The Centre for London

After a successful incubation period with Demos, Centre for London has now gone independent.

The Centre began life as a project within Demos pursuing rigorous and innovative policy solutions for the capital, and with Demos' support has been able to work with groups and organisations from across the city and establish itself as a critical friend to its leadership. The Centre continues to grow, and 2013 marked full independence from Demos.

Details of the full range of research programmes and events led by Centre for London can be found at www.centreforlondon.co.uk

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London is a hugely successful world-class city and for many peoples a wonderful place to live. London is a global centre of economic, social and intellectual innovation, a seat of government and a city of business generating around 21.5% of the UK’s GVA. But the capital faces enormous challenges.

Housing is in desperately short supply and our roads increasingly congested. Economic growth has faltered, and public services face enormous pressures. Even in the good times, London had the highest rates of child poverty, in-work poverty and pensioner poverty in the country. Despite being the economic engine of the nation, too many people are denied the opportunities the city has to offer. 

Given these challenges, it's surprising that London hasn't previously had a think tank of its own. Centre for London has been established to fill that gap.

Through its research and events, the Centre works to promote a wider understanding of the challenges facing London, and to develop long term, rigorous and radical policy solutions for the capital. Centre for London is being grown by Demos and will become independent in time. It looks for support from a mixture of private, voluntary and public sector funders and works collaboratively with its supporters, drawing on their experience and expertise.

The centre is being led by Ben Rogers, and has its own board, chaired by Liz Meek, CBE.  

OUR WORK

The Centre launched its first report, London's Calling, in November 2011, looking at London’s record in widening access to higher education among its school leavers.  The Centre's second report A Tale of Tech City, was an-depth investigation into what London's tech entreprenuers say supports their growth.   

The Centre has held a series of highly successful events, including a seminar series on the Thames, a debate forecasting the key issues in the Mayoral campaign, lectures with Edward Glaeser and on Jane Jacobs, and the inaugural London Conference with Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone, Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe, Dr Joan Clos (former Mayor of Barcelona) and Janette Sadik-Khan (Commissioner , Department of Transportation, New York City) among many others.