13.12.21
Islington Square | NLA Research Paper - Local London: Building Resilient Neighbourhoods
This month the New London Architecture launched ‘Local London: building resilient neighbourhoods’, a research paper looking at the pivotal role of London’s ‘towns’ in the recovery and resilience of the city.
The research demonstrates how high-quality and inclusively designed public realm is critically important in underpinning the success of an urban place, while independent and locally managed spaces provide much of the informal social infrastructure that sustains community life.
Islington Square, winner of the 2021 New London Architecture Mixing award was designed as both a place to live and a destination, celebrating the unique cultural identities that define this renowned district of London.
The mixed use scheme is anchored by a central public boulevard, cinema, independent restaurants and concept bars, theatre spaces, and enlivened by the diverse retail offer of seasonal and temporary residencies and popups – markets, exercise classes, workshops, salons, pop-up bookshops, experimental theatre and open community spaces. The Saturday Boulevard Market brings together independent, local, ethical and sustainable food producers and crafts traders.
The scheme completed in 2020, opening to the public through a series of soft launches with an offering of both online and physical events to support and engage the local community - recognising the role of our urban centres as being less about necessary visits and more about choices around social activity and cultural participation.
‘As we emerge tentatively from the pandemic, attention is now targeted on strategies for both recovery and resilience, to understand how best the capital can respond to and manage the effects of both future shocks alongside those of structural global challenges, especially the climate emergency. The variety and diversity of London’s neighbourhoods — its local civic places, especially high streets and town centres, shaped through centuries of development — have played a major role in its success and identity as a world-leading city. These are the places where the social, economic and environmental needs and functions of the city meet and are visible to everyone.’
CLOSE
.jpg "23-12-07 Christmas Jumper Day CZWG 2023 (1).jpg")
