Join Pablo on Friday 10th at 10 am for a walk along the Westway in North Kensington about the relevance of community activism and social movements in shaping the area. The walk will uncover the capacity of activist movements in the area to defend their community assets from commodification or closure to produce new forms of social infrastructure. 

Participants are asked to book in advance via the link below (coming soon)

Dr Pablo Sendra is an architect and urban designer and Associate Professor at The Bartlett School of Planning, UCL, who combines his academic career with professional work through his own urban design practice, LUGADERO LTD, which focuses on facilitating co-design processes with communities. He has carried out co-design processes in Wimbledon, North Kensington, Seville (Spain), and has collaborated with several community groups across London. At UCL, he is the Director of the MSc Urban Design and City Planning Programme and the Coordinator of the Civic Design CPD. He has carried out action-research projects in collaboration with activists and communities, including working with residents from social housing estates such as Alton Estate or South Kilburn Estate. He is co-author of Designing Disorder (with Richard Sennett, 2020), Community-Led Regeneration (with Daniel Fitzpatrick, 2020), and co-editor of Civic Practices (with Maria Joao Pita and CivicWise, 2017).

Accessibility: #fullyaccessible #flatrout #seniorswelcome #breaks #familyfriendly

The walk will explore the Strand Aldwych scheme, which involved the removal of a polluted four lane gyratory to reclaim over 7000 sqm of accessible public space in the heart of the City. It will be led by Ruchi Chakravarty, who led the design, development and delivery of the scheme for Westminster City Council. The discussion will focus on urban design and holistic placemaking, which formed the basis of the scheme and will explore the changes to the Strand and the Aldwych.

Participants are asked to book in advance via the link below: (coming soon)

Ruchi Chakravarty

Accessibility: #seniorswelcome #familyfriendly #petfriendly #wheelchairfriendly

Walk from Lea Bridge to Regents Canal and Angel via Hackney, discovering more about hidden gems, local independent businesses and green oasis. Preview the route on Go Jauntly 

Participants are encouraged to RSVP in advance via the link below: https://community.nationalparkcity.org/posts/54107530?utm_source=manual

Michael Shilling is a photographer, filmmaker and London National Park City Ranger. He works with several Charities and organisations across London including Footways, ecoACTIVE and CPRE London.   

Accessibility: #longdistance #petfriendly

Led by Antonio, the young Art Councillors and other pupils from the Soho Parish Primary School, the walk will take us on a journey through the nearby streets around the school to test the curatorial decision-making process they made earlier in the classroom for the upcoming exhibition of the 4th annual edition of the Soho Kids Xmas Lights, which will take place in Soho, London. 

The WalkShop will start in the classroom with the young Art Councillors and some pupils acting as curators of the exhibition, and to inspire them, Antonio will facilitate an introductory workshop for the kids to explore topics about curating and exhibiting; and with the help of a site map and pictures of the selected locations previously agreed by Westminster Council, they will choose the lamp posts to exhibit their lighting designs. 

During the actual walk through the streets of Soho, the pupils will critically analyse and test through sketching and discussions among themselves and with local residents, business owners, and visitors, the choices and decisions they made in the classroom.

Antonio Capelao is the founder director of Architecture for Kids CIC; founder and co-producer of Soho Kids Xmas Lights and Cardiff Kids Xmas Lights; founder, host, and co-producer of Architecture for Kids podcast; founding director of a small architectural practice in London; and Year 1 studio leader in Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University. Antonio has extensive experience with organising and running co-design projects with primary school pupils, and leading live briefs that focus on the production of urban artefacts in community environments and he is currently studying MPhil/PhD at UCL IOE and The Bartlett researching how the shared expertise of architects and teachers can be utilised to plan, implement and deliver an authentic STEAM project focusing on architecture and sustainability.

Accessibility: #fullyaccessible #flatroute #familyfriendly #breaks

The Barbican and Golden Lane Estate district is home to many of the City of London’s 9000 residents. The area has recently set up a Neighbourhood Forum, the only body of its kind in the City of London. It is working to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan for the area. A neighbourhood plan gives the local community a statutory role in the planning process giving it the right to comment on planning applications and the development in this part of the City which is home to word-class architecture and culture as well as being a dynamic place to live.

