The City of London

The City's boundaries have remained almost constant since the Middle Ages. It's often referred to as just "the City" or as "the Square Mile", as it's almost exactly 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometres) in area.

The Medieval City

In medieval times, the City was the full extent of London. The City of Westminster was another nearby, but separate, settlement. The term "London" now refers to a much larger conurbation containing both "cities".

Today, the City is a major business and financial centre, on a par with New York City as a leading centre of global finance.

Architecture in the City of London

Within this area, you can see a rich variety of architectural styles. There are many churches by the 17th century architect, Sir Christopher Wren, including St Paul's Cathedral.

You can also see financial institutions from the 18th and 19th centuries, like the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England in the City.

Examples of 20th century architecture around here include the early 20th century Old Bailey and the 1960s Barbican Estate. The latter landmark is one of London's principle examples of concrete Brutalist architecture.

Notable recent buildings in the city are the 1980s skyscraper called Tower 42 (currently the tallest building in the City of London), the Lloyd's Building (which, like the Pompidou Centre in Paris has its lifts and staircases running on the outside), and London's first eco-friendly skyscraper at 30 St Mary Axe, the building commonly known as the "Gherkin".

Living in the City of London

The City's population fell rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries as people moved out to London's suburbs. Houses were demolished to make way for modern office blocks.

The City has a small resident population of fewer than 10,000. However, the City employs 340,000 workers, mainly in the financial sector, who commute into this bustling area on a daily basis.

The largest residential section of the City today is the Barbican Estate, where the majority of the City's population now lives.

Diversification of the City of London

The trend for development to consist only of offices is beginning to reverse, although the resident population is not expected to exceed 10,000 people.

Since the 1990s, the City has diversified from near-exclusive office use in other ways.

Several hotels have opened, along with the City's first department store. A shopping centre is being built at One New Change, very near to St Paul's Cathedral. However, large sections of the City remain very quiet at weekends; it's quite common to find pubs and cafes closed on Saturday and Sunday.

The Future of the City of London

A number of new skyscrapers are being planned as the financial services industry expands.

These include the 63-storey Bishopsgate Tower, the 48-storey Leadenhall Building, the 46-storey Heron Tower, and several other major landmark buildings that'll dramatically alter the skyline.

Download the Your London: The City of London Guide [PDF 2.3MB]