Mapping London’s skylineMapping London’s skyline

The project-based networks of The project-based networks of London’s buildingsLondon’s buildings

OutlineOutline• Background LiteratureBackground Literature

– Economic GeographyEconomic Geography• Project-led economiesProject-led economies• Creative IndustriesCreative Industries

– World CitiesWorld Cities

• Examples of methodologyExamples of methodology• Mapping London’s Project Mapping London’s Project

SkylineSkyline– ArchitectureArchitecture– Social Network AnalysisSocial Network Analysis– Geographical spreadGeographical spread

• Closing remarksClosing remarks

Economic GeographyEconomic Geography

• ‘‘New Economy’/’Relational turn’ (Yeung, New Economy’/’Relational turn’ (Yeung, 2005; Jones, 2008)2005; Jones, 2008)

• Regionalism/pro-scale debates countered by Regionalism/pro-scale debates countered by practice-based ontologiespractice-based ontologies

• Focused on the activities of multi-nationals Focused on the activities of multi-nationals (.e.g law firms, financial institusions)(.e.g law firms, financial institusions)

• Inter- and intra-firm networkingInter- and intra-firm networking– Quantitative and qualitative techniquesQuantitative and qualitative techniques

Economic Geography IIEconomic Geography II

• Major characteristic of the new economy is Major characteristic of the new economy is project-based work (Christopherson, 2004, project-based work (Christopherson, 2004, 2006; Grabher, 2004)2006; Grabher, 2004)

• Employment centred around the completion Employment centred around the completion of a particular project (film, album, advert, of a particular project (film, album, advert, building)building)

• Work is often short-term, part-time, contract-Work is often short-term, part-time, contract-based and freelancebased and freelance

Economic Geography IIIEconomic Geography III

• Project-based work prevalent in the Project-based work prevalent in the creative industries and wider cultural creative industries and wider cultural economy (Pratt, 2008)economy (Pratt, 2008)

• 13 subsectors, but overlaps, spillover 13 subsectors, but overlaps, spillover and intermixing creates a ‘messy’ and intermixing creates a ‘messy’ definition (Christophers, 2007)definition (Christophers, 2007)

• City-based, with over-whelming majority City-based, with over-whelming majority of creative industry activity based in of creative industry activity based in LondonLondon

World CitiesWorld Cities

• World CitiesWorld Cities– Sir Peter Hall (1966)Sir Peter Hall (1966)– John Friedmann (1986) ‘meta-narrative for world John Friedmann (1986) ‘meta-narrative for world

city research’city research’

– Sassen (1991)Sassen (1991)• London, New York and TokyoLondon, New York and Tokyo• Based on APS dataBased on APS data

– Other themes of connectivity include Other themes of connectivity include airline numbers and telecommunicationsairline numbers and telecommunications

World Cities IIWorld Cities II

• Sassen (1991)Sassen (1991)– Intra-City/Inter-firmIntra-City/Inter-firm

• Taylor (2004)Taylor (2004)– Inter-City/Intra-firmInter-City/Intra-firm

World Cities IIIWorld Cities III

• So which one is right?So which one is right?• Is power Is power inin a city (Sassen) or a city (Sassen) or betweenbetween cities cities

(Taylor)?(Taylor)?• Maybe power is moving away from the city? Maybe power is moving away from the city?

(Kotkin, 2005)(Kotkin, 2005)

• I would argue, both I would argue, both

Example: London’s Advertising Example: London’s Advertising IndustryIndustry

• Social Network AnalysisSocial Network Analysis• Company data downloaded from a companies house Company data downloaded from a companies house

population and then cleanedpopulation and then cleaned• SIC code(s) and address were used to identify relevant SIC code(s) and address were used to identify relevant

companies and then each entry was tested for relevancecompanies and then each entry was tested for relevance• Resulting data was filtered to remove those companies Resulting data was filtered to remove those companies

with less than 4 people on the board – which means the with less than 4 people on the board – which means the networks that are produced have certain characteristics:networks that are produced have certain characteristics:– People-centric: Selects people on many boards rather People-centric: Selects people on many boards rather

than boards of directors that have many people. This than boards of directors that have many people. This was done as the advertising industry (and wider was done as the advertising industry (and wider creative industries) tend to be ‘fluid’ (in other words, creative industries) tend to be ‘fluid’ (in other words, high degree of freelancing, sub-contracting etc) so the high degree of freelancing, sub-contracting etc) so the individual is importantindividual is important

– Top-heavy: Selects those people who sit on the board Top-heavy: Selects those people who sit on the board of larger companies (i.e. with more board members) of larger companies (i.e. with more board members)

