Labour candidate for mayor joins Greens and Lib Dems in pledging support for RIBA鈥檚 call for good design

A call from the RIBA to back good design in London has been backed by mayoral candidates, including Ken Livingstone.

The RIBA鈥檚 mayoral election manifesto, Designing a Better London, sets out four key policies for the next mayor and the London Assembly: commissioning a five-year strategy for London, appointing a deputy mayor to help achieve a lasting Olympic legacy, transforming empty spaces into community facilities and investing in retrofitting of buildings.

The manifesto is yet to win support from incumbent Boris Johnson, but yesterday was backed by Livingstone following previous pledges of support from Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick and Green candidate Jenny Jones.

London鈥檚 mayoral election takes place on May 3rd.

鈥淚 welcome RIBA鈥檚 contribution to the mayoral election debate and agree that great design should be at the heart of the Mayor鈥檚 approach to planning including London鈥檚 most important regeneration project, the Olympic Legacy plans,鈥� Livingstone said.  

鈥淚 believe that great design is integral to improving London鈥檚 environment.鈥�

Livingstone added that Johnson had not done enough to support retrofitting.

He said: 鈥淚 have already pledged to get the RE:FIT programme I started in 2007 back on track and to ensure that the remaining GLA group buildings are added to this programme during the next mayoral term.

鈥淭o date, only the 42 buildings I started have been completed, although modest in number this has saved Londoners 拢1 million off the GLA group鈥檚 energy bills. This programme needs to be expanded not put on hold as it has been under Boris Johnson.

The Labour candidate also said he supported 鈥榤eanwhile uses鈥� for empty spaces in the capital.

鈥淎s a starting point I will ask the Legacy Development Corporation to prepare a strategy for meanwhile uses in the Olympic Park and I will be keen to roll this programme out across London if it is successful,鈥� he said.

Jenny Jones said she would champion meanwhile uses if elected while Paddick said the manifesto contained 鈥済reat ideas鈥� he wanted to implement.

To read the RIBA鈥檚 manifesto for London can be read in full at:

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