Yet these commercial outcomes are the tip of the iceberg. What matters most, to those who live or work in a city, as much as its visitors, is its quality of life, of which culture is the essence. Cities offer not just a natural environment, but a built and cultural one. London’s air, rivers and green spaces are a backdrop; it falls to its building and activities to set the stage on which its life plays out. This is why the cultural quality of life of London’s citizens is an object of policy in its own right. London’s cultural environment also.
