London is anticipated to grow from 8.5 million residents mid 2013  to 10.1 million residents within 22 years. That is a huge increase. It comes from the rise in births, fewer deaths and migration.

We can not house 10.1 million people in London without either making new builds in London significantly taller or expanding London’s footprint. In Southwark the Labour council is choosing to allow much taller buildings and many more of them. It is even proposing to remove the protection of suburban areas and allow skyscrapers to be considered in such places.

House prices are already ridiculously high. 2013 in Southwark the average house price was 9.67 x median earnings. Completely unreachable for most people. it means so many people live in substandard cramped homes. Blighting their life choices.

One proposal is to expand London by 1/2 mile in all directions. Slice off a little green belt land. This measure alone would enable 800,000 new homes to be built on top of normal house building in London. It would allow us to house the expected growth of London and some, so reducing house prices in real terms over time. Estimates that British house prices are 40% higher than those in the Netherlands which has a higher popularion density. Reducing house prices by 40% would see a huge rebalance of our economy. It would return hope to people that one day they could own their own home. Building 800,000 additional homes would be a huge economic fillup.

The alternative is to make inner London emulate Manhattan. I for one have not chosen to live in a city full of skyscrapers. And I don’t see why I should have a London Manhattan built around me when it fundamentally won’t solve house prices or give the scale of new homes needed.

If we don’t want skyscrappers and as a society don’t want to eat up a little green belt we would need to reduce the population of London.

How would you solve this problem?