8. Intermission

London Morning—Your #1 Newsletter for Everything London and Beyond!

DRIVING THE DAY—GREEN URBANISATION OR SMOKE AND MIRRORS? It's the city planner's Holy Grail: a blend of innovative technologies and sustainable practices, built at breakneck speed. Such is the pie-in-the-sky promise of the Green Horizon Initiative—nothing less than a blueprint for transforming how we live. And it will happen right here, in London.

GOOD MORNING. We stay up late so you don't have to. Over a few pints at the infamous Red Lion, favourite haunt of policy wonks and tourists alike, we learned that the Initiative will be spearheaded by two entrepreneur families. The Harringtons are one of them, known for their iron-fist efficiency. The other, though? Talk about a new kid on the block.

"The Harringtons are no strangers to large-scale construction, but the Morgans? They're the wild card," we hear from a government source who hints at groundbreaking yet undisclosed technologies. "It's a game-changer."

THE TL;DR. The Initiative focuses on three pilot areas: a cluster of shops and restaurants in Covent Garden, a residential block in Southwark, and a park in Finsbury. Over a delicious shepherd's pie, we gathered the key elements from an insider.

One, so much greenery you'll think you're in the Royal Botanic Gardens; two, innovative building methods to speed up construction; three, zero waste; and four, renewable energy sources—from wind to sun to rubbish, of all things. Self-sustaining, we ask? No, better. Giving energy back to the community.

WHY SO MYSTERIOUS? But amidst the early hustle, there's an undercurrent of unease. As one insider puts it, "Why the secrecy? Why the rush?" Construction is set to start in late May on the three sites that have been set aside for well over a year, with permits speed-walked through the corridors of London's bureaucracy.

Is it just innovative planning, or is there more to the story? The Initiative aims to blend traditional construction with novel technologies, but the lack of public insight raises our eyebrows.

THE SILENCE OF THE FAMILIES. Neither dynasty heir Adam Harrington nor fresh-faced Liam Morgan were immediately available for comments. Once they're ready to speak, they know where to find us!

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