Speaking to the Guardian recently, Peter Rees made clear that the City is not just designed to accommodate as much high-quality office space as possible but rather it has been developed steadily over decades to become a world-class place to work.
Linking office space buildings together with alleyways, fountains features and small parks makes the City a much more pleasant environment than it might otherwise be, according to Mr Rees, who has been the principal planning officer for the Square Mile for the past 25 years.
The City of London has seen a rise in demand for its office space in recent months but the leading planner for the financial district is keen to highlight other aspects of the City’s development that have helped make it a “much more rounded place”.
He said: “The quality of food available; the entertainment and leisure facilities have improved, and we’re bringing shopping back to the City. It’s not just a place to work any longer.
“You’ve got to keep rebranding in terms of making a place better all the time,” he added.
The City of London accommodates several million square metres of work space, including serviced office space and business centres, and is home to some of the world’s largest law firms, financial service providers and insurance industry operators.
According to the latest figures from analysts at CB Richard Ellis, returns on central London office space are outperforming every other sub-sector of the UK commercial property market.