Planning London’s future

Even though family housing targets for developers are high (such as 30% three-bedroom apartment target in the borough of Newham and it's even higher in other councils), I think the councils are oblivious to the fact that it's not actually families that will be living in these apartments as it's simply too expensive for them to rent/buy. The main people living in such developments are sharers who can split up the cost of the rent. The problem comes down to cost of living and inclusive housing for families. Councils need to reassess who actually lives in the three-bedroom apartments that they target, and ensure that new developments are not overdeveloped and provide enough safe green spaces for children to play.

I feel like children aren't able to play independently as much because it's a big city and they're constantly at risk of being kidnapped.

I grew up in a small town in The Netherlands and never realised how lucky I was to be able to play outside independently with friends and to play in the forest without adults being present. We had so much freedom growing up which you can't have here.

That would definitely put me off of starting a family in London as I'd want any future children to have the same freedom

We need to build more HOUSES, not flats. Building flats is short-term thinking to meet short-term targets; is creating another housing crisis down the line; puts unsustainable pressure on communities that can’t meet the needs for schooling and healthcare; puts enormous pressure on an already creaking transport system; and is destroying the character of local areas. All while lining the pockets of greedy developers. None of these developments take streetscape or biophilic design into consideration. We’re destroying our city and not really solving any problems.

Overall London provides a great deal of opportunity for young people, and its schools have improved massively over the last 20 ish years, however the high cost of living means that child poverty is very high.

A lot of the issues are that public transport is traditionally focused on shuttling commuters into and out of central London and is not as useful for the types of more local journey (for shopping, school run) that children and parents (typically mothers) will make. Also step free access on the tube and rail network is important for those with buggies / pushchairs. Options for having larger wheelchair areas on buses should be explored to reduce conflict between different users.

Housing is a massive issue, and a significant proportion of people in temporary accommodation (often far away from their own neighbourhood or even London itself) are single parent households with children. Maximising the provision of social rented dwellings with 2 or more bedrooms is important for this group.

Family housing could be targeted towards smaller town centres such as Barkingside or Brockley, as they typically offer a good balance between access to public transport, shops, schools, and green spaces; and usually allow for mid-rise development with larger sized units.

Counterintuitively, improving housing options for people who are single adults may also help families, if it provides alternatives to shared flats / houses and reduces the pressure to convert family sized dwellings into HMOs. A greater mixture of housing for 'downsizers' in old age may also help reduce the number of under-occupied family sized homes.

I live in Zone 3 in what appears to be a leafy suburb. We can walk to a Victoria Line station in 5 minutes. But there is no where for our children to play. There is no where for them to cycle, roller skate, scoot or kick a football. Our roads are filled with parked cars and white vans driving way too fast. We've watched countless neighbours get pregnant and move out of London. Part of me wants to move too, but I don't drive so I can't leave London without sacrificing my mobility. Please implement more LTNs so that children can play in the street again, neighbours can meet and noise pollution abates. It's not just clean air that we need. The ULEZ has done nothing to reduce loud stereos and loud motorbikes. We need fewer people owning and parking cars on our streets so we can create wider pavements and increase the amount of trees and greenery. We need to design London for humans not cars and glass towers.

I'm sorry but London is Dead.
I've written this 3 times, but I have nothing good to say about London.
Local councils don't listen to the people, and the people who live in London (well East London) don't care about each other anymore.
Police are non existent, and the waiting times in A&E are getting silly (6 hours last 2 times I went, and that was pre covid).
If the mayor is serious about London, he needs to start funding the councils properly, and making the councils accountable to the people.
When was the last time he checked complaints against councils and type of complaints, he needs to be accountable and make the councils accountable to the people, then and only then will London improve.
It doesn't matter what I say here about improving London, how are the councils going to be able to implement it when they don't have the money as it is and more to the point don't really care.
I hate to say this, but I can't wait to leave London. (5 years and counting)

Austerity has robbed the youth of meeting places where they can learn and hone new skills. Examples are youth clubs, music and drama clubs, tutoring, community projects.

The community as a whole has suffered with rising violent crime.

20,000 police were released due to austerity and now the Prime minister is saying he will provide 20000 new officers.

Logically the criminal element has thrived under these conditions for several years. With that in mind, the logical number of new Police officers would be at least 40000.

With so much uncertainty, deprivation and inequality. I think it's quite clear why people are reluctant to raise children in some parts of London.

Young children need to be outside as they usually have a lot of energy. London needs to have tons of cool play spaces - from splash pads and paddling pools, to imaginative playgrounds. Let the creative people and artists come up with these spots! They should spark the imagination of children. Currently, most playgrounds in London are drab and depressing.

Having family events around the city is also attractive to families with young children.

Having places to learn how to ride a bike (and be safe once they can).

