Boris and Brian at MIPIM
MIPIM rolled around again this week, and once more Boris Johnson was in the spotlight after his 2011 speech that had delegates queuing around the block. On Tuesday, after a delayed start due to snow – giving him the opportunity to call once more for increased aviation capacity in London – the capital’s mayor talked about the opportunities for further development in London following last year’s Olympics. His office is to consult on a 2020 Vision for London, including plans for Crossrail 2, more river crossings, and extensions to the Tube, among other schemes. He drew attention to the One Nine Elms project, the large-scale investment in Croydon’s town centre; and the renewed development of office space in the City. “The cranes are once again swaying on the horizon,” he declared.
Boris then spoke more about his plans for a “floating island” in east London, unveiled on his way to Cannes. “London’s answer to Venice” will be developed on 15 acres of water at the Royal Victoria Dock site, directly underneath the recently launched cable car across the Thames. The proposal is for floating homes, hotels, restaurants and bars; the project will be 1.5 times the size of Green Park once complete. The formal procurement process will start this summer, with a competition open to national and international developers.
You can see his keynote address here.
Meanwhile another celebrity speaker from the UK was at MIPM on Tuesday, banging the drum for Manchester; Professor Brian Cox of “Wonders” fame spoke on “how the connections between people and places can change the world”, looking at such matters as Manchester University’s capital investment programme, investment in current research, and its role in the search for the Higgs Boson at CERN – part of a day of presentations on science and innovation in Manchester, including the city’s hosting of the UK’s R&D hub for graphene. You can see his presentation in two parts here. On Wednesday the Manchester Partnership at MIPM turned its attentions to connectivity – the need for integrated digital and transport strategies for the city, and plans for expansion through the Business Hub and Logistics Hub at the Airport City Enterprise Zone. Today, during the final full day of the MIPIM programme, the focus is on the city’s efforts to encourage sustainable and low-carbon lifestyles.
