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NLA has today revealed the shortlisted ideas that reimagine London with innovative, community focussed visions to tackle some of London’s most pressing challenges including accessibility and sustainability.
Over a hundred ideas were received with more than half submitted by individuals or groups under 35 years old. Submitters were required to tackle a real issue London is currently facing and a focus on environmental sustainability and reclaiming streets for pedestrians were clear themes throughout the shortlist.
Our submission ‘Made for Me’ is a proposal for interconnected hubs for accessibility, retrofitted into pre-existing spaces and transport interchanges throughout London. The hubs could allow you to hire mobility and sensory aids, provide accessible toilets, provide seating, quiet rooms, lockers and information to support people in their daily lives and their journeys across the city.
Our Design and Economics teams produced the proposal in collaboration with Edge Urban Design, Matter Space Soul, You See Media and Mend.
In 2023, ‘Transport for All’ found 96% of disabled people face barriers to travel, every day.
Senior Director, Economics, Richard Laming said:
“We invented ‘Made for Me’ to make London inclusive and equitable. Inclusive design benefits everyone – all people will have access needs within their lifetime – and ‘Made for Me’ is a proposal that places accessibility at the forefront of city making.”
Director, Design, Jeff Nottage added:
“Our idea is the catalyst for a wider vision to kickstart London as the world leader in inclusive and accessible city design. Just as London currently hires electric scooters and bikes, mobility and sensory aids like wheelchairs and noise reducing headphones could be accessed in the same way. Hire an aid from one hub and drop it off at another. We can create rapid change through interconnected ‘Made for Me’ hubs across the capital.”
Accessibility was also a clear priority across other shortlisted submissions, with one group from London School of Architecture exploring how disabled communities use and navigate public spaces at night, emphasising the impact of inaccessible nighttime spaces on community areas, public facilities, and social venues.
Further ideas on the shortlist range from radical rethinking of how London’s underground network could be leveraged as urban farms, entertainment spaces and logistical routes, to a community striving to transform a concrete area of Waltham Forest into a vibrant and biodiverse community park.
Catherine Staniland, Director, NLA said:
“The wide range of fantastic submissions to Reimagine London demonstrate a wealth of ideas and talent from across the city. Despite its strengths, it is clear that London needs to work harder to prioritise quality of life for all its residents. We have the opportunity now to rise to the challenge of environmental adaptation in a way that brings tangible benefit to the quality of Londoners lives.
“Successful cities are places that offer opportunities to all, enabling social mobility and
generating innovation through new and creative collaborations. Accessibility to everyone is critical.
“We support Sadiq Khan as he continues to make a fairer, greener, more prosperous and affordable city the key focus of his third Mayoral term and we must now work together across political, professional and community divides to turn these ideas into solutions.”
View the full shortlist and vote for London’s best new idea as part of the ‘People’s Choice’ here.
Launched in collaboration with the LDN Collective and sponsored by Derwent, Reimagine London is designed to reinforce London’s reputation as a world-leading centre for innovation, and drive valuable debate about the future of the city as it enters a new development cycle which offers the opportunity to address wider issues of planetary, social and spatial justice.
The International competition includes £10,000 prize fund for the best new ideas for London, with all shortlisted ideas to go on public display in central London exhibition. Winners will present their ideas to London’s top leaders and decision-makers at the London Real Estate Forum.
The shortlisted entries will now be judged by an international Jury including Amy Lamé, London Night Czar; Johanna Agerman Ross, Chief Curator, Design Museum; Adam Nathaniel Furman, Designer and Artist and Suresh Singh (@thecockneysikh), Architect, Author and Educator.
Winners will be revealed at a VIP reception in September.
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