Can London Still Accommodate the Next Generation of Young Graduates?

For more than a century, London has been a magnet for those who have recently graduated from universities and colleges and look for inspiring jobs. The city is now facing a housing affordability crisis that particularly hits this young graduate cohort. Far more limited housing options, stagnant wages and skyrocketing rents are deterring many young adults of this cohort to work in London. This dissertation is motivated by the question: can London still accommodate the next generation of its young graduates under these conditions? Chapter 1 provides the background on the housing predicaments of this generation, situating current challenges in historical context. It reviews past policy responses and examines how young graduates today get by precariously. Chapter 2 analyses recent demographic shifts, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on where young adults live. Chapter 3 investigates the spatial distribution of London’s young adult population and compares it against housing stock changes over the past decade, revealing geographic mismatches between where young people cluster and where new housing is supplied. Chapter 4 evaluates whether London is building the right kinds of homes in the right places for the emerging generation. Then Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 together address the core question and consider what changes are needed for London to accommodate its next generation of young graduates.