We’re thrilled to report that CLEAR VILLAGE has just come off an incredibly successful series of Labs at the old Lloyds Pharmacy space on Tottenham High Rd. Now we’re sitting back and reflecting – along with our local community partners the Friends of Down Lane Park – on all the inspiring ideas that over 150 Tottenham locals shared with us during our two-week residency. We did everything we could to make sure that everyone could have a say and the results, if we do say so ourselves, are fantastic.
The CLEAR VILLAGE team designed and facilitated exercises expressly to tap into the spontaneous creativity of Tottenham’s residents. After presenting inspiration talks from research on similar projects, we helped them plot their “bright ideas” with stickers and draw their everyday routes on blown-up maps; asked them to think up strategies for the alleys to enrich the community; and our sketchers drew their ideas in real time. To spatialize their ideas further, we even built an architectural model that they could alter with miniature clay models of their concepts. Talk about getting your hands dirty!
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We came away with loads of suggestions about how the alleys could be brighter, nicer, more usable spaces. The residents had some very practical thoughts; most would like to see the alleys become a safer place with better lighting and more CCTV. But there was no shortage of innovative inspiration, either; plenty of people thought the alleys could be greener – with more plants, flowers and trees growing from ground or even the walls. Someone even suggested that plants for the alleys could be nursed in under-used Council parking lots!
How about colourful pavements and brightly painted walls? Some residents suggested that Tottenham’s many local artists could play a key role in designing aesthetic improvements to brighten up the walls and pavements. There were lots of brilliant ideas about community facilities in the alleys as well; for instance, playgrounds or gaming areas for children and teenagers, a small café or a new pop-up market.
In addition to being a hotbed for hyper-local innovation, the Labs presented an opportunity for further outreach. Local Councilors visited the workshop space en masse – including the Mayor of Haringey David Browne and the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Alan Strickland – to show their support for the project. Pro-active residents expressed interest in volunteering or told us about friends who would be eager to help with DIY projects in the alleys. Lots of neighbours met each other for the first time over a map or a model.
So what’s next? We’re elaborating on the results of the Labs to develop a holistic strategic plan and potential scenarios for the next stage of the project. Once the strategy and scenarios are completed in early April, CLEAR VILLAGE and the Friends of Down Lane Park intend to pursue funding strategies for significant interventions to make the alleys a positive catalyst for the wider area.
