The power of infrastructure that shapes spatial strategy: who is left behind?

Abstract

As infrastructure is key to the prosperity and sustainability of cities, this article discusses whether London’s and the central government’s critical investments in infrastructure capacity in recent years have been sufficient, and, especially for the government, whether they are understood spatially. Taking recent projects like Crossrail, HS2 and the National Infrastructure Plan into consideration, it explains what is being done to keep ahead of the pace in order to maintain London’s and Britain’s leading positions globally and within Europe after ‘Brexit’. Critically, the analysis addresses the need for a new framework of spatial strategy for sustainable infrastructure and its sustainable financing.