Insights from the City of London’s Business Improvement Districts

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered the way that city centres and central business districts (CBDs) are used by their main actors – workers, employers, service providers, residents and visitors. The dramatic increase in remote working, coupled with reduced footfall and visitation as a result of lockdowns, means we have to re-think how CBDs operate as creators of prosperity and innovation. 

WSP’s work on the City of London’s business improvement districts has provided detailed insight into the underlying changes taking place in major economic centres with some important lessons emerging on how to create longer-term resilience. These lessons will be shared within a dialogue of predicting how cities might be re-shaped economically and socially in the post-COVID era. 

Presenters:
Jim Coleman - Director – Head of Economics, WSP in the UK
Martyn Jenkins - Senior Economist, WSP in the UK