With a population of over seven million people, London is the biggest city in western Europe. After decades of decline, London's population is growing again and more than 600 000 new homes will need to be built over the next twenty or so years.
There are more than 19 000 buildings in London that are listed as of architectural or historic interest and large areas of the city are protected by conservation measures.
The boundary of RICS London Region includes the London boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, Bromley and Bexley.
It encapsulates the City square mile and is home to the big international and medium-sized firms which are mainly based in the centre and West End areas as well as smaller firms and 'one-man-bands'.
33% of the world's largest companies choose London as their European headquarters and 66% of Fortune 500 companies have at least one location in the city.
In addition, within the Greater London boundary, there are more than 13 000 hectares of agricultural land. More than a third of London's land is not built-up and a large proportion of this is protected from development by planning regulations. One fifth of London's land consists of gardens.
Five international airports serve the capital, with Heathrow being the busiest airport in the world.
