“If you wish to have a just notion of the magnitude of this city, you must not be satis ed with seeing its great streets and squares, but must survey the innumerable little lanes and courts. It is not in the showy evolutions of buildings, but in the multiplicity of human habitations which are crowded together, that the wonderful immensity of London consists.” Samuel johnson
London is a dynamic place and has many functions and values. It is a neighbourhood and home for residents, a national capital, an international centre for nance, a tourist destination and a seat of culture to name just a few. It is this diversity and multiplicity of roles that de nes London. understanding how the existing character and context of individual places in London contributes to this diversity is essential to an appreciation of how these different places may develop in the future. The process and use of the tools outlined in this SPG should speed up the planning process, improve the quality of decision making and bring about better quality developments.
The London Plan 2011 includes a number of policies for facilitating high quality design, building on the positive elements of places to help inform the future enhancement and development of an area, in particular Policy 7.4 Local Character states that new development should help people understand where a place has come from, where it is now and where it is going.
