London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom. The city stands on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea. London has been a major settlement for two millennia. Londinium was founded by the Romans. The City of London, London's ancient core and financial centre − an area of just 1.12 square miles (2.9 km2) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that closely follow its medieval limits. The adjacent City of Westminster has for centuries been the location of much of the national government. Thirty-one additional boroughs north and south of the river also comprise modern London. The London region is governed by the mayor of London and the London Assembly.
London is one of the world's most important global cities. It exerts a considerable impact upon the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transportation. It is one of the largest financial centres in the world and in 2019, London had the second highest number of ultra high-net-worth individuals in Europe, after Paris. And in 2020, London had the second-highest number of billionaires of any city in Europe, after Moscow. London's universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutes in Europe, and London is home to highly ranked institutions such as Imperial College London in natural and applied sciences, the London School of Economics in social sciences, and the comprehensive University College London. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted three modern Summer Olympic Games.
London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2018 municipal population (corresponding to Greater London) was roughly 9 million, which made it the third-most populous city in Europe. London accounts for 13.4% of the U.K. population. Greater London Built-up Area is the fourth-most populous in Europe, after Istanbul, Moscow, and Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The London metropolitan area is the third-most populous in Europe, after Istanbul and the Moscow Metropolitan Area, with 14,040,163 inhabitants in 2016.
London community action
Sustainability initiatives
Local sustainability initiatives
Please see our local pages via the London category, where of course you can share any more information you may have about local sustainability initiatives.
♥ Community involvement
♥ Climate action
London Climate Change Partnership
London is a member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
♥ Biodiversity
London Wildlife Trust - West London Organic and Wildlife Gardening Association (WOWga)
Wikipedia: Nature reserves in London, Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London
Arts, sport and culture
GoodGym, helps people get fit by doing good - London buses: one bus at a time - Magnificent Revolution, Bike Power People - Platform, describes itself as "bringing together environmentalists, artists, human rights campaigners, educationalists and community activists to create innovative projects driven by the need for social and environmental justice, (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia: London, Sister cities
Community and voluntary action
Just Space, Community groups cooperating on London planning - London Advice Services Alliance
Community energy
Repowering, empowering communities with clean, local energy
Community safety
Know Where To Go, online directory of support services for women dealing with domestic violence, rape, forced marriage, trafficking and prostitution - CommunitySafe.gov.uk, real-time advice and information
Cycling activism
more video: Cycle Vision 4mins Online
The Bike Project, getting refugees cycling - The London Bike Kitchen, a DIY workshop where you can take care of your own bike - Barclays Cycle Hire, Barclays Cycle Hire - London Cycling Campaign
Blogs
Wikipedia: Cycling in London, Barclays Cycle Hire, List of cycle routes in London, London Cycling Campaign, Prudential RideLondon
Education for sustainability
Environment quality
Breath London, South East London - Clean Air in London - Love Clean Air, South London air quality - #londonschoking
Ethical consumerism
Food activism
see separate article: Food London
Free stuff
Free London, Londonist - londonforfree.net - More London Free Festival
Localism
wikipedia:List of markets in London
Open spaces
Explore South East London's Green Chain
There are many parks and open spaces in Greater London, England. Green space in central London consists of five of the capital's eight Royal Parks, supplemented by a number of small garden squares scattered throughout the city centre. Open space in the rest of the region is dominated by the remaining three Royal Parks and many other parks and open spaces of a range of sizes, run mainly by the local London boroughs, although other owners include the National Trust and the City of London Corporation.
London is made of 40% public green space, including 3,000 parks and totaling 35,000 acres.
Road safety
Campaigns
- Stop Killing Cyclists, Facebook Discussion Group, is the direct action protest group set up after last November’s terrible spate of cyclist killings in London. They arranged the mass Die-In at TfL HQ where 1,500 cyclists laid down in the road in protest at lack of safety investment in London.
- Stop The Killing is the associated group of pedestrian, cycling and environmental grass-root activists who want to eliminate Traffic Violence which includes Westminster Living Streets, Stop Killing Cyclists and the Campaign Against Climate Change. [1]
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
London Community Resource Network - Recycle for London - The Restart Project, repair, don't despair! towards a better relationship with electronics - Restarters London, Meetup
Sharing
Little Village, a gift form one family to another.
Room for Tea, a new kind of home sharing network
Maps: mapjam-2016-london
Social inclusion
London Fairness Commission - No Second Night Out - The Loneliness Lab
Networks
- 4in10, campaigning network of organisations working to improve the lives of the 4in10 children living in poverty across the capital.
Sustainable livelihood
Sustainable transport activism
Electric vehicles: Source London information about London's electric vehicle charging network
Public transport: public transport directions for London within Google Maps - Transport for London, city transport authority
Walking: Metropolitan Walkers - Walk London - Transport for London walking - Inner London Area of the Ramblers' Association
Walking is a popular recreational activity in London, despite traffic congestion. There are many streets that provide interesting walks, especially within historic central London, In addition there are attractive commons, parks, canals, and disused railway tracks that provide space for walks. This includes Wimbledon Common, Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, and the eight Royal Parks: Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Richmond Park, etc. In recent years access to canals and rivers, including the Regent's Canal, and the River Thames has been greatly improved, and as well a number of long-distance walking routes have been created that link green spaces.
Waterways: Thames21 - London Rivers Action Plan, the River Restoration Centre - Friends of Regent's Canal
Towards sustainable economies
My Fair London, an autonomous group associated with The Equality Trust that works to promote the findings contained in The Spirit Level.
Trees, woodland and forest
Thames Chase community forest, 9842 hectares (24,320 acres/38 square miles) located in 47 sites in London and Essex, England. Its stated aim is
- ...to renew and regenerate the landscape at the edge of East London and South Essex by creating Thames Chase, the Community Forest: a varied wooded landscape for local people to influence, create, use, enjoy and cherish.
It has been managed as a community forest since 1990. The forest centre is located near Upminster and is surrounded by 56 hectares (140 acres) of new woodlands, meadows and ponds. W
Urban sustainability
Resources
see separate article: Resources London
News and comment
See separate article: London news
Events
2019
May - August National Park City Launch Season London National Park City
Jul 20 - 28 Sat-Sun National Park City Festival London National Park City
2017
Oct 27 Draft Environment Strategy - Community Engagement Event by Mayor of London eventbrite.co.uk
2016
Jul 31 London Permaculture Festival
2014
May 17 - June 8 Chelsea Fringe
2013
Early June London Green Fair
August 26 (Bank Holiday) The Environmental Fair, Carshalton, South West London. Organised by EcoLocal with a team of volunteers, showcasing local sustainability initiatives. On average around 10,000 people attend and enjoy a range of entertainment, food and stalls
Regular events
see also Food London
Campaigns
- Greater London National Park City
- HACAN Clearskies, representing residents under the Heathrow flight path
See also
|
UK Talk - UK Village pump CASwiki... Places - Topics - Resources - News / About - Join - Talk - Village pump / UK |
External links
- Wikipedia: London
- Environment information from the Greater London Authority
- London Resilience, Greater London Authority
- London Sustainable Development Commission
- Planning Aid for London
- Greener Borough, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
References
- ↑ Press release, November 16, 2014 stopkillingcyclists.org