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The City Fringe and its Tech City – the new beating heart of the Capital – is undergoing a major transformation that will overhaul its infrastructure, support community development, enhance the area’s business district and create a safe, vibrant and inspiring destination for employees, the community and visitors alike. Now, more than ever, it offers an attractive investment proposition to businesses and residents looking to move or stay in the area.

Coined ‘Silicon Roundabout’ in 2008, when it was a cluster of web businesses, Tech City has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade, maturing into a district comparable to San Francisco’s Silicon Valley. Now, acknowledged worldwide as being Europe’s tech capital, the City Fringe has attracted a host of start-ups and bigger tech firms, including online retail giant, Amazon – one of the UK’s largest property portals – Zoopla and taxi app, Halo.

The technology sector continues to grow exponentially in London with a strong first quarter of 2017 in terms of investment rounds announced by UK tech companies. A total of £576.85m in funding was recorded on the Tech City News Investment Tracker in the first three months of the year. The tech vertical with the most ‘raises’ in the quarter was unsurprisingly FinTech – now one of the hottest areas of investment at the moment and Britain is at the forefront - with 12 financial technology companies securing funding, totalling £168.22m.

To keep up with the area’s tech boom and support the emerging cluster ecosystem around Tech City, the Mayor of London singled out the City Fringe as an opportunity area, recognising it as strategically important to the economy of London and the UK. The Old Street Partnership was formed in the summer of 2016 to help drive forward a powerful agenda for change. Propelled by a network of local businesses which includes Rocket Investments – the developer behind The Atlas Building, TOG, Derwent London, Amazon and z Hotels, all of whom will work alongside Transport for London (TfL) and London Borough of Islington to create a ‘Dynamic Urban District’.

In May 2017, TfL unveiled their plans to revamp Old Street Roundabout, at a cost of £200m, as part of wider infrastructure improvements, including the creation of segregated cycle lanes and road signals in order to promote a more pedestrian and cycle-friendly environment and support London’s thriving cycle culture. Cycling is now Londoners’ second most popular form of transport after the Tube and developers such as Rocket Investments are providing residents with cycle facilities – The Atlas Building’s 302 apartments will have access to 350 free cycle spaces – to further encourage this push to make the Capital and the City Fringe area more bike friendly.

Additionally, TfL is maintaining investment in London’s extensive bus network to keep it one of the finest in the world, with the aim to reach ‘zero emissions’ by 2037. The newly named Elizabeth line, a high-speed network joining East and West London, is already in operation between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Significantly enhancing accessibility, the Elizabeth line will greatly improve connectivity and the speed of journeys throughout the city.

When the full network opens in 2018, an estimated 124,000 passengers will use it daily, with an anticipated 200 million passengers using the service each year. An extra 1.5 million people will now be within 45 minutes of central London thanks to the new trains. The journey from Liverpool Street to Paddington will be reduced from 23 minutes to ten, the journey to Canary Wharf from 22 minutes to just six, and from Canary Wharf to Heathrow, the journey time will be reduced to 39 from 55 minutes.  Further, the Northern Line from Old Street Station will become operational 24 hours a day.

In addition to the benefits to residents living along the Elizabeth line, it is also set to have a positive impact on London’s housing market, triggering development activity and price growth along its route. Locations with an Elizabeth line station across the network will reap the reward of greater buyer and developer interest; JLL Residential’s 2015 report estimated a 36% rise in house prices along the Elizabeth line by 2020, making the area an attractive opportunity for buyers.

Infrastructure improvement works have been a driving force behind wider regeneration in the area. The City Fringe has become a hotspot for new hotels; the new 143-bedroom Nobu Hotel opened this month and The Curtain, dubbed “London’s hippest new hotel” by The Times, opened in May, along with its exclusive Members’ Club which includes a live music showcase, resident DJ and bar, catering to the area’s creative industries. Shoreditch also now boasts some of the city’s most illustrious restaurants, including Michelin-starred Angler and Clove Club, as well as an exciting line-up of bars and cafes.

Already a thriving community where history and character meet modern technology and design, Tech City is set to be one of London’s hottest and most sought-after destinations.