Alley Links

Alley Links was an ambitious project to transform six alleys in Tottenham through participatory design. Initiated by Friends of Down Lane Park (FDLP) in summer 2012, Alley Links was the only London-based project included in the Design Council/CABE’s “Design Your Neighbourhood” programme. In addition to providing grant funding, the programme linked FDLP to Clear Village as a local design partner who could provide the necessary (participatory) design expertise to drive the project forward.

The project consisted of three distinct phases. The first phase was a street survey and quantitative footfall analysis carried out by the CLEAR VILLAGE team. Building on the results of the survey, CLEAR VILLAGE and FDLP hosted a series of participatory design workshops that brought together residents, retailers, community groups and representatives from the local authorities to gather people’s ideas and aspirations for the alleys. Over 150 participants shared over 350 ideas on how to improve the alleys. CLEAR VILLAGE used this information to develop and critically evaluate possible future scenarios for the alleys. The final recommendation involved a holistic approach to improving the alleys that was in line with local people’s needs and aspirations.

Our work helped the Friends to secure 200k of regeneration budget to make the alleys safer and more attractive for local residents and visitors and the first Alley, Albert Place has now got a transformation!