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Defining the challenge Improving the public realm will improve the lives of Londoners as well as enhancing visitors’ experience of the city.
London needs to achieve higher standards of urban design.

The capital needs to be more efficient in the use of available land, to improve the connections between places, to enhance the design of buildings, streets and public open spaces.

We need a public realm that is safe, attractive, convenient and sustainable. We need places that people feel part of. Above all, we need a vision that captures people’s imagination and inspires action across the capital.

This policy concentrates on initiatives for the public realm.

The public realm is every part of the city you experience between leaving your home and arriving at your destination. It should be the focus of proposals for architecture and urban design in London.

The contribution of any building or other planning proposal can be measured by its effect, positive or negative, on the public realm. London's identity, culture and spirit cannot readily be separated from its physical appearance and facilities.