Building Strong Communities

Suggested by Besiii 18 March

1 comment
Last activity 3 years ago

I am a female from Hackney and I am writing this on behalf of all the females who are not able to just pee in the bush like Males do. Hackney has a lot of green space and parks but there is not many or any toilets in parks. For example Victoria park is massive and has toilets but it needs more and cleaner toilets! Having to witness people peeing in public is disgusting! And worst of it all is during summer when parks are packed and the air is humid and you can smell the urine. There is a lot of pregnant woman, woman on their period or even people with health conditions that may effect them and they will have to use the toilet more often. For example I have ibs and I could go out more comfortably if I knew there will be more toilets. This is very unhygienic and also we have kids in the parks witnessing people peeing. We should also have cleaners on shift daily to keep the toilets clean so it’s not just a dirty mess, if this means we have to pay 20p like in central parks then let it be but please create more toilets in public as we are all humans and we all have needs and sometimes we are not able to go home or we may not live close to home. This should be done to all public parks.

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Suggested by kensalgreener 18 March

3 comments
Last activity 3 years ago

Our streets are clogged with delivery vans. Drives leave engines running as they rush to make deliveries, ramping up local air pollution and creating so much traffic - a switch to 100% electric would reduce noise and pollution, E- Cargo bikes would make a big difference in reducing traffic. We also need streets that are designed for people, not cars. I hope the temporary cycle lanes will become permanent around West London but they are still not fit for purpose - look at how the Dutch do it. Proper investment would encourage parents to cycle with children - it's currently not safe IMO and main roads are still way too polluted. The School streets initiative should also be permanent - we don't want cars outside school gates (obvious exceptions for disabled etc). Play parks and pocket parks need more investment. Our trees need proper protection everywhere. Brent council is all too happy to chop down mature trees and developers MUST be made to preserve trees as part of any new development. The removal of mature trees at Wornington House to make way for developers in North Kensington recently was appalling - the same can be said for HS2 and the damage being done Wormwood Scrubs. Planting a few saplings is not a substitute for a 40+ year old tree. I'd like to see projects like NYC's High Line in London - we have enough disused areas that could be turned into much loved and used public spaces with a bit of creative thinking.

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Too many high streets are mainly takeaways and betting shops, and unfit for purpose residential flats. Offer retail and living space for enterprises that make society and individuals healthier eg - spaces to exercise: stationary exercise bikes/mini gyms/basketball hoops/table tennis - spaces for wildlife: ponds/flowerbeds/vegetable beds/wildflowers - spaces for children: graffiti walls/chalk walls/homework areas - spaces for older people: seating/toilets - spaces for exchange and repairing: fix it shops/book exchanges/toy libraries/plant swap

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Do not allow polluting businesses, such as garages, in residential areas. Halt excessive construction of tall buildings in densely populated areas and replace with green areas/parks. Make narrow residential streets one way.

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Suggested by LOKI 18 March

0 comments
Last activity 3 years ago

1. Allocate spaces on high streets for pop-up stalls. Instead of having up front charges, have the sellers allocate a percentage of their profits to either the city or a London charity this way, they are not out of pocket & contribute to activating the high street life & economy). 2. Let cafes, restaurants take over the street side. Make traffic one way instead of two and use the extra car space for vibrant city life.

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The state of many of London's playspaces is disgraceful. Unimaginative, poorly designed, badly maintained and boring. Many children in London don't have access to any private outdoor space and therefore playspaces are vital for their health, wellbeing and fun! Many of the playspaces, within or near housing estates are the worst and these are the playspaces most needed. Why not overhaul and transform these spaces!

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Suggested by GuyTaylor 18 March

0 comments
Last activity 3 years ago

One authority covering the entire area inside the M25 to be responsible for the reimagining of our region as if biodiversity , climate change , alternative energy and food were at the core of delivering a new job creation agenda

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Suggested by zszilag 18 March

1 comment
Last activity 3 years ago

We need many many more trees and plants in the city. They would help clean our air, reduce CO2 emissions, make our streets more beautiful and give vital shade during the summer. I live near Edgware Road and there are hardly any trees next to the road. Planting trees on both sides of the road would make the pedestrian area so much better and welcoming. Flowers on all public areas would also significantly improve the look and feel of our high streets.

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Suggested by PYFP 17 March

1 comment
Last activity 3 years ago

Side streets closed to traffic or pedestrian only street dedicated for street markets and events. With the changing environment following the pandemic, more people will work from home so farm and food markets for lunches and weekend shows, entertainment or celebration of festivals like May Pole Morris Dancing to Diwali.

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Suggested by Portpool 17 March

1 comment
Last activity 3 years ago

I know it's not very glamorous but public spaces need accessible and free public toilets. Streets and public spaces that encourage cultural activities, a good mix of businesses such as street markets, better public spaces for communities to come together, and cleaner and greener spaces all need free accessible public toilets.

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Project´s name: FREE STUDIO FOR ALL. This idea came to me a while ago and now I am so happy to share it with all of you. Basically, the idea is to create a Collaborative Space, where the Artists could come and share their knowledge with people who want to learn a new artistic skill. This Space could be a tasting workshop where the people could come and taste different types of arts. It could be about Music, painting or any other artistic skill. The idea is that the Teachers could come and offer their tasting workshops for free, in a voluntary way, maybe 1, 2 or 3 day sessions or something like that. The Teachers could publish their workshops in the Studio and the learners could reserve their place. It is absolutely win–win collaboration. From one side, the teachers could have their opportunity to share and practice their artistic skills and on top of that, if they have their own private Studio if any student wants to learn more about that, they could offer their courses to them later on. And in the other hand, the students could have the opportunity to practice and taste the workshop course for free, to see if they like the course or not. Sometimes you book a course, and then after a few weeks, you realise that you do not like this course.

