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Cities & Lighting might not strike you are exciting. But once you begin to see the photos of the way that Cities across the Globe use lighting in public and private spaces then you begin to understand how critical it is to the safety, look, feel and ambience of the townscape. I represented the City of London at the LUCI Association Conference plenary session with Mayors and senior officials from Rabat, Oulu, Durham USA and Montpellier. I spoke about how cities can view street lighting as purely utilitarian and necessary or you can use it to enhance the experience of wayfinding visiting and exploring and ensure that the lighting ensures inclusivity and welcome to all. City of London Corporation Lighting strategy https://lnkd.in/euH3qTUK and Lighting Supplementary Planning Document ensure that the City is at the forefront of innovation and intentional lighting. This is not to overlook that for many residents light pollution from office buildings and the adverse impact on flora and fauna are equally as important and need management and curation. I congratulated the Mayor of Oulu where the next Conference will take place in Finland – where darkness is good! Ari Alatossava Leonardo Williams Bruno Paternot #FatihaElMoudni Patricia Brown MBE, Hon FRIBA

How many bridges cross the River Thames? BBC News are highlighting 20 of these bridges that connect communities north and south, east and west. 5 of these bridges based in the City of London are owned and maintained by an ancient charity of which City of London Corporation is trustee and where I sit on the Board, City Bridge Foundation. Great to see the variety of these structures that all serve to ease travel, bring people together and, in accordance with the purpose of the original London Bridge, facilitate trade, commerce and build the economy. NB There are a lot more than 20. Go for a walk and start counting them.

Easter is upon us and good to look back at what has been achieved in this first quarter of 2025. Pleased to visit the nearly completed Bazalgette Pier and park at Blackfriars with Tideway London and ensured a visit by the The Rt Hon. the Lord Mayor Alastair King and fellow Aldermen to the site – with the obligatory hard hats and PPE. Successfully negotiated the elections for the Common Council and #Dowgate was not ultimately contested. This saw the return of Henry Pollard and Mark Wheatley and my Beadle John Cash who is in post for another year. Sadly John is imminently retiring from his other duties at Innholders Hall. Continued work as a Canon and member of Finance Committee at St Paul's Cathedral, London. Many areas of complex issues around the building and setting of St Paul's in the middle of a developing City.  Good to see the magnificence of the building from a new vantage point at Sarasin & Partners LLP in the photo below. Many speaking engagements including at the Fleet Street Quarter conference on ESG and then at the Mansion House for the discussion on #CircularEconomy with the Government Taskforce and the Dutch Government. Pressing on with the City of London Corporation Climate Action Strategy and joined the Biodiversity Action Plan Partnership to see how we can disseminate more widely the work and engage our residents workers and visitors. Promoted #IWD with the March through the City and market closing at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group). Took part in a useful seminar about adaptive reuse with NLA and am keen to ensure that the circular economy is a key component of the work of all groups where I have any influence. The City Corporation starts a new Civic Year next week and the assimilation of 28 newly elected members. I am acting as a buddy/mentor and look forward to helping others start on a journey of public service ( where I have served now for 34 years).

A sunny Saturday saw me swimming in the #HampsteadLadiesPond and enjoying an equally invigorating walk around #HampsteadHeath and #KenwoodHouse. It is so true that the Heath is the lungs of the London and the water, trees and diverse foliage of the Heath provides a place of recreation, exercise and solace. The Ladies Pond has just reopened after some refurbishment, and everyone seemed to think that this really improved the facilities. The Pond had a steady stream of swimmers some of whom (like me) were first timers. The Lifeguards are vigilant, helpful and conscientious.  The warming walk afterwards took us into some lovely areas including Denzil's Copse with a useful felled trunk to sit on and then a chance footfall that displaced a reptile which was either a grass snake or slow worm. The jury is out on this. I believe both are found on the Heath. No photos of the Pond (not allowed) nor of the slithering friend who moved too quickly out of the way. Just greenery and delight. #wildswimming

Sorting out the City infrastructure can be complex and frustrating. #DowgateWard, like others, has a regular variety of issues that come to the attention of the elected members, and I am pleased to seek a way forward. If you have any concerns and questions about matters in Dowgate Ward or the City then do get in touch. Recently Dowgate has been troubled by the pedestrian crossing over Upper Thames Street outside Riverbank House where the pedestrian green light-controlled crossing only authorised crossing part way and a second green light controlled the further dual carriage way lane. Bollards and warning signs just about meant no serious injury here and finally the straight across pedestrian light was installed after quite a bit of lobbying and liaison between the City of London Corporation Transport for London and the local occupiers A similar triangle of discussion has overseen #ArthurStreet. It was the location of the shaft into the construction of the new Northern line tunnel from Bank Station which opened in October 2022. The shaft is still sunk with surrounding hoarding and no access along Arthur St with unsightly barriers. The go ahead has now been given for the TfL works to start in the next few months with the infilling of the shaft and ability to reopen the road. Further works to improve the street scape will be done at the same time to make this a City Street to be proud of and one that allows proper access. Another eyesore for many years was the dilapidated pier at Swan Lane. A former floating pub use to operate here (The Regalia) and now there are plans about to be submitted to the City planners for a new use of the pier for a new floating Livery Hall for the The Honourable Company of Master Mariners. I co-ordinated a meeting of the relevant parties from Riverbank House and Watermark Place this week to hear the plans ahead of submission and raise relevant issues. Much can be achieved by good communication and taking time to explain and listen to issues and concerns.

Exploring a new City building is always fun. Whilst others might characterise city infrastructure as "another glass and steel" façade there is always the chance of something different as I found at Edenica 100 Fetter Lane, a new net zero building in the Square Mile.    How clever of London Property Alliance (CPA & WPA) to choose this space in which to discuss "The carbon view: what do occupiers want?" Maxwell Shand of YardNine explained the rationale of the building bought during Covid and now complete with 50% of floor space let. He acknowledged the high bar that the City of London Corporation set to justify demolition and met that challenge with innovation. Windows that open and underfloor ventilation that provides so much more actual space with a lean infrastructure shell. Not to mention air source heat pumps, PV cells and water recycling. The externals? Concrete and glazed tiling. At 12 storeys with 9,000 square meters of office space it looks to have the highest sustainability score. What else is exceptional? YardNine used material passport technology to log the building materials which can then be reused in the future. Some 80% of the building – the steel facades and  flooring substructure can be used again and again. The building has created a new open space at the ground floor adjacent to the existing City Garden at St Dunstan in the West. All new City buildings need to aspire to the highest environmental standards. On the subject of the seminar, subsequent speakers spoke of the ambiguity in tenants' expectations. Some occupiers assuming a basic element of sustainability without wanting to do more. Some examples show how tenants are taking longer leases on buildings where they know that the environmental credentials are better Future proofing of estate is still key as the regulations are moving towards higher requirements and tenants will not commit if these are not likely to be met. A good discussion which caused some of us to pause for thought.