Hoxton has undergone dramatic urban, economic and social transformation during the last twenty years. The development pressure on the area has been steadily increasing, with improved public transport links to the city centre and sustained growth of the creative and digital industries.
Future Hoxton was an interactive consultation project exploring the local area of Hoxton, instigated by William Hodgson, Jan Kattein Architects and PEER Gallery. Sited at the cultural and economic heart of Hoxton’s two wards, PEER Gallery’s shop front window showcased the project to passers-by and PEER’s community networks, actively inviting participation.
Central to the project were our convictions that planning concerns everyone, it must be a creative process, and that it should take place in public. The project emerged through community workshops, public events and a live, three-week model-building showcase. A physical model the size of two kitchen tables was the centre piece for dialogue with residents, politicians, council officers, school children and local businesses about the future of their neighbourhood. Made from cork, a malleable and sustainable material, the model was customised and adapted through the workshop process.
Future Hoxton aims to develop innovative and inclusive proposals for the area and inspire a more responsive and visual approach to neighbourhood planning. We found that many local people are prepared to engage with progress, but that there are deep concerns about scale, form and motivations behind change.