A new focus on quality of life

1.44 At its best, London can provide what is amongst the highest quality of life to be found anywhere. Unfortunately, this is not the universal experience of Londoners, as indicators like the disparities in life expectancy in different places across the city show. There is also a perceived tension between the demands of growth and the conditions for a good – and improving – quality of life, and a concern about the loss of things that have made living in London and its neighbourhoods a distinctive experience. It is unsurprising, therefore, that consultation on proposals for this Plan have shown a growing concern with quality of life issues, such as:

• ensuring there are enough homes meeting the needs of Londoners at all stages of their lives and whatever their circumstances, and designed so they actively enhance the quality of the neighbourhoods in which they are located
• tackling London’s persistent problems of deprivation and exclusion - and in particular the unacceptable health inequalities that exist in one of the wealthiest cities in the world - in order to ensure equal life chances for all
• protecting and improving London’s natural environment and habitats and its general environmental quality at both local and London-wide levels (and recognising the links between the two), with action to target problems of air quality and other forms of pollution
• ensuring a network of vibrant and exciting town centres with a range of shops and other facilities
• making sure all Londoners can have access to good quality and healthy food
• ensuring Londoners in all parts of the city have adequate efficient transport networks and services, and the support for cycling and walking, to enable them to access job, social and other life opportunities, while minimising any adverse impacts on the environment or quality of life
• recognising, and actively realising, the whole range of benefits which networks of green and open spaces and waterways bring
• the importance of a range of readily accessible community and cultural facilities meeting the needs of a growing and increasingly diverse population
• taking effective steps to ensure Londoners feel safe in their city and their local neighbourhoods, and do not have to feel constrained in going about their lives by crime and fears about their safety
• protecting and enhancing what is distinctive about the city and its neighbourhoods, securing a sense of place and belonging through high quality architecture and design that sits well with its surroundings.

Many of these issues tie into the key trends we have already identified as facing London to 2036.