities and government, including Failure in British Government, The Politics of the Poll Tax (with David Butler and Andrew Adonis); Paying for Health, Education and Housing: How does the Centre Pull the Purse Strings (with Howard Glennerster and John Hills); The Politics of London: Governing the Ungovernable City and, most recently, London’s Boroughs at 50. He has chaired a number of official commissions, including the Independent Commission on Local Government Finance in Wales and the London Finance Commission.