London Evolution Animation

London Evolution Animation.


London, England is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It is in a strategic location on the Thames Estuary and thus is a natural base for seafaring inhabitants. The Romans made what they called Londinium into a large city, and it has been a world leader ever since. That anything at all survives from that period in the middle of one of the most developed cities on earth is nothing short of a miracle.

The Museum of London went to the trouble of producing this animation, which reviewed all sorts of records to trace the development of London from its origins to the present day, a period well over 2000 years. Despite its great age and venerated history, most of London derives from buildings erected only within the past century. Thus, there is a great need to know what areas are of the most historical interest and treat them carefully.

Anybody who has been to London, the grand city on the River Thames, should enjoy this animation in particular. Students of Roman history also should have a special interest in viewing this, and also students of Anglo-Saxon culture and medieval times.

It's interesting to see that London began protecting its heritage before World War I. The same can't be said for US cities such as New York until the 1960s.

This is such a great use of animation and of such interest to anyone interested in history that it's amazing it has never been done. The world of animation offers a plethora of opportunities limited only by the animators' imagination.

From the youtube page:

The LEA was developed by The Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (UCL), as a partnership project between English Heritage, Dr. Kiril Stanilov -The Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (University of Cambridge) and Museum of London Archaeology (with the Mapping London and Locating London's Past projects), and was initiated and directed by Polly Hudson (Ph.D.).
The London Evolution Animation (LEA) shows the historical development of London from Roman times to today, using georeferenced road network data brought together for the first time. The animation also visualizes (as enlarging yellow points) the position and number of statutorily protected buildings and structures built during each period.

2020