As Boris Johnson prepares his team and gets settled into City Hall, what advice would you give the Mayor to build on Ken Livingstone’s work with the capital’s creative industries?
Gaining PR plaudits for saying encouraging words about the importance of design is all well and good. However, I’d welcome a tangible initiative that seed-funded designers and entrepreneurs to work together to resolve London’s social and environmental issues. Boris Johnson has a great opportunity to gain hands-on support of enterprising individuals from all walks of life to assist him design out crime, improve housing, clean up the environment and create new jobs by inspiring and rewarding those with the socially enterprising mindset and skills to help him achieve his manifesto pledges.
Maxine Horn, Chief executive, British Design Innovation
Ken Livingstone supported the Legible London project, working with Transport for London to make this city easier to use and more comfortable to walk in. Many tourists still take the Tube for journeys that are more pleasant and quicker on foot. I hope the new mayor supports this and realises that feet can be an even better form of transport than bicycles. And please stop using that silly red ‘on’ at the end of the word ‘London’ in his title.
Michael Wolff, Founder, Wolff Olins
London is a global creative hub offering amazing career and lifestyle opportunities, as well as easy access to markets and customers. This positions it as the springboard for global growth for both indigenous and international business. Maintaining this competitive edge and maximising these opportunities in the run-up to 2012 is crucial to upholding our position as a global creative leader, not just for London, but for the UK too.
Christine Losecaat, Director, Little Dipper
The Mayor might like to support the Design & Technology Alliance, the joint Home Office and Design Council initiative against crime. This aims to use design to reduce youth crime by concentrating on the urban environment, and influencing the development of ‘hot’ products, such as mobile phones. The initial objectives are to reduce opportunities for crime by promoting schemes that deter intimidating and criminal behaviour, and to ensure that stolen products become traceable, untradeable and therefore undesirable to thieves.
Sebastian Conran, Director, Conran & Partners and leader of the Design & Technology Alliance
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