Johnson outlines plans for 220m building jobs to 'transform' public spaces
The mayor of London has announced that £220m of public money has been earmarked to improve streets and public spaces.
Boris Johnson said that 50 public realm projects would take place between now and 2012. The money will be given to organisations such as the London Development Agency (LDA) and Transport for London, who will then offer contracts for the various construction jobs and civil engineering jobs contained within the plan.
The plan includes projects such as redesigning streets into public squares and improving accesibility to parks and other green spaces throughout the city. According to a report on the story by The Guardian, Johnson said that he wanted to make public space in London as "unrestricted and unambigous" as possible.
The bulk of the investment is in the Transport for London budget, with £180m allocated for improvements and changes to the city's ofen congested streets. For example, Leicester Square and Oxford Circus will be overhauled, with diagonal crossings introduced in the latter location.
The remaining £40m will come from the LDA, who have already earmarked 30 projects to improve waterside places.
The plans will also include some town centres on the outskirts of London, such as Sutton or Richmond.
Johnson justified the investment by arguing that it "will not only boost walking and cycling with attendant health benefits, but will improve retail by making areas more attractive to visit and shop in, and improve the way we live and move around our city."
"At a time when the government is hoping to do all sorts of things that will make London less competitive, I think this is one of the things we can to make London more competitive and more attractive in the long term so I can justify the investment."
Hower Johnson's announcment has been criticised by political opponents from the Green party and the Liberal Democrats. Jenny Jones, the leader of the London Greens, has described the project as a "reannoucement"; many of the schemes, such as the work in Oxford Circus, are already underway.
Jones says that the schemes are mainly led by London Boroughs, rather than the mayors office.