London’s development along the banks of the Thames has been shaped by countless forces through the millennia, from transit to economics to the maintenance of particular views—but never modern “zoning” laws. In this episode of “A View on Cities,” KPF Principal John Bushell, RIBA, walks us down the famous river to explore how the ancient capital’s built form came to be.

0:00 Welcome to a Sunny London
0:26 The Picturesque City
1:37 The Polycentric City
2:04 Transit-Oriented Density
3:00 North London, South London
3:44 Artists and the Thames
4:25 Southwark and Southbank Tower
5:38 London Old and New

As part of #KPF50, “A View on Cities” offers an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities defining global cities today. Drawing on KPF’s expertise in contextual and high-performance design, the series investigates how thoughtful urban architecture can drive the resurgence, reinvention, and resilience of the places we live and work.

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