London Tour 1st July - INTI - International New Town Institute


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London Tour 1st July

This tour explores the City of London from the perspective of migration and consequently build on the topics discussed during the conference.
Provisional tour program:

08:00 Departure from Central Station Milton Keynes

Transport by bus to South of London

  10:00 – 11:30 Regeneration processes in Brixton, a traditional migration neighborhood & the different voices

As a first site we will visit the neighborhood Brixton, a very diverse and multicultural neighborhood with a long tradition of migration.

Brixton, UK

We will take a closer look at the dynamics of the neighborhood which is rapidly being gentrified (but) and still attracts migrants from all over the world. Relevant questions here are ’how does regeneration and redevelopment affect urban areas with migrating history and how are communities responding?
Together with Anchor & Magnet, an artists project based in Brixton we will try to find answers to these questions by visiting specific sites in the neighborhood such as the Brixton Market.
Guide: Katy Beinart, Senior Lecturer in Architecture, University of Brighton & Co-Founder of Anchor & Magnet with the kind participation of Alan Piper, Brixton Society

Transport by bus to Peckham. Meeting point Peckham Library, 122 Peckham Hill St. at 12:00

  12:00 - 13:00 The Coal Line Project - Peckham

This part of the tour will introduce us to the "The Coal Line Project", a community-led initiative that aims to reconnect Peckham’s neighbourhoods via a new linear link park between Queens Road Peckham and Rye Lane. It will transform walking and cycling connections around Peckham, changing the lives of residents and businesses by bridging busy roads and creating a more direct link between two high streets. It will turn disused space into a source of civic pride that brings benefits to health, culture and business and celebrates Peckham’s industrial past.
The 900m-long route will run on disused coal sidings alongside the railway line through the heart of Peckham. It will complement the urban setting and frame views across London, passing through beautiful Victorian brick viaducts before dropping down to a little-used nature reserve. It will bridge the gap in a wider network of cycling and walking greenways between Brixton and the Thames.
By bringing people together around the idea, the Coal Line Project hopes it will act as a catalyst for further social projects that may only be indirectly linked to the Coal Line itself – connecting schools with residents, artists with community groups, businesses with local authorities and all combinations in between. It will also be something to be enjoyed in and of itself, a place that’s free to use in which to amble, rest, cycle and play above the streets.

Guide: Nick Woodford, Investigator at Coal Line Project)

  13:00-14:00 Lunch break at Yada’s, a Kurdish restaurant in Peckham

14:00 Transport by bus to Thamesmead

  14:45 - 17:00 Redeveloping a New Town – Migration & Diversity in Thamesmead

As a last stop, we will visit Thamesmead, a New Town built from the 1960s onwards and today undergoing a massive physical transformation (demolition of existing housing stock) and a culture driven urban regeneration program.
Initially, Thamesmead was one of the most homogenous estates of its type in London, being predominately white and working class. However, already few years later, the ethnic make-up of Thamesmead has changed: in the late 1970s, a small group of Vietnamese refugees built a community in the area, and then, in the 90s a larger wave of migration from West Africa (predominately Nigeria and Ghana) began. The 2011 census revealed that 35.58% of residents in the Thamesmead Moorings are Black African, the highest percentage in both London and the UK, while Thamesmead East had the second highest at 34.88%.
Over the years, the lack of transport infrastructures and investments has undoubtedly threatened the ambitions of the London’s New Town. Unlocking the full potential of Thamesmead today means to improve the connections to the city centre, create better public transport and foster investment in infrastructure, urban regeneration and quality of public spaces, creating a balance between long-term plans for the future and investing in improvements now. Today home to over 45,000 people from all backgrounds and ages, Thamesmead can count on a vibrant community, whose main landowner - Peabody Group - is in charge of a massive operation of urban regeneration. Questions that will be addressed here are: ’what does this urban regeneration look like? How does the program account for migration? What are the challenges and opportunities

Guide: Ken Baikie, Director Thamsmead Development of Peabody Group

17:00 Bus drive back to London

Thamesmead, UK (photo: Peabody Group)
Peabody Group


This tour is supported by the Peabody Group, Thamesmead Now, Anchor&Magnet (Katy Beinart) & the Coal Line Project (Nick Woodford)









INTD 2017
INTI/AoU Joint Programme
   Welcome Soirée 27 June
   Program conference 28 June
   MKTour & Reception June 29
   AoU Symposium June 30
   London Tour 1st July
Speakers
Partners & Sponsors
Practical Information
Why Milton Keynes?
Videos
Previous edition: INTD 2016



Here is an interesting video of Thamesmead as a first impression: