Visual and cultural sustainability: The impact of tall buildings on London

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.