People

Company

People

Company

• Example of SNA methodology for Example of SNA methodology for highlighting (and measuring) intra-city highlighting (and measuring) intra-city networks (and clustering) of a particular networks (and clustering) of a particular industry, but not projectsindustry, but not projects

• World city network analysis also World city network analysis also provides a quantitative methodprovides a quantitative method

Example: Sydney’s Film IndustryExample: Sydney’s Film Industry

City locations of Sydney’s top ten TV production firms

Example: Sydney’s Film IndustryExample: Sydney’s Film Industry

Number of TV co-productions between Sydney firms and firms in other cities 2000–2005

Example: Sydney’s Film IndustryExample: Sydney’s Film Industry

City abbreviations: AD Adelaide; AK Auckland; BR Bristol; DB Dublin; DL Delhi; JK Jakarta; LA Los Angeles; LN London; MB Mumbai; MT Montreal; NY New York; OT Ottawa; PS Paris; SH Shanghai; SN Singapore; SY Sydney; VC Vancouver; WS Washington

Project: Project: Mary BryantMary Bryant

• London-Sydney co-London-Sydney co-productionproduction

• Screentime in Sydney Screentime in Sydney and Granada in Londonand Granada in London

• Interviews and site-visits Interviews and site-visits (quasi-ethnographic) (quasi-ethnographic) methodology adds data methodology adds data on the on the practicespractices of city of city networksnetworks

Qualitative methodological Qualitative methodological techniques used to complement techniques used to complement

quantitative ‘range-finding’ quantitative ‘range-finding’ techniquestechniques

ArchitectureArchitecture

• 1 of the 13 subsectors of the creative 1 of the 13 subsectors of the creative industriesindustries

• Highly project-based (Grabher, 2004)Highly project-based (Grabher, 2004)

• Economically and infrastructurally, Economically and infrastructurally, heavily linked to designheavily linked to design

David Walker(1995)

ArchitectureArchitecture

• Highly reagulated and supported;Highly reagulated and supported;– RIBA, Design Council, Architectural RIBA, Design Council, Architectural

Association Association

• Large amounts of data (project-based)Large amounts of data (project-based)– Norman FosterNorman Foster– Ave ArupAve Arup– SkyscraperPage.comSkyscraperPage.com– Emporis.comEmporis.com

Top 20 Tallest Buildings in LondonTop 20 Tallest Buildings in London

RankRank BuildingBuilding HeightHeight Year BuiltYear Built

11 One Canada SquareOne Canada Square 235 m235 m 19911991

22 8 Canada Square8 Canada Square 200 m200 m 20022002

33 25 Canada Square25 Canada Square 200 m200 m 20012001

44 BT TowerBT Tower 191 m191 m 19641964

55 Tower 42Tower 42 183 m183 m 19801980

66 30 St Mary Axe30 St Mary Axe 180 m180 m 20032003

77 Broadgate TowerBroadgate Tower 161 m161 m 20082008

88 One Churchill PlaceOne Churchill Place 156 m156 m 20042004

99 25 Bank Street25 Bank Street 153 m153 m 20032003

1010 40 Bank Street40 Bank Street 153 m153 m 20032003

1111 10 Upper Bank Street10 Upper Bank Street 151 m151 m 20032003

1212 Pan Peninsula East TowerPan Peninsula East Tower 147 m147 m 20082008

1313 (Guy's Tower)(Guy's Tower) 143 m143 m 19741974

1414 City PointCity Point 127 m127 m 19671967

1515 The Willis BuildingThe Willis Building 125 m125 m 20072007

1616 (Euston Tower)(Euston Tower) 124 m124 m 19701970

1717 Shakespeare TowerShakespeare Tower 123 m123 m 19761976

1818 Lauderdale TowerLauderdale Tower 123 m123 m 19741974

1919 Cromwell TowerCromwell Tower 123 m123 m 19731973

2020 Pan Peninsula West TowerPan Peninsula West Tower 122 m122 m 20082008

Going Forward…?Going Forward…?

• Mapping projects quantitatively gives an Mapping projects quantitatively gives an insight, a frameworkinsight, a framework

• Further qualitative research can add the Further qualitative research can add the ‘practice-based’ approach to project-based ‘practice-based’ approach to project-based workwork

• Comparing projects between cities can show Comparing projects between cities can show the international reach of certain the international reach of certain firms/individualsfirms/individuals

• Also, the global nature (carbon footprint?) of Also, the global nature (carbon footprint?) of construction localesconstruction locales