As expected, businesses in the north west of the City of London have voted to establish a Business Improvement District, and will pay a levy that is expected to generate £9 million over the next five years. The Culture Mile BID website says: “Driven by the private sector, the Culture Mile BID will go live read more
Last year the City Corporation launched Destination City to increase footfall for ailing visitor attractions, bars and restaurants. Would Clerkenwell benefit from an initiative to promote sustainable tourism? The current edition of the EC1 Echo has a host of articles about Clerkenwell history, and I’m working on a project to celebrate The Peel Institute’s 125th read more
The City of London is planning to spend £150,000 on a “Residential Reset” to engage better with the 8600 people living in the Square Mile. Proposals go to Policy and Resources Committee on February 23. The Committee is also recommended to approve £70,000 on The City Belonging Project to support engagement with the estimated 587,000 read more
The EC1 Echo carries an interview with Sharon Ament, director of the Museum of London, about closure of the current site, plans to re-open in three years, and what’s happening in between. Echo editor Oliver Bennett kindly invited me to write something about my idea for a Museum of the Streets, which I’ve previously posted read more
Update1 : I’ve located a recording of the City residents meeting on January 11 where policy chair Chris Hayward promised more consultation in future with residents on changes in Culture Mile. I’ve added more on that below and here. Update2: following committee discussion on January 23 it is clearer that the offer to the Business read more
Some 400 people packed St Giles Cripplegate earlier this week for the latest campaign meeting against proposed office development on the site of the now-closed Museum of London. Back story on the plans and campaign here. The Barbican Quarter Action campaign highlighted the decision of the Twentieth Century Society to put Bastion House and the read more
Update December 2022: the City Corporation has now formally published proposals for the St Paul’s gyratory, described in the article below, and invited comments, saying: ”The gyratory, which was introduced in the 1970’s is dominated by motor traffic and we are exploring options to improve the area for other street users. The project area stretches read more
EC1 has a rich history; some hidden, some obscure and a great deal that is still up for debate. The present feels uncertain, the future one of many possibilities, but with hope and fear in equal measure. Can the future of EC1 be a continuum with its past? Can there be a radical development of read more
I wrote recently that the Elizabeth Line makes Canary Wharf a strong competitor for City entertainment and the Destination City initiative. Here’s a look along the line westwards, and rather different attractions. When I fancy a walk in Regent’s Park I usually take the Tube from Barbican to Great Portland Street, then return via Baker read more
I originally drafted this piece for a column in the EC1 Echo, but space is tight this time and we’ll revisit in print in the New Year. Meanwhile there’s discussion on Twitter about the cost and focus of the Destination City programme, and future use of the Museum of London site. The Culture Mile Business read more