Festus Akinbusoye: Ownership, order, and opportunity. The three pillars of a revived capital

Festus Akinbusoye is former Police and Crime Commissioner, and local election candidate for Abbey Road Ward on Westminster Council.

In my previous article, I argued that a city must work, first and foremost, as a home. That is not just a sentimental observation; far from it. It is a practical one. Because once a city stops feeling like a place where people can live well, the very foundations of its success begin to weaken. This matters as we think about London’s future.

We all agree on the broad objectives that London must build more homes, it must improve how people move across the capital, and it must remain a place where business es choose to start, scale, and stay. These are essential conditions of a successful global city. Yet, none of this is sustainable if people do not feel safe.

This is where we need to be more honest. With my strategic oversight of policing hat on as a former Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), I can confidently say that too often, debates about crime in London are reduced to dry statistics. Are offences up or down? How do we compare to other global cities? These questions matter, but they are not the whole picture. Perception shapes behaviour, and behaviour shapes the life of a city.

If people feel unsafe, they change how they live. They avoid certain streets, they travel less, and they retreat from public spaces. Families reconsider whether to stay, while businesses think twice about investing. Over time, this quiet shift in behaviour has profound economic and social consequences; a city can look successful on paper while slowly hollowing out in reality.

That is why tackling the feeling of lawlessness matters just as much as tackling lawlessness itself. A Mayor who understands this and acts on it will not only improve public safety, but strengthen London’s economy, restore confidence, and make the city more liveable for everyone. This cannot be simply outsourced or explained away as an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

While policing must remain operationally independent, leadership is not operational; it is strategic, visible, and intentional. Setting the tone, aligning agencies, and making clear that law and order sits at the heart of London’s future is the responsibility of the Mayor as the city’s Police and Crime Commissioner. When that leadership defers to those in uniform or becomes ambiguous, people notice, and their confidence falls accordingly.

The same clarity is needed on housing. London needs to build more, build at scale, and build beautiful. But we must also reassess what we are building, and for whom. There is a serious debate to be had about whether current affordable housing targets are helping or hindering delivery. When requirements become so rigid that they stall development altogether, we are not advancing affordability; instead, we are further constraining supply in a market already pressured by higher interest rates, mind-numbing planning regulations, and suppressed growth.

We should be focused on increasing the number of homes, particularly family homes, while also improving their aesthetics. Too many developments look like very tall, soulless, human greenhouses that some of us would not even place our house plants in; they are that ogreish.

Height and density alone do not create neighbourhoods or a feeling of belonging. Design, beauty, and a sense of place do. If London is to be a city where people stay, we must build homes that people actually want to stay in.

That also means finishing Margaret Thatcher’s unfinished business by addressing the crisis in our leasehold flats. One practical step would be to ensure that any new leasehold property supported by mayoral funding, or seeking expedited approval, comes with a clear and enforceable Right to Manage. Giving residents more control over their homes is not just fairer; it restores confidence in the product itself and ensures that the “first rung” of the housing ladder is a path to genuine ownership, not a trap of escalating costs and feudal service charges.

A similar shift in mindset is needed when it comes to the life of the city after dark. To put it bluntly; we need to bring back fun to London – big time.

London has always been a place of energy and creativity, yet in recent years, parts of its night-time economy have begun to feel constrained and diminished. While my own late nights are largely behind me except for the rare occasions, I recognise how important this is for younger generations. The ability to enjoy your city, to socialise, and to experience culture is part of what makes urban life attractive. We should be wary of a drift towards a city that is so tightly regulated but lacking in vitality.

Finally, there is the everyday experience of living here. Clean streets, well-kept public spaces, and access to green areas are not luxuries; they are signals. They tell residents whether their city is cared for or not. The Mayor has significant convening power and financial leverage that can be used to work with boroughs to raise standards consistently across the capital, not just in isolated pockets.

Housing, safety, transport, and culture all reinforce one another. The thread that runs through them is simple: does London feel like a place where people can live well and remain? If the answer is yes, the city thrives.

In the final article of this series, I will set out how London can bring these strands together into a new settlement for the capital – one that restores order, renews opportunity, and above all, rebuilds a sense of belonging. A vision for a London that is not only a global city, but a place where people can build a life, put down roots, and stay.