London Leads Europe in Property Investment
The latest City Momentum Index, has named London as the best city in Europe for property investment.
The report, titled “The Rise of the Innovation-Orientated City” emphasises that new qualities such as “liveability” will drive property investment in these cities in the future.
Propertywire reports that London also came first in the international top 20, as it did last year. Strong economic growth and investment in the city’s infrastructure are adding to its existing strengths in technology and in international education.
London’s Research quarter
Meanwhile Imperial College, renowned worldwide for its research in science and medicine, is building a new campus in West London (White City). This is planned as London’s research quarter, a hub for research and business interactions.
Not to be outdone, University College London is building a campus at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, to create an education and cultural hub in the East of London. UCL East is seen as a new departure, testing the ways in which a university can embed itself into both the local community, and businesses.
These aims are not modest – UCL East aims to be the template for university campuses of the future, breaking down barriers and playing a key role as a founder member of Olympicopolis. While not the snappiest title (could the Classics department have been involved?) this is a bold initiative to bring sustainable development to the area.
One of the reasons that the City Momentum report emphasises “liveability” is that connective technology means that people don’t need to live right on top of their work any more. The talented scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and creative people who are going to work in places like the Imperial campus, are going to need workplaces, homes, shops and leisure to give them the kind of life they seek and property buying agents in London such as http://boweryldn.com/why-use-bowery will need to be able to deliver this new environment.
Today, Innovation Drives Growth
It used to be that cities grew through trade, and commercial real estate was developed as a result. We’re now seeing a different path – innovative approaches to commercial real estate are driving growth, by providing environments that enable new kinds of enterprise to flourish and investors need to use agents who understand this.
