ABSTRACT
The period following the New Labour victory of May 1997 witnessed momentous change in London, not just in the structure of its government, but also in the attempt to find a new, more balanced, accommodation between market and state. In the public space arena it has sometimes seemed that the public sector resources dedicated to this effort have been minimal, particularly when set against the scale of the issue if reports of decline from the late 1980s onwards are to be believed (see Chapters 2 and 3). Latterly, however, as well as greater resources (human and monetary) and proactive initiatives through which to directly engage with the issue, the state has also had at its disposal a new formidable regulatory instrument, The London Plan.
