Future City - Is London growing too big too fast? October 5, 2010

London is the most populated city in Europe, and still growing. Migration has brought wealth and new talent, but there is a need to ensure the infrastructure meets new needs. What kinds of innovations do we need in the twenty-first century? Can dynamism in past innovation, from the railways and the docks to airports and Canary Wharf, inspire us to respond to new challenges, or should we just put the brakes on and protect London from change?

Peter Bishop, Director of Development, London Development Agency
Sir Terry Farrell, Terry Farrell and Partners, architect and author of Shaping London: The Patterns and Forms That Make the Metropolis
David Green, director, Civitas
James Heartfield, author 'Let's Build!'
Chris Luebkeman, head of Foresight, Incubation and Innovation, Arup

Chair: Austin Williams, Future Cities Project

This event is one of five Future City debates which bring together leading forecasters, historians and practitioners, to look at the challenges that London faces and debate possible solutions. The debates will draw on the capital as a site of ideas and innovation in the past and present, and bring together competing visions of the future.

Special guest speakers include Billy Bragg, Ricky Burdett, Sir Terry Farrell, Tony Hall, Adam Hart-Davis, Hermann Hauser, Luke Johnson and James Woudhuysen.

The debates take place every week night from Monday 4 to Friday 8 October at the British Library:

Monday: Bankers and Bonuses: What has the City ever done for London?
Tuesday: Is London growing too big too fast?
Wednesday: London and the Olympics: Predicting the legacy of the twenty-first century
Thursday: Is London missing out on the potential of new technologies?
Friday: London and the future: Will we still be a major player in the world in 2050?

To book go to www.bl.uk/storyoflondon

The Future City debates are part of the Mayor's Story of London festival.

Explore the Story of London and its tale of innovation. From 1–10 October the Story of London festival will see London’s past unravel to reveal the future.

Everyone has a part to play in this epic tale. You can work with artists as they create new work about London or listen to experts exploring the legacy of Hendrix and the birth of the light bulb. Learn about the city’s rich brewing history or investigate London’s secret gardens. Alternatively, why not create a film about the city, record the sounds of the streets or map the London of tomorrow? It's a festival as diverse as the capital itself, celebrating London and Londoners from every part of the city; past, present and future. Come and take part or join the debate.

To join in visit www.london.gov.uk/storyoflondon