Least Populous London?

[tallthinkev]

Much better and more garden cities,
Better managed slum clearance, no 20 story tower blocks,
More investment and better management in the north and midlands.
Keep and improve the Port of London
Keep Sir Keith Joseph away from local government
No GLC
A much more powerful GLC
Enforce the tall building and protected views totally, nothing taller than St Pauls within X miles

 

[dean6295]

I made a previous thread attempting to discuss it but I made the question too broad in an attempt to attract more conversation.
In 1939 London reached a peak of 8.6 million; in the 1980s, it went as low as 6.8 million. Today, it is on the precipice of 9 million.
With a POD of 1945, try to create the least populous London possible.
The best way to do this is probably by making other cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow have larger populations.
This could also be achieved by reducing the population of Britain as a whole and sabotaging the country economically to encourage emigration.

After the London smog alert of 1952, City planners decide that there simply is no room to develop infrastructure for a more populous London (does not mean that housing could not be renovated or improved, but no huge public housing developments significantly increasing the number of dwelling units). Rejecting building permits would direct development to other cities and achieve the result you're looking for.

 

[kham_coc]

End FPTP, Ideally increase devolution/regions (in England) that should work.

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

Advanced global warming - Anything south of Berlin suffers incredible rises in temperature. Londoners flee in there thousands and relocate to the balmy beaches of Stornoway.

Or - the sheer weight of the population of London creates a see-saw effect that tips the south-east into the Channel while Scotland is now home to the highest peaks in the world.

 

[M79]

Advanced global warming - Anything south of Berlin suffers incredible rises in temperature. Londoners flee in there thousands and relocate to the balmy beaches of Stornoway.

Or - the sheer weight of the population of London creates a see-saw effect that tips the south-east into the Channel while Scotland is now home to the highest peaks in the world.

So much for "The Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier".

Axis-Allied Cold War with tunnel-boring machines gone awry?

 

[Nick P]

During WW2 British scientists carry out experiments on the nations potato, corn and barley crops. Their intention is to increase the yield and ensure that the UK does not face starvation again.
It goes wrong. Crops fail. The potato blight of the Irish Famine looks more like a gardening accident with weedkiller. The UK is quarantined to prevent the spread of the disaster into Europe - British troops have to clean their entire equipment before jumping into combat at Arnhem. Victory in Europe is delayed as more shipping is diverted to Keep Britain Fed instead of delivering ammo and troops.

Despite winning the war it is seen that a lower population is necessary in the UK while the diseased crops are dug out and the soil cleansed. Combine with this is the need to rebuild the ruins of London into a 'City Fit For Heroes'.

The plan is simple - provide cheap transport for those emigrating to the British Empire. Ten Pound Poms, Kiwis, Saffies, Rhodesians, Canadians... you name the place, Brits move there in huge numbers. City dwellers get a greater priority especially if they are bombed out.
Meanwhile London is rebuilt as a grand Garden City with wide tree lined boulevards, good housing with gardens, no more tenements or high rises, more grand statues and temples surrounded by lakes and large parks. Not just a tighter Green Belt but also Green Underpants too!

The outcome makes London a pleasant metropolis for the right people, fit to be the heart of the British Empire but with a population that barely exceeds that of Roman Britain.