If there's a spot on the planet where NIMBYism is more powerful than in anyplace in the US, even the Bay Area, it's the London metro area. The "skyline" of London is London City, which is an entire history lesson itself. London itself is a bizarre snarl of roads and <ten story buildings that would make any American suburban sprawl proud.

If it weren't for the fact that a few generations of smart thinkers happened to put a subway in the middle of the mess, London is hopelessly unable to process being a global metropolitan capitol city. As a native English speaker from a top-10 urban Native English speaking area, I've never felt an area more alien to me than Urban London England -- and I've been across Asia, the Middle East, Central American, Mainland Europe, and a few other places...London was utterly bizarre and foreign.

It's clear that London is a tech and cultural hub because:

1 - It's a financial hub

2 - It's a political hub

3 - Rival France is so centrally focused on Paris

If I were a citizen of Britain, I would rapidly be looking elsewhere in the Kingdom to establish a tech hub. Almost anywhere else. Do a reboot, plan a proper city (maybe around the Chunnel in Dover), and let the politicians rot in London.