Mayor calls on boroughs to champion capital's great spaces
The Mayor launched his Great Spaces initiative at the world-renowned property conference MIPIM in March. It is part of a range of measures to improve London's vast network of outdoor spaces and make the capital an even more attractive place to live, work and visit.
(Media-Newswire.com) - The Mayor of London Boris Johnson is calling on London’s boroughs to submit their ideas for revamping and revitalising some of the capital’s unique public spaces.
The Mayor launched his Great Spaces initiative at the world-renowned property conference MIPIM in March. It is part of a range of measures to improve London's vast network of outdoor spaces and make the capital an even more attractive place to live, work and visit.
The leaders of all London’s boroughs have now been invited to submit ideas for projects that can be considered for a share of £200,000 funding and other support from Great Spaces.
The Mayor’s Great Spaces Panel, chaired by Sir Simon Milton, Deputy Mayor for Policy & Planning, will assess projects submitted and those that are successful will be eligible for funding. This will help with establishing their feasibility, with design work or with help to promote them. The teams behind the projects will also benefit from top quality, specialist advice from the panel and from the London Development Agency’s Design for London which will manage the initiative
Once projects that have received support are completed, they will be reviewed by the Panel who will decide whether they should be recommend to the Mayor for a ‘Mayor’s Great Spaces Award. The Awards will be announced annually and any public space project, whether or not they are part of the Great Spaces initiative, can be recommended to the Panel for its consideration.
The Mayor said:
“Public space is the glue that holds a city together and design and quality are often key factors in people’s decisions to live, visit and invest in an area. High quality public space can improve safety, benefit the local economy, encourage future growth and opportunities, and create a sense of wellbeing and pride within the local neighbourhood.
“This initiative and my new award will highlight, celebrate and champion the excellent work of London’s boroughs and their partners’ as they strive to improve our precious public spaces.�
Architect and masterplanner, Sir Terry Farrell, CBE, said:
"I fully support Boris Johnson's latest commitment to revitalise some of the capital's unique public spaces. For too many years the focus of creating new urban spaces has been towards inner London. The vital role played by our town centres and communities in the suburbs has been overlooked and I would actively encourage local authorities in the suburbs to participate in the Mayor's initiative as these areas contain some of the most important drivers of London's future success."
The Mayor’s Great Spaces Panel consists of a group of highly experienced professionals and representatives from a range of organisations and interest groups including: Sir Simon Milton ( Chair ), Deputy Mayor for Policy & Planning at the GLA; Richard Rogers ( Vice Chair ) Chairman, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners; Peter Bishop, Group Director, Design, Development & Environment at the LDA; Mark Brearley, Head of Design for London, at the LDA; Michelle Dix, Managing Director, Group Planning at Transport for London; David Lunts, Regional Director for London, Homes and Communities Agency; Sarah Gaventa Director, CABE Space; Sarah Ichioka, Director, Architecture Foundation; Caroline Khoo, Stephen Lawrence Trust Ambassador; and Professor Peter Barker OBE.
2. As part of the process to select public space projects for support they will be assessed against a set of strategic aims, performance criteria and delivery expectations Generally spaces should perform well against the following indicators. They should be:
- Flexible providing the potential for a variety of activities and events - Comfortable, encouraging all types of use - Accessible catering to all users - Safe at all times of the day , night and year - Sustainable and durable - Beautiful and well designed, rich in texyure and well executed - Integrated with their surroundings and respecting the characteristics of its locality
3. Design for London will administer and manage the Mayor’s Great Spaces Initiative
4. Design for London is part of the London Development Agency's ( LDA ) Design Development and Environment Directorate. The LDA has set up the Design, Development and Environment directorate to take a design led approach to delivering improvements to London's infrastructure and built environment. For more information visit www.designforlondon.gov.uk
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