Much of the area was developed in the post-war period in a City devastated by the Blitz. Developments like Golden Lane, the Barbican Estate and the creation of the London Wall offices were being created at roughtly the same time that Jane Jacobs was engaged in campaigning against proposals by Robert Moses for the development of New York and the Bronx.

This Jane’s Walk will take visitors around the edge of Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood area and provide a chance to discuss:

• why a plan is a good idea; 

• how it could work; 

• why this part of London could benefit; and 

• how this approach might make us all better neighbours. 

And as we celebrate the life and work of Jane Jacobs, it will ask – who is the Jane Jacobs for the 21st century and who is our own Robert Moses?

Participants are asked to book in advance via the link below: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/being-neighbourly-in-the-city-of-london-tickets-888441040067?aff=oddtdtcreator

Paul Lincoln is a Golden Lane Estate resident, JWL Leader 2022 & 2023 and City of London/Open City guide. He is involved with Imagine Golden Lane at Net Zero which campaigns to prepare the estate for a net zero future. Details of the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum can be found here: https://bglneighbours.wordpress.com/   

Accessibility: #wheelchairfriendly #seniorswelcome #bicycleswelcome

A short photo walk from Waterloo Station to the London National Park City Visitors Centre with Lenses of Croydon. The evening will include talks from Lenses of Croydon members, Brutalism in Colour and London In 360.

• 6pm Photowalk - Meet inside Waterloo Station at the entrance to The Sidlings (on the fake grass). 

• 7pm Evening Talks at 109 Fleet Street

Participants are encouraged to RSVP in advance via the link below:

https://community.nationalparkcity.org/posts/53643346?utm_source=manual

Lenses of Croydon is a South London based connector for photographers of all levels who live, work or study in and around the London borough of Croydon. Our aim is to aid all members of the group to enhance their creative skills and to build their portfolio while networking with others.

Accessibility: #fullyaccessible #flatroute #familyfriendly #breaks

Walk from Epping Forest to Lea Bridge through the centre of Walthamstow and the marshes, discovering more about the area. Preview the route on Go Jauntly 

Participants are encouraged to RSVP in advance via the link below: https://community.nationalparkcity.org/posts/54108023?utm_source=manual

Michael Shilling is a photographer, filmmaker and London National Park City Ranger. He works with several Charities and organisations across London including Footways, ecoACTIVE and CPRE London.   

Accessibility: #longdistance #petfriendly #wheelchairfriendly #stepfree

A lot has changed in Elephant and Castle of late, but tucked behind soaring skyscrapers, construction sites and busy roundabouts are clues to its curious history and current struggles… 

From whales to pink elephants, raves in caves to salsa bars, modernist dreams to development nightmares, join Sophie and Chris to peel back the layers of London’s best-known Elephant together, and add your stories, memories and imaginings into the mix.

Participants are asked to book in advance via the link below: coming soon

Sophie Wall 

Accessibility: #petfriendly #wheelchairfriendly #bicycleswelcome #loudnoise #seniorswelcome

Join ecoACTIVE and walk The Hackney BuzzLine, an innovative initiative aimed at improving pollinator habitats, enhancing cycling and walking routes, and engaging community-based bodies and residents in planting for bees and butterflies.

Participants are encouraged to RSVP in advance via the link below: https://community.nationalparkcity.org/posts/53643529?utm_source=manual

Michael Shilling is a photographer, filmmaker and London National Park City Ranger. He works with several Charities and organisations across London including Footways, ecoACTIVE and CPRE London.   

Accessibility: #longdistance

The walk will explore a selection of Brickflats, a street art project by Raphael Vangelis. Small one-of-a-kind “flats” are fitted in place of a missing brick within a damaged wall. Vangelis started the project in London after the pandemic, as a commentary on the global housing market, compact living, and cost of living crisis. The mini real estate empire of brick flats which started in London has since expanded to Barcelona and Salzburg. 

We’ll be “flat hunting” for six brick flats along Regents Canal to Victoria Park. Along the way, we’ll learn about Vangelis’ creative process, inspiration, and outlook as a street artist in London - who was interviewed in preparation for this walk. A broader discussion on life in Islington, Hackney, and Bethnal Green will accompany each “flat viewing”, including background on urban planning, the London housing market, household makeup, and access to green + blue spaces. Sharing personal experiences living, working, and playing in the area is welcomed and highly encouraged! 