When children are older the dangers of the city come out more - violence, drugs, drinking. London needs to drastically lower its crime. Zero tolerance for violence with teenagers. Drugs need to be shut down - we are on an ISLAND. This is not that hard if we wanted to be serious about this. Unless this issues are addressed - I would not stay here with older children.

Good things for older children - great community pools (with swimming clubs), running tracks (good for all families), really any place where its affordable and easy to do sport - which is what often keeps older children out of trouble. Again - build inspiring spaces - not drab ugly places like many of the existing leisure centres.

Clean air.

I would love to see London be innovative and start building really cool community features throughout the city. I would like to see more public art and interactive art. Beautiful places for the community to gather.

No, London is not good for families. It's a city full of delinquents, noise, pollution, disrespectful people, people committing any sort of antisocial behaviour, London is chaotic. Children that grow il London grow in an overpriced dirty compromised social environment. This is why once you have family is better to move in more civilized places outside London.

The issue is the cost of housing especially housing with a garden.

Most families do not want to bring their children up in housing that doesn't has easy access to a garden. So it is all very well building flats but if there is not at least a safe communal green area for children to play in then it isn't attractive to young families. In addition random green areas on estates are used by children to play on or help to make gardens. This is why the green areas on existing estates need to be kept and not allowed to be built on.

I live in an outer London borough that has a Royal Park on it's border and has lots of random green areas. During the pandemic my toddler was taken to these other green areas as the Royal Parks and other local parks were very busy. She also could play in my garden as while I live in a flat I have a small garden.

1) London has a safety problem. The government and most policy makers are unwilling to even identify the cause of this, let alone act against it. This is the biggest issue for families. No one wants their child killed or on drugs.
Rather than act against this, the police criticised for stop & search as "rayyyycist" even though the statistics speak for themselvs. Moreover, this city is more interested with coopting the criminals than defeating them

2) Congestion. The anti-car tactics and rules just shuffle the traffic around, worsening congestion. You saw this when the congestion charge was first introduced, and when it was widened. Well clearly the city is unintelligent enough to push it a 3rd time since the first 2 times didn't work. Genuis level intellect, truly

3) Racist anti-White attitudes by many policy makers and officials. Nothing like being told you're unwelcome in your ancestral native homeland and city on account of your race. The irony in why such actions against Whites is unwelcome clearly escapes those currently in control of the city's institutions

4) Cultural degredation. The nation and the city used to aspire to the arts and the highest ideals of mankind as the standard bearer for where we are going. Now it's "oi bruv yeah mate nah c**t" and drill rap grind BS. Surely, if you destroy cultural, heritage and history, then the same people whose ancestors built it aren't going to hang around to have a family in an unwelcome cultural environment. Doubling down on falsehoods such as "mixing pot" only confirms the lie therein

5) How can London learn from other major cities? Look at Tokyo as an example. A homogeneous, polite, educated, and long-term focused population who value their nation's heritage, their direction, their culture and their place in the world and amongst one another. As a result, despite its small geographical footprint, it is one of the safest and most prosperous cities in the world

This isn't rocket science; the issue is ideology

Knowledge that the level of pollution damages children's health and development encourages those who can afford it to leave inner London when they have children. The more polluted areas of London are home to more deprived children. Harming children is wrong.
While ULEZ and electric cars can reduce NOx levels, reduction of pollution from particulate matter requires a drastic reduction of both road traffic and demolition & building work. London is a dirty city even though much of the pollution is invisible.

We need more (SEN)schools, more affordable housing, more play schemes/summer camps for the holidays - better health care facilities, accessible playgrounds that include disabled children and something needs to be done about air polution. Other than that London is a wonderful city!

London is a wonderful city, it has everything all close to hand and accessible to all. Why would anybody want to live elsewhere.
Unfortunately flat shares are not suitable for families, the relentless greed and expectation that we must all be on the property ladder and that prices will only increase has led to more and more properties being constructed with ever decreasing foot prints. costs are ridiculously high and unaffordable. the old dormitory towns are now following the trend, developments on designated flood plains, green spaces being encircled. Part rent part buy should be outlawed this does not satisfy the affordable quota, it is yet another con. The living wage and mortgage cannot even be included in the same sentence.

As a father of a 12 year old girl I find London to be well suited to her.
Whatever interest a child develops, she can nuture it here.
The recent Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Hackney have given her a sense of autonomy - I let her cycle around and to school. I would rethink that if they were removed.
I still find it incredible that there is no ski centre in London - you have to go to Milton Keynes to learn.
Some schools are great with after school clubs but all boroughs should have at least one local hub for well-run fun and life skills club classes for teenagers - eg Cookery isn’t taught well in schools and magic brings people together.
Inter-school competitions are lacking.
More use of Londons public amenities should be made by schools. Why not teach a geography class at the natural history museum every year?