I thought it makes sense to discuss the implications of having Boris Johnson as new mayor (with his vastly different views on skyscrapers compared to Kens) on current and future skyscraper development in London. I think that more can be said about it than the predictions of doom voiced in the election thread up to now.
To start off with a more positive view here comes my attempt (I try to be optimistic and the following logic is a bit different to what I read up to now on the topic): I think the implications might be that it might actually help the current projects (ok, with the exception of the shard which is threatened by Boris taking away the TFL prelet but that prelet wasn't that big anyways and I think even for that one this would be overcompensated by the effect described in the following) in the city and that it will also help future projects in CW.
Here's why: Obviously the consensus is that we will not see new skyscraper projects in the city approved anytime soon (more or less as long as he's mayor). But if you look at current skyscraper projects in the center (LBT, Pinnacle, Leadenhall, Heron & 20 Fenchurch) they face the credit crunch and fear of a real crash in the office market. For those projects it is actually quite a boost to know that they will not face further nearby competition by new skyscrapers any time soon. Especially not for those years after 2012 when they will all be finished if things are going according to plan and when the current downturn in the markets should long be over. The earliest for new competition to even get planning permission (and we know how long it takes from then to have a finished building entering the market) is 2012 (if Boris is not reelected) so they will have quite some time where they can divide the office market between them without a threat of new competition. That is worth a lot for investors and should put the projects on safer ground which was definitely shaken because of the credit crunch.
On the other hand even the now mayor-backed EH is not against skyscraper development in CW - so new projects simply gonna be forced to move there instead of the city (which will have plenty new skyscrapers to marvel on already from the current projects at the verge of starting construction now). This might help to move on a mega project (for european standards) like wood wharf which will bring CW to a whole new level..
To start off with a more positive view here comes my attempt (I try to be optimistic and the following logic is a bit different to what I read up to now on the topic): I think the implications might be that it might actually help the current projects (ok, with the exception of the shard which is threatened by Boris taking away the TFL prelet but that prelet wasn't that big anyways and I think even for that one this would be overcompensated by the effect described in the following) in the city and that it will also help future projects in CW.
Here's why: Obviously the consensus is that we will not see new skyscraper projects in the city approved anytime soon (more or less as long as he's mayor). But if you look at current skyscraper projects in the center (LBT, Pinnacle, Leadenhall, Heron & 20 Fenchurch) they face the credit crunch and fear of a real crash in the office market. For those projects it is actually quite a boost to know that they will not face further nearby competition by new skyscrapers any time soon. Especially not for those years after 2012 when they will all be finished if things are going according to plan and when the current downturn in the markets should long be over. The earliest for new competition to even get planning permission (and we know how long it takes from then to have a finished building entering the market) is 2012 (if Boris is not reelected) so they will have quite some time where they can divide the office market between them without a threat of new competition. That is worth a lot for investors and should put the projects on safer ground which was definitely shaken because of the credit crunch.
On the other hand even the now mayor-backed EH is not against skyscraper development in CW - so new projects simply gonna be forced to move there instead of the city (which will have plenty new skyscrapers to marvel on already from the current projects at the verge of starting construction now). This might help to move on a mega project (for european standards) like wood wharf which will bring CW to a whole new level..