Great Estates: Models for modern placemaking

A book that explores the history and significance of London's Great Estates, highlighting their role in shaping the city's development and offering valuable insights for landowners and communities worldwide. It showcases how these estates have evolved and adapted over time, providing a model example of corporate modernisation following leasehold reform. The book includes a bespoke fold-out axonometric map and provides a comprehensive picture of London's historic and contemporary estates, offering lessons on place-shaping, management, and stewardship for global cities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 01 March 2024
Publisher: RIBA Publishing

London's historic and contemporary Great Estates are brought together in a single volume in this remarkable book. It chronicles a remarkable history, unique to London but with valuable lessons for landowners and communities worldwide. The book showcases how these estates shape the development landscape in England, offering essential insights into city planning, whether for practitioners or academics. It serves as a model example of corporate modernisation following the impact of leasehold reform. Additionally, the book includes a bespoke fold-out axonometric map that details many of the Great Estates featured in the book.

Much of London's development story can be traced back to the historic ownership of large land parcels, which, through ongoing ownership of freehold assets and their lease terms, have fostered a resilient cycle of change and renewal. Today, this long-term investment, development, and management approach has influenced the creation of new large-scale and mixed-use areas in the capital, such as King's Cross, Canary Wharf, and the Olympic Park.

This comprehensive book offers a comprehensive view of all of London's historic and contemporary estates, providing valuable insights into the most successful principles of placemaking for the future. It serves as a blend of retrospective and forward-looking perspectives, offering lessons on place-shaping, management, and stewardship for global cities seeking to learn from this unique London model. By examining the past and present of these estates, readers can gain valuable insights into the factors that contribute to the success of urban development and the creation of vibrant, sustainable communities.

Dimension: 250 x 210 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781915722140