ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part focuses on local labour/housing market interactions is important for understanding the formal, as opposed to the purely conceptual, links between the two spheres on the ground. It examines the role of London as a global headquarters of multinational capital and finance, and looks at the extent to which intensification of this role is associated with a changing industrial and occupational structure, and the implications of this for the housing market. The part explores the case of Berkshire which was previously a middle-class commuting area for London. It also presents the rapid transformation of London’s Docklands from a rundown port and industrial area to a key centre of financial and allied services and luxury housing which is closely linked to London’s role in the global financial economy. The part also examines labour and housing market links in a peripheral region – the North-east.
