Saturday 21 September 2013

Population growth/density, foreign owners and flat-dwelling

Population of London and the greater metropolitan region is booming. For instance Tower Hamlets has risen from 196,121 in  2001 to 254,096 in 2011 .Significantly, blocks of flats have been built with an enormous boost of speculative investment money from other countries, so much so that 75% of new-build homes in London are now sold to people in other countries


It is arguable - that for foreign investors - blocks of flats are a desirable dwelling-type to invest in. Generally the growth of flat-dwelling is shown below, but there are some interesting exceptions - such as the change from terraced to detached houses in SW London. This appears to be evidence of the change in wealth, with more poverty, and more people struggling in the middle, with a very few people benefiting and getting wealthier.





Whilst in London, population density is increasing - it is arguable that the whole effect of an asset-price boom is to make housing unaffordable in the rest of England





In London this had led to some resistance -it will be interesting to see the results elsewhere. Tho' it may be that the unsustainable economic model with provoke another profound crisis within capital flows before then




Laura Oldfield-Ford - flypost Savage Messiah zine
See also http://londonlandscapeobservatory.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/bo-jo-amends-london-plan-to-limit-caps.html

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