I’m going to make the argument for gentrification. Jeremy Corbyn recently came out and said London is losing its ‘character’, whatever that is. He wants the city to remain the same as it used to. What London used to be a porous wasteland with many neighbourhoods in disrepair and without a plan for improvement. Now you have one of the richest neighbourhoods sitting on top of the Docklands, bars and restaurants in Shoreditch and fresh developments transforming Mile End and Tower Hamlets.

Everywhere you look, the city’s whole nature is evolving to something that caters to the current city. It’s a reflection of people and places that are needed in a modern London and not of a London that doesn’t exist anymore. When I explored London, I was continuously amazed at the way they preserved and maintained their heritage: priceless of old buildings and artifacts were hidden away across the city.

A city’s very nature is supposed to be ever changing and ever evolving. It changes with the people it attracts, the jobs it offers and the industries it supports. Holding onto something as ephemeral as ‘character’ is like trying to hold onto sand in a closed fist. The more you squeeze, the faster it spills out.

People like Jeremy Corbyn say that change drives people away. I say change attracts people. They bring in fresh blood, fresh perspective and innovation. Change is the only thing that can freshen and brighten things up, especially when they start to slow down and stagnate.

Cities need to evolve, unlike Jeremy Corby’s thinking, to survive and thrive.