Can London Still Accommodate the Next Generation of Young Graduates?

Published October 10, 2025 | Version v1

Thesis Open

For more than a century, London has been a magnet for those who have recently graduated

from universities and colleges and look for inspiring jobs. The city is now facing a housing

affordability crisis that particularly hits this young graduate cohort. Far more limited housing

options, stagnant wages and skyrocketing rents are deterring many young adults of this

cohort to work in London. This dissertation is motivated by the question: can London still

accommodate the next generation of its young graduates under these conditions?

Chapter 1 provides the background on the housing predicaments of this generation, situating

current challenges in historical context. It reviews past policy responses and examines how

young graduates today get by precariously. Chapter 2 analyses recent demographic shifts,

including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on where young adults live. Chapter 3

investigates the spatial distribution of London’s young adult population and compares it

against housing stock changes over the past decade, revealing geographic mismatches

between where young people cluster and where new housing is supplied. Chapter 4 evaluates

whether London is building the right kinds of homes in the right places for the emerging

generation. Then Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 together address the core question and consider

what changes are needed for London to accommodate its next generation of young graduates.

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