‘Visions of London's Future’ was a week-long project for gifted and talented pupils. The students were challenged to design a new community in the Thames Gateway, exploring what makes an ideal community in terms of the natural, the built and the social environment in the middle of the 21st century. The challenge was to design a new residential development in the Thames Gateway area, creating designs that embody all the priorities and aspirations of today’s young people. Nearly 200 students from the Crossways Federation of schools in Lewisham took part. Some groups were also involved in preparation visits and workshops beforehand.

 

 

The week opened with a conference hosted by a City law firm at their corporate headquarters. Speakers included the Chief Executive of the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment and the Chief Executive of the Thames Gateway London Partnership. The students attended workshops, had specialist visits to 12 hosts, each looking at a different aspect of the projects and heard specialist speakers.

 

 

  

 

The project was designed to challenge students and teachers to investigate and solve the difficult issues that leading experts grapple with when creating or re-generating communities. The experience helped the children draw on their individual talents and interests, and enabled them to make a real contribution to the debate on London’s future. “A brilliant idea that captured the imagination of students and teachers alike,” says Des Malone, Crossways Federation Director.