Update: the Culture Mile public realm strategy will be officially launched at an event on November 13 2024. According to a BBC London report from Ben Lynch on November 8 the planned move of Smithfield Market to Dagenham has been halted.
Previously: £12 million vision for a more welcoming Smithfield now 10 years away
The Culture Mile Business Improvement District has now published the public realm presentation given at its community forum meeting in July. Meeting reports here.
The presentation, now on the BID website, provides a draft vision of how streets, public spaces and heritage in the north west of the Square Mile may be improved and appreciated with more greening, outdoor activities, promotion and connections. It is based on a substantial study likely to be published in full in October.
Update: the presentation has been removed from the site until the final report is published on November 13, with a new download link.
The presentation was first given on July 18 by Will Dyson, Director of Placemaking. Although I shot a video, and provided a transcript, publication of the slides provides a better opportunity to engage with the study and the work behind it.
It also raises the issue of how decisions will be made on taking proposals forward.
Presentation slides
The slides cover:
- Movement in Culture Mile – including details of the most visited areas, and the extensive underground and rail services
- The historic context – how the area developed from a Roman settlement to creation in the 20th century of Barbican and Golden Lane Estates.
- The character of different areas – Smithfield, the estates, London Wall, Guildhall and environs, Moorfields, Moorgate, Finsbury Circus – plus connections and street character.
- The results of on-streets surveys, showing what people enjoyed most and wanted more of. The main request was for more green spaces.
- Stakeholders priorities – themes were Activate spaces, Celebrated heritage, Softer landscape, Coordination
- A Culture Mile vision: “To reveal and celebrate the Culture Mile’s multi-layered identity, respond to its position as a meeting point at the transport crossroads of London, and channel energy from its density of activity, including its unique cultural offer.”
- Culture Mile spatial strategy – covering routes ands connections, improvement opportunities, public spaces, green infrastructure.
Including some shortlisted projects
Engagement and governance
The study is clearly an impressive piece of work, with solid evidence for proposals that at first sight seem to be uncontentious. However, several issues occur to me:
1) It would be helpful to have a report back on the sticky note comments that people offered on July 18.
2) While the slides are welcome, they would be easier to read and interpret as a downloadable document, together with an overall commentary.
3) It is unclear where accountability for decisions will lie, as I raised in this blog post. The BID is governed by a Board mainly made of representatives of business and large organisations. There is one councillor as observer. Will there be any consultation on the final proposals? What influence can our elected representatives have?
4) Relationship to other public realm proposals being developed by the City Corporation, which I reported here. How do the two plans relate?
5) What are the shortlisted project on the final slide?
I’ll check in with the BID to see if I’m on track interpreting the slides, whether consultation is planned, and who makes decisions on implementation. I hope it will also be possible to get some information on the shortlisted projects.