Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Landscape and Urban Planning 83 (2007) 2–12 Visual and cultural sustainability: The impact of tall buildings on London Robert Tavernor ∗ Director Cities Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom Available online 12 July 2007 Abstract Urban sustainability has been equated in Towards an Urban Renaissance (1999), with the need for compact, dense, vibrant urban cores. To this end, tall buildings are regarded by the Mayor of London as an integral part of the Greater London Authority’s sustainable vision for the capital, and The London Plan (2004) provides Greater London with a spatial development strategy in which tall buildings will make a highly visible contribution. This paper considers the impact of tall buildings on the visual and cultural sustainability of London, particularly the impact of tall buildings on the protected views of London (as defined in RPG3A). It compares definitions of sustainable urban design through national policy (PPG1 and PPS1) and policy provided to preserve the settings of historic buildings and conservation areas (PPG15) with the proposed management of these views. In this context, it charts the emergence of Townscape as the official means to composing and assessing the visual character and quality of new buildings in relation to old. It also sets out the divergent contributions made to the UK planning process by English Heritage and CABE and their opposing notions as to what constitutes a well-balanced sustainable urban environment visually and culturally. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Architecture; London; Tall buildings; Townscape; Urban design; Views management 1. Setting the scene—introduction Planning Policy Guidance Note 1, General Policy and Principles (PPG1), published in February 1997, contained the first legal definition of the role of design in planning. It under- lined the fact that the space between buildings is of proper public concern and placed the emphasis on good design: Good design should be the aim of all those involved in the development process and should be encouraged everywhere. Good design can help promote sustainable development; improve the quality of the existing environment; attract busi- ness and investment; and reinforce civic pride and a sense of place (paragraph 15 of PPG1). The current Labour administration replaced PPG1 with Planning Policy Statement 1—Delivering Sustainable Development (PPS1) in February 2005. The primary objectives of PPS1 confirm that achieving design quality is of paramount ∗ Tel.: +44 20 7955 7753; fax: +44 20 7955 7697. E-mail address: r.tavernor@lse.ac.uk. importance in achieving a sustainable urban environment. Moreover, PPS1 reinforces the notion in PPG1 that planning has a key role to play in the creation of sustainable communities, which it defines as communities that will stand the test of time, where people want to live, and which will enable people to meet their aspirations and potential. Not only is there emphasis on the design quality of buildings, but also the spaces between them, that is, the visual – spatial and physical – townscape that characterises the built environment: another important principle introduced in PPG1 (paragraph 14). Thus, PPS1 requires the protection and enhancement of exist- ing urban environments: “A high level of protection should be given to most valued townscapes [...]. Those with national and international designations should receive the highest level of protection” (PPS1 paragraph 17). This is because: The condition of our surroundings has a direct impact on the quality of life and the conservation and improvement of the natural and built environment brings social and eco- nomic benefit for local communities. Planning should seek to maintain and improve the local environment and help to mit- igate the effects of declining environmental quality through 0169-2046/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.05.010