The first exhibition in the NLA galleries when we launched in 2005 was ‘The Changing Face of London’, which looked at a number of opportunity areas and what was planned for them. Since that time London has experienced an astonishing level of change. We are therefore planning an exhibition, programme of research and a publication to chronicle the remarkable transformation of large areas in the capital over the last 15 years.

This is a historic moment in the life of Londoners and the way we shape our city together. After the pandemic, imagining, designing and planning London will never be the same. It is precisely these unprecedented times that makes it the more relevant to understand the achievements and the lessons we can learn from the past 15 years, as we look ahead to how our city may need to adapt over the next 15 years. We will revisit the sites shown in the 2005 exhibition to see how their promise has been fulfilled. We will also look at more recent opportunity areas with proposals still to be delivered. The accompanying report — a unique document for tomorrow — will discuss the drivers for development, as well as the obstacles and the future challenges.

We will present the material in the context of other growing cities and look at how we compare to places like Paris, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Shanghai. This research will launch with a publication in the summer to coincide with our 15-year anniversary, supported by an accompanying series of events taking place throughout the rest of the year.

The outcomes of the research will be documented in a high-quality publication, widely distributed to professionals and policymakers. The report launched in September will initially be a digital publication and downloadable for free to reach a wider public audience.

 

An events programme taking place throughout Autumn 2020 will include conversations with key stakeholders who have first-hand knowledge and experience in the development of places in the last 15 years, presentations of the areas of transformation and debates, including the next generation of leaders, about the future challenges.

 

A photographic exhibition will showcase the transformation of 50 areas of change across the capital.

 

We will conclude the programme with a celebratory closing party to be hosted in the NLA galleries. Previous events have attracted a high-level delegation of over 500 people.

This will bring together development partners, GLA and other key experts across the development sector to scope out projects that should be included and the focus of the accompanying report

 

Interviews with developers, planners, architects, and other consultants, selected based on the outcomes of Think Tank, alongside a review of the projects featured in the original exhibition and a look at new projects in the pipeline for the next 15 years.

 

NLA’s 15 year anniversary celebrations will launch in early July leading up to the launch of The Changing Face of London exhibition and research paper in early September. 

 

A series of related events will be programmed over the autumn 2020. The exhibition and closing party are considered as part of the project and will be reviewed following this fast-moving situation.

 

1. Bankside, Borough and London Bridge

2. Barking Riverside / London Riverside

3. Bromley

6. Charlton Riverside

8. City Fringe / Tech City (Farringdon/Smithfield, Old Street,

Bishopsgate Goodsyard, Aldgate)

11. Clapham Junction

12. Colindale and Burnt Oak

14. Croydon

16. Earls Court & West Kensington

18. Euston (Regents Place and Sommers Town)

21. Harrow & Wealdstone

22. Hayes / West Drayton / Southall

25. Ilford

26. Isle of Dogs / Millharbour

27. Kensal Canalside

28. Kidbrooke

30. Kingston / Wimbledon / South Wimbledon / Colliers Wood

33. Lower Lea Valley (New Providence Wharf, London City Island,

Good Luck Hope, Canning Town)

35. Old Oak and Park Royal

36. Old Kent Road

38. Poplar Riverside

43. Sutton

44. Thamesmead / Abbey Wood / Belvedere / Erith /

Bexley Riverside

45. Upper Lea Valley / Tottenham Hale / Haringey Heartlands /

Wood Green / New Southgate

46. Vauxhall, Nine Elms & Battersea

49. West End / Regent Street / Tottenham Court Road / Holborn