Introduction

The notion of sustainable development has rapidly become centre place in the governance of cities, and there are few policy makers who do not refer to it or use it as part of strategic policy making and implementation. In cities stretching from Beijing in China to São Paulo in Brazil and London in the UK, principles of sustainable development are seen as the saviour of cities, by providing the steer to crafting and creating liveable and habitable places. This is reflected in the place marketing of cities, and the various promotional activities by developers, designers and politicians extolling the virtues of space-shaping strategies allegedly assuring the development of sustainable urban environments. In London, the first explicit political overtures towards sustainable development were inbuilt into the Greater London Authority (GLA) Plan in 2004, with the then Mayor, Ken Livingstone (2004, p xii), noting that London's future depended on enhancing ‘its economic and business efficiency … accompanied by strong improvements in the quality of life and environment and greater social and economic inclusion.’

His vision tallied with those of previous British governments, particularly New Labour's national policy discourse of economic growth and competitiveness combined with the building of responsible and balanced communities capable of sustaining that growth. New Labour's model of sustainable development meant, primarily, a focus on economic and environmental relations, but Livingstone also pushed other, more social, dimensions of sustainability as far as he could (Cochrane, 2006). His pronouncements for London reflected not only a broader global consciousness of the ecological and environmental harm wrought by urban lifestyles, but also the understanding that sustainable development ought to encompass, and respond to, social and economic, as well as environmental, dimensions of urban living (see Imrie et al, 2009, pp 10-12). Some examples of this were policies to increase affordable housing to 40 per cent on new developments, and requiring builders to provide Lifetime Homes to meet the needs of people ageing through the life course.