It was Winston Churchill who said that ‘no part of the education of a politician is more indispensable than the fighting of elections’, Aristotle that ‘man is by nature a political animal’, but George Burns who had perhaps the most astute handle on politics. ‘Too bad that all the people who really know how to run the country are busy driving taxi cabs and cutting hair’, he quipped. Whichever route your own favourite interpolation follows, what is certain is that, with the London mayoral elections in full swing, there is a lot of politics about. So, for this issue of The London Property Review, London’s politics is our main theme. How will the property sector be affected, once the votes are counted? The three main mayoral hopefuls Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick set out their stall as answers to our property questions, beginning on page 28. How will new legislation on energy labelling certificates – this time funnelled down to the UK scene from a European directive – affect the market? In conjunction with the British Council for Offices before their Brussels conference this summer, we assembled a team of experts to debate the move’s prospects in our roundtable feature. And, at the borough level, what might the town hall of the future look like? We asked five architects to gaze into their crystal balls and come up with their sketches and proposals for a local, political future. Elsewhere, property politicos ruminate on the state of our housing stock, on renewables policy, on the Olympic legacy for London and how it all works in the corridors of (local) power. Finally, we journey to the City to take an in-depth look at the rapidly changing Cheapside; the subject of our building review is Aldermanbury Square, and property stalwart Gerald Ronson talks Heron, property cycles and London in our main interview.

Enjoy the issue. Just don’t listen to too many
cab drivers…

David Taylor, Editor

Area feature: Cheapside
Damian Arnold investigates an area in flux
Roundtable: Energy labelling certificates
Berkeley’s Thames-side residential scheme is adding offices and a hotel. How has it fared?
Property influence – people map
Peter Murray looks at the companies and schemes that have made an impact directly arising from David Taylor’s career so far
Building Review
Pilcher Hershman’s David Rosen traces the history of
a positive legislation change for London, 20 years on
Building Preview
Scottish Widows’ Aldermanbury Square in the City
from the building team’s perspective
Opinion: Housing
Developer Cubitt’s Amit Green makes a plea for better housing and higher quality architecture
Supper with Pat
Central London Partnership’s Pat Brown meets up to talk politics with Tony Travers from the LSE
Opinion: Energy
URS Corporation Alex Tosetti asks whether London’s renewable targets are working

Round-up
Beetham wins Trinity; Cheapside gets a makeover; Oxford Street gets trams; developers win DCLG U-turn; credit crunch Plus: Deals of the quarter.
Vox pop
What’s the one thing London’s property sector needs from a new mayor and why?
Joy
Disappearing London: temporary vistas
Planning
Westminster councillor Paul Dimoldenberg gives some insight into the corridors of power
Redesign this!
We asked five architectural practices to come up with their visions of the town hall of the future
View from the City
Richard Northedge looks at boom and bust
Research
Fit out in the capital
Review
David Taylor reviews Arup engineer Cecil Balmond’s new book, Element
What’s on?
A guide to events on property
Q&A
Open House’s Victoria Thornton answers
the questions
My favourite place
CBRE’s Jackie Sadek opts for Broadgate

LPR property directory
A comprehensive listing of recently completed developments in the capital and those in the pipeline
LPR company directory
A who’s who of major architects, developers, advisers
and property consultants