Today we publish a first version of the London infrastructure map.

UPDATE: April 2016 now replaced by guest version of the Infrastructure Mapping Application (IMA).

The aim is to create a database to better understand the phasing of projects, the synergies and tensions that arise when looking at the cumulative impact of development, the potential for greater coordination of works and ability of systems to respond to London’s growth for the short, medium and long term. The map was a commitment of the London Infrastructure Delivery Board to support a more joined-up and forward-looking approach to infrastructure planning and delivery.

In the past months, we have been mapping planned and projected development activity (using the London Development Database and additional information on planning activity using Barbour ABI data)  and planned and expected future investment decisions (integrating information from infrastructure providers over the short and medium term). We have also layered information on population projections, green belt margins, expected opportunity areas boundaries and more. Together with refining this information, we will look to build on this work to include other elements that inform decision making in this space including capacity of the existing infrastructure systems, a skills analysis for delivering the envisioned level of activity, funding arrangements in place for each project and others. While still work in progress, this should inform investment decisions and help incentivise greater cooperation among providers.

We have been working closely with major infrastructure providers and advisors and we are grateful for their involvement to date. We will continue to work with key stakeholders during the autumn to improve the analysis and presentation of the data and what information alerts we could implement to make the map easier to use in decision making processes.

We are keen to get your feedback on how you might use this map and other potential improvements we could make to have this tool more valuable. Please email us at infrastructureplan@london.gov.uk.

Madalina Ursu is a Principal Policy Officer in the Economic & Business Enterprise Unit at the GLA