If you are interested in discovering small, unexpected delights, while chatting about street art, housing, urban planning, and green + blue space - come along for the journey! 

Please wear comfortable shoes and note that some areas of the canal will be busy and maybe inaccessible for wheelchair users or those with mobility challenges. 

Participants are asked to book in advance via the link below: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jwl-festival-2024-flat-hunting-for-brickflats-tickets-877411139337

Savannah Willits is an urban analyst with a multidisciplinary background in economic policy, real estate, and market research. She is passionate about understanding the interdisciplinary urban systems and ecosystems that make up the living organisms we know as cities. Savannah currently leads PLP Labs, a design research collaborative at PLP Architecture, that explores emerging ideas related to people, the planet, and technology with leading international experts.

Accessibility: #petfriendly #busyroute #uneventerrain #familyfriendly

Not many would believe that Notting Hill, now an extremely wealthy part of London, was once notorious for being a “slum”. This tour explores the stories behind the streets of Notting Hill and how their effects can be seen decades on.

Once a rural farmland owned by the Ladbroke Family, Notting Hill began to develop in the late 1700s with the family's dream of turning it into a lavish estate that rivals Regent's Park. While it may seem that their dream has finally become a reality, the area up until the second half of the 20th century had dilapidated into a slum. Fast-forward to today, Notting Hill is one of London’s most sought-after areas and has been witness to drastic racial tensions and hyper-gentrification. 

Architecture and urban spaces are the backdrop to everyday life. People influence how these spaces take shape, but these spaces also have the power to make or break communities. Decisions made in architecture and urban planning often have long-lasting effects on communities and inevitably instigate gentrification – a problem most districts in London face today.

This tour will trace back the history of Notting Hill and the struggles of its people - from the Piggeries and Potteries to the Notting Hill Race Riots of 1958 to the erection of the Westway Flyover that sliced through communities  -  using the urban fabric to understand the underlying tensions and their influence until this day.

Participants are asked to book in advance via the link below: coming soon

Sally Itani 

Accessibility: #petfriendly #seniorswelcome #familyfriendly #wheelchairfriendly #bicycleswelcome

Forgotten for years, these days, the canals are one of London's worst kept secrets for weekend walks, where you can leave the bustling of the city without really leaving it.

Once derelict, more and more people can see their value these days. Its renewed popularity makes them an attractive place for business as well as serving as community meeting space.

As part of the walk participants are encouraged to become urban explorers, and to take pictures of the different public spaces visited and how people use them, the role of the light, the height and bulk of buildings...

We will join the canal at East of Angel, and look into some of the past history of the Canal but also it's present. We will see some examples of the adaptive reuse of industrial buildings, new mixed-use developments, two major estate regeneration

projects (the Packington and Colville Estates) We will look at the extent to which both new and adaptive projects consider the ecosystem of the canal and the local character of the area.

Please wear comfortable shoes as pavement on the canals is uneven in some areas, and a water bottle. Also there is no shelter along the Canal, so wear weather appropriate clothing (either a raincoat or a sun hat - this year, who knows!)

Participants are asked to book in advance via the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jwl-festival-2024-from-industrial-past-to-sustainable-future-tickets-881053824707

Minerva Romay is an Architect specialising in Sustainable Conservation. She lives and works in Islington, and is passionate about how to bring historic buildings and places back to life, so they can still be enjoyed by future generations. She also has an interest in sociology and place-making, and for years she has been looking for the answer to the question: what makes a successful public space? 

Accessibility: #petfriendly #familyfriendly #seniorswelcome #breaks #uneventerrain #loudnoise

Becoming Urbanimals explores the blurring of the boundaries between the human and the more than human. Partners Neil (Socio-biological educator) and Marcelo (Psychogeographer) will lead a walking conversation that mixes history, folklore, migration and resistance to help us undertand together why various Urbanimals call London home and what the sanctuary of the marshes provides.

We welcome conversations and sharing of stories of diverse lived experiences within London and the marshes, with a focus on engagement with the wider everliving community of these places. 

Please wear comfortable shoes that may need to tolerate a bit of mud or puddles as we cross the marshes.

Participants are asked to book in advance via the link below: coming soon

Neil and Marcelo Hart-Camus 

Accessibility: #petfriendly #familyfriendly #seniorswelcome #breaks #uneventerrain # bicycleswelcome #breaks