London loves its river
In the 16th century, when England was an expanding naval and trading power, the Thames’ wharves were thronged with sea-going vessels and the river was London’s lifeblood.
When it froze to ice in winter, the river became a pleasure ground. London’s first recorded Frost Fair was held on the frozen Thames in 1608 and featured sideshows, food stalls and ice bowling.
During the last Frost Fair, in 1814, an elephant was led across the frozen river below Blackfriars Bridge.
In Victorian times, the widespread introduction of flushing toilets multiplied the volume of sewage discharged into the Thames. The once thriving fishing industry died, and an outbreak of cholera claimed thousands of lives.
Modern London is rediscovering the river’s potential for transport, amenities and the environment.
Riverboat services run at 15-minute intervals; riverside paths and parks have been improved; and the Thames is now one of the cleanest rivers in the world.
The Thames also plays a key role in London’s flood alleviation strategy. The Environment Agency has identified the extent of riverside land to be left as flood plains to protect London from flooding for the next century or so.
More radical proposals for the long-term future include a proposal, by the architect Terry Farrell, for a 9km flood barrage across the mouth of the Thames Estuary.
Caption
Illustration by Siggi Eggertsson showing current and future proposals to reinvigorate the River Thames.
London harnesses its energy
Most of London's energy currently comes from large power stations miles away from the city.
But there are ambitious plans to move to solutions that are less wasteful up to two thirds of power can be lost before reaching its point of use and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
By 2025, London will supply a quarter of its heat and electricity from local sources through initiatives such as the London Thames Gateway Heat Network.
The project will capture low-carbon heat from Barking Power Station and other sources to supply up to 120,000 properties with hot water and heat.
Combined heat and power, and district heating projects, will cut London's carbon emissions by 3.5 million tonnes a year.
An additional 1.9 million tonnes of CO2 will be displaced by the London Array, an offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary, which will produce its first renewable power in 2012.
When complete, the project will generate up to 1,000 MW of electricity, enough to meet the needs of a quarter of the population of Greater London or 750,000 homes.
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Animation by seven and eight-year-old children from Gallions Primary School, in east London, explaining the principles of the London Thames Gateway Heat Network.
The film was funded by the London Development Agency and produced in collaboration with the Animals Lawsuit Project, an international arts and education programme about sustainable one planet living.
London reinvents itself
London is a city in a constant state of flux. Countless films have captured its ever-changing character, including wartime spy thrillers, the swinging London films of the 1960s and contemporary romantic comedies such as Bridget Jones's Diary and Notting Hill.
The 2005 Saint Etienne film What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day? attempted to capture the state of the Lower Lea Valley prior to its transformation in the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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Film clips of London from the last 50 years held in the National Archive of the British Film Institute (BFI) on London's South Bank.
One of the largest and most diverse film collections in the world, the archive contains over 20,000 films and 700,000 TV programmes, including over 300 films and TV clips about or filmed in London.
London loves its history
Elements of London's historic fabric St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben have become part of London's mythology, reproduced in countless souvenirs for sale across the city.
London is shaped by its history; contemporary planning protects and respects ancient buildings and draws on and reinforces the city's historic urban grain.
But London has also been shaped by its immigrant populations. Columbia Road flower market is a legacy of the Huguenots, French Protestants who were forced to leave France in order to practice their religion freely and came to London in the 16th century.
Brick Lane, with its vibrant restaurant scene, reflects the influx of London's Bangladeshi population in the 20th century.
London has many histories. The challenge is to shape a future which reflects the diversity of its population and the richness of its past.
Caption
Historic London suitcase by Tomas Klassnik, of The Klassnik Corporation, showing souvenirs of London's hidden histories alongside souvenirs of more familiar icons.