03 STRATEGY THE ANSWERS
SHOWCASING IDENTITY
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
Poplar is not lacking in character, but it is hiding away from view, in pockets not visible to a first-time visitor. The East London Link aims to nurture public spaces that showcase this unique identity and create new opportunities for social mixing against a backdrop of public harmony and spatial cohesion.
In the spirit of designing multi-faceted places, this framework aims to create spaces that bring together living, working and playing. This is not only a model of socio-environmental sustainability, but also ensures that communities are given freedom and ownership over their space and time.
This framework recognises that the people of Poplar, are Poplar. Through programmes designed to give local communities ownership over newly developed public spaces, this framework will give people pride in their community and showcase a revolutionary programme of participatory planning.
This framework for Poplar includes a series of interventions that aim to provide checks and balances to the future demographic changes of the area. These interventions aim to mitigate against the negative social and economic effects of gentrification, by ensuring that improvements made to the community are for the community itself.
SOCIOENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
This framework takes a holistic approach, to bring education on climate change to the public realm, creating multifaceted places that are simultaneously working to better the environment and educate people about environmental issues. A focus on environmental autonomy aims to bring climate-change technology to the local level, for the benefit of local people. A preference for building upon the pre-existing urban fabric, incorporating old into new by focusing on urban renewal for sustainability; both environmentally and socially.
IMPROVING CONNECTIVITY Macro Connectivity: At present the separation between Canary Wharf and Poplar, characterised by the linear separation of Aspen Way and the concentration of transport links on the south side of East India Dock serves to isolate Poplar. However, this isolation has shielded the area somewhat from Canary Wharf style development and protected its authentic East End character. Now, it is time for Poplar to reconnect with the rest of East London, on its own terms. Investing in green connections with other East End Hubs, such as Bow and Mile-End, to create a network of East London ‘markettowns’. Micro Connectivity: As an area dominated by the automobile, Poplar today is made up of small hubs of activity, separated by large roads. The legacy of car-friendly planning in Poplar lives on. This new vision for the area looks to return power to the pedestrian. Through the extension of a linear park, and expansion of the marketplace, this framework looks to foster street-level connectivity.
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