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Allow groups of artists and designers to occupy redundant retail spaces on a trial basis. Retail needs to become an event, or destination, in order to survive. Artists and designers need affordable space to exhibit and work in, spaces that currently stand empty could be places that fledgling brands and artists can exhibit their work and designs. These spaces could be hubs for UK creative talent and showcase our design talent to the World. People are becoming aware of how damaging industrialised fashion is to the environment, and independent brands creative clothing in more sustainable ways should be given exposure and offered as a viable alternative. They are out there, they just need support and exposure. Artists are constantly being moved out of studio space and need affordable alternatives to work and exhibit. London could be the centre for sustainable creativity if new brands and artists are given room and the opportunity to work from central locations.

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Suggested by Jpwood 17 March

0 comments
Last activity 3 years ago

London councils should invest in creating peri-urban farms and market gardens that can be managed by local communities. This would give people the opportunity to learn about growing healthy and sustainable food. It would create green spaces for locals to use, with opportunities for both adults and children to learn new skills and experiences that are rare in urban environments. It would facilitate more food growing closer to market and they could be run as semi-commercial enterprises, providing income for the local community. These green space could also incorporate trees and wildflowers, helping to bring back nature and further be part of the climate solution. We also know that food growing and green spaces are very good for people mental and physical health, acting as low cost green gyms. They can also act as 'safe spaces', giving people outdoor areas away from polluting road traffic and away from noise.

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Suggested by kagar 17 March

1 comment
Last activity 3 years ago

It would be great to have more cycle parking that doesn't get in the way of pedestrians. Where it's not possible to widen pavements to accomodate both, we could have bike racks (maybe even with sloping clear roofs for a bit of weather protection?) on the road in spaces where cars generally park. I live near Lordship Lane in East Dulwich, and always feel terrible if I need to lock my bike on a lamppost which gets in people's way. If there were just a couple of better options spaced along the long high street, it would only remove a couple of car spots but make a big difference and encourage people to use their bikes instead. More bike hangars on residential streets for people without space to store their own would be good too. Wherever possible, I think bikes should be taking space from cars, not people! More/bigger bins in parks would be great. Much stricter guidelines about including green space in any new building developments. More pedestrianisation of local high streets wherever possible. Identify suitable places for micro parks - a very small one near us is just as well used as the bigger ones for exercise and dog-walking! But also protect existing green space from being overdeveloped. Might there be a way for more parks to be open after the sun sets if they were lit better? Of course in the summer it's fine, but through lockdown winter it has been really hard to get out enough before they're closed. Joint purchasing schemes for solar panels, air source heat pumps etc, to encourage whole neighbourhoods to switch to greener energy affordably.

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Suggested by Jpwood 17 March

12 comments
Last activity 3 years ago

Green walkways that connect different neighbourhoods, so that pedestrians and cyclists do not have to walk/ride along roads. Pedestrian areas and cyclist areas could be clearly laid out so that neither uses the others space. Walkways to be lined with trees and flowers, and set away from roads. Small meet-up spaces, away from the path, could provide green space for people to rest or meet friends and family. Why? Reduce the amount of air pollution that pedestrians and cyclists are exposed to. Provide quieter and calmer spaces for those on foot and bike, which will contribute towards improving mental and physical health. Opportunities for London to fulfil tree planting commitments and be part of the climate and nature solution in an urban environment, by planting native trees, plants and flowers. This would also create lots of new jobs in both the short and longer-term, with requirements to create and maintain spaces, helping to reboot London's economy and reduce unemployment.

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Battersea Park Road between The Latchmere pub and The Asparagus pub is a perfect example of a high street which is completely dominated by through traffic. The pavements are incredibly narrow, with nowhere near enough space to make this part of the high street a pleasant destination for pedestrians. As the road is part of the TLRN I realise it would be impossible to stop through traffic. However, the road has three lanes, and could be reduced to two. That would hugely improve the area, allowing people to dwell, for people to walk past each other easily, and for al fresco dining

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In our neighbourhood there are numerous small garage sites that are inappropriate for residential infill development given the multiple ownerships, existing access rights and overlooking (some of which are quite large communal spaces that are well used for play and social space by local residents). Many of these garages are already used as studio or workshop spaces for local tradespeople, musicians and artists, with unofficial power supplies linked to homes nearby, but generally no drainage/water supply and minimal insulation. Could the local authority support garage owners/freehold owners to work together to develop more formalised studio/workspace/workshop yards, perhaps by adding another storey, and help fund improvements to the communal spaces? This supports the idea of 15 minute neighbourhoods, with homes and workspace nearby, and would create local supportive collaborative networks of businesses, similar to those found at Pullens Yards or Blackhorse Lane. And would have the added benefit of improving (and potentially greening) pockets of infill sites throughout existing neighbourhoods.

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I would like London to take a leaf, no pun intended, out of Singapore City’s approach to green infrastructure. Incorporating nature into the city.

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Suggested by Lj99 17 March

2 comments
Last activity 3 years ago

More bins and bin collections in London's green spaces, and more cameras, enforcements and fines for people who litter and fly tip. More signage to encourage behavioural changes in those who litter without shame.

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My local neighbourhood (London W4) has been totally wrecked by the completely unsupported changes (such as LTNs, rushed-through cycle lanes and - possibly most unbelievable of all - cycle ‘Zebra Crossings’, which just aren’t used) imposed by the two Labour ‘local’ councils - Hounslow and Ealing. How can those who actually live in the area (as opposed to non-accountable councillors who all live 4-5 miles away) take back control of the area that we love so much, but which is being ruined by those who simply don’t care?

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