Phoenix City: the making of 21st Century London
Richard Brown

Phoenix City tells the story of London’s ‘long 1990s’, the decade when London switched from political, economic and population stagnation to a pre-eminent global position. Drawing on pivotal events, people and places, it tells the surprising story of how politics, urban development, cultural renewal and global connection interacted to power revival, but also contributed to the stresses and fractures London faces today.

In the early 1990s, London seemed a city in decline, even in crisis. Streets felt dirty and sometimes dangerous. Public transport was unreliable. Unemployment was high. Since World War Two, the UK capital had lost population to slum clearances and new towns, and since the 1960s it had lost jobs in offices and factories to government policy.

Jump forward to 2000 and London was a city transformed, with a high-profile mayor and a global reputation as the epicentre of ‘Cool Britannia’. But these were symptoms as much as causes. By the early 1990s, the population had already started recovering, as young people moved back to the city, fuelling a renewed sense of vitality. London began building again, creating infrastructure for economic and cultural life, and becoming a magnet for global capital, for students and artists, and for a global elite.

Phoenix City explores how this recovery took root, given the unpromising starting point. What were the cultural and economic sparks that rekindled London? Was there a plan for urban revival, was London uniquely talented, or was it just lucky? What parts did global forces, government policy, individuals and community initiative play in creating the conditions for success? Who were the entrepreneurs – developers, DJs, politicians and restaurateurs – who fostered London’s rebirth? How did growth change the city, who flourished, who was left behind, and how have those changes shaped London today?

Phoenix City is a unique book, examining an underexplored but pivotal moment in the history of one of the great world cities, showing how ingenuity, diversity and openness can power recovery, at a time when all three can seem under threat:

• It sets out the story of an unexpected transformation that will engage politicians and urbanists as much as it will general readers;
• It shows how cultural, political and social forces can interact and augment each other, sometimes in ways that are surprising or even counter-intuitive; and
• It uses contemporary accounts as well as retrospective reflections to present a strong narrative, and to show the changes affecting the city through eyes of those who made them.