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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Business
Simon Hunt

How the City skyline will be transformed by 2030

The City's sweeping skyline is poised to welcome yet more skyscrapers, new images released today by the City of London Corporation show, amid projections that space for tens of thousands of extra office workers will be needed in the coming years.

The images, below, capture all major developments which have been approved or resolved to approve by the City Corporation over the past 12 months. Most of the tall buildings fall within the ‘City Cluster’ area, located in the eastern corner of the Square Mile, which is already home to some of the capital’s most iconic skyscrapers.

In the two months since opening, two of the sites, 8 Bishopsgate (The Lookout) and 22 Bishopsgate (22 Horizon) have already welcomed more than 70,000 people to their free-to-access public viewing galleries, which offer spectacular views of London from 50 and 58 storeys high.

City worker numbers have risen by 29,000 since 2021 and now standing at 617,000 in total, according to estimates, with City job numbers set to grow by another 85,000 by 2040. The City Corporation is negotiating development proposals that would provide over 500,000 sqm of office space to keep pace with demand.

Aside from a rise in skyscrapers, the 'City Plan 2040' promises new pedestrian routes and urban green space, more animated ground floor space for retail, food and beverage outlets, and more educational, cultural and heritage space to celebrate the city’s rich history.

City Planning and Transport Committee chair Shravan Joshi said: “These new CGI images clearly illustrate the ever-changing nature of London's incredible skyline.

"It demonstrates that the City office is here to stay, and that the Square Mile's real estate sector is robust and thriving, despite wider economic concerns."

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