Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, joined us to give a keynote speech to kick off the London Conference 2020. The speech laid out a clear vision for the future of London and the leading role for cities in the recovery from the pandemic.

This was followed by Director of Centre for London Ben Rogers reviewing the many unprecedented events of 2020, looking at the global forces shaping our city, and laying out some potential future paths London might choose to become a healthier, more sustainable city that works for all Londoners.

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This panel discussion asked how London, a global city with a history of slavery and colonisation, comes to terms with that history, and explored how it should be represented and contextualised in public.

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Nearly 10 years on from the publication of definitive urbanist text Triumph of the City, laments about the death of the city post-Coronavirus seem overblown. But how will cities need to adapt to new patterns of working and living? What does the city have to offer so-called ‘low skilled’ workers who have been so essential these past six months? What’s the role of cities in knowledge transmission in our increasingly digitised lives?

Harvard Professor  Edward Glaeser addressed the conference with his latest thoughts on Triumph of the City, followed by an audience Q&A led by urban innovation specialist Kat Hanna.

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This panel discussion explored how London can recover and move forward from the coronavirus crisis in the most inclusive and sustainable way. What are London’s green jobs of the future? How can government and business work together on climate goals? And how can we ensure London’s economy is green at every level?

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How will London’s economic recovery play out across central London and its subsidiary centres? This panel discussion introduced by Ruth Duston OBE, OC, featured Minister for London Paul Scully MP, Cllr Clare Coghill, Vidhya Alakeson of Power to Change and Paul Williams, Vice Chair of the Westminster Property Association.

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Former New York City Transport Tsar and author of Streetfight Janette Sadik-Khan will presented her thoughts on active travel, coronavirus disruption, and global transport innovations and was then joined by Transport for London’s Andy Byford for an in conversation discussion. This session was chaired by author, urban sociologist and transport expert Tiffany Lam and introduced by Alastair Moss from the City of London Corporation.

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Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s digital minister, is a groundbreaking thinker who’s had a big year. A self-described ‘conservative anarchist’, she has combined expertise in software programming with Daoist philosophy to revolutionise the way Taiwan builds trust between its citizens and government. This has seen dividends in the way Taiwan is dealing with coronavirus, using a ‘humour over rumour’ approach.

James Crabtree, author of ‘Billionaire Raj’ interviewed Audrey Tang on digital democracy, coronavirus recovery, and London’s future relationship with Asian cities and thinkers.

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This panel discussion explored how Londoners’ relationship with green space and parks has changed during the pandemic, and how we can ensure London’s green spaces and public realm are inclusive to all users.

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Given the massive disruption in the way Londoners work and live, how will we need to think about, design and build homes for Londoners? And what can we do right now to give people, especially younger people, the space and flexibility they need?

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This was our first ever London Conference quiz night! Hosted by the inimitable Robert Gordon Clark and Tony Travers, with support from quiz virtuoso Denean Rowe.

This panel discussion looked at what London’s cultural sector could and should be in the future. How is technology democratising access to culture (or not)? How can we preserve what’s great about traditional centres like the West End while encouraging a more dispersed and thriving cultural sector throughout London? What role does culture play in our neighbourhoods?

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Centre for London typically invites a Londoner to reflect on their experience of one of the most important news stories of the year. This year we invited Sayce Holmes Lewis to reflect on his experience with stop and search, followed by a short interview with advisor to the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, Geoff Thompson.

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A recurring favourite in the London Conference, it’s the quickfire ideas session. 5 minutes, 20 slides, innovative ideas for London.

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We heard closing thoughts on London’s past year and its future by Centre for London Chair Liz Peace CBE.