Recently, we headed out to Thamesmead, London’s New Town. The part visited on the tour was in the borough of Bexley and the new Abbey Wood Elizabeth Line station has brought it much closer to central London. Billed as the ‘Town of Tomorrow’ when it was...
During the summer as meetings reduced we decided to use the quieter weeks to get out and about. Calling it meeting-free Fridays we managed to keep to it over five weeks during the summer, moving existing meetings to phone calls or keeping the day clear....
This month, our director Diane Cunningham headed to Scotland for a long overdue visit, much postposed due to lockdowns then train strikes. Diane knows Glasgow well but this time there was an opportunity to visit some new places.Glasgow southsideFirst up there was time for a...
We have recently returned from Toronto where the city was hosting the 11th International Markets Conference organised by Project for Public Spaces.Having been involved with the 10th Conference in London as part of the London Market Board, it was great to experience Toronto’s markets.We heard from speakers...
We met John Macaulay and Sophie Macaulay, the team behind GRIT Studios in Stockport and founders of Art Battle Manchester.They shared what has made Art Battle successful and how they have worked with local authorities and developers to take over empty spaces in town centres...
Madrid is a city we are familiar with but we hadn’t been for a few years so there was an opportunity to visit some of their markets over the weekend. It wasn’t a work trip but the lines are increasingly blurred when work is about...
Street Food: Hawkers and the History of London (Oxford University Press) by Charlie Taverner. Street Food traces the history of London’s street traders starting from the sixteenth century and bringing things bang up to date with the impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns. It takes us through...
As the new year allows for a (brief) period of reflection, we´ve been thinking about collaboration and the many ways we at The Assembly Line, form connections with others which often bring new ideas, bigger projects and new learning.We find we collaborate in many forms...
How can we create happier places? Everyone has different measures for happiness, but according to the World Happiness Report in 2022 happiness levels depend on a number of factors, including financial security, perceptions of social support, place of living, work, feelings of personal freedom, and much more. According to...
With growing population numbers and increased tourism post covid, how can we maintain access to public spaces and facilities for all in cities which are turning into a tourist destinations? According to recent Census figures, the population in England and Wales has increased by 6%...