Hackney Wick is just one of the many communities facing considerable change as a result of major development and regeneration plans. The community is situated on the boundary of the 2012 Olympic Park within the London Borough of Hackney. Developments to build the Olympic site have resulted in the loss of facilities used by local residents, such as the local playing field and allotments. There is continued mixed sentiment about the development and the legacy which they will inherit.

Mapping for Change through a series of workshops, focused group meetings and field days have been working with the community to develop an on-line community map. We have worked with schools, senior citizens, local organisations and residents. The idea is to use the map as a tool for communication with the various stakeholders involved in development and regeneration programmes, local service providers’ and the community as a whole. Our work within the community will provide local residents with a tool to promote local activity and encourage participation.

Hackney Wick workshop Field trip: Gainsborough Primary School

Background:

East London and Thames Gateway are facing big changes in the coming years and if people from local communities are going to have an influence on these changes then they need to know what is planned, how it might affect them and feel confident about making their voices heard. The main objective of the project is to provide a way in which the ordinary person can be informed, have their say and get involved.

People often feel excluded and alienated from the changes that are going on which leads to a situation where many people and groups simply don’t get involved. That’s a problem for everyone. It leads to developments that don’t meet local needs and don’t benefit from local knowledge. Getting people involved is good sense for everyone. The project seeks to make getting involved a little easier and a lot more effective.

Local Issues:

One of the issues highlighted by local residents is the vast amount of change the developments will have on the area and the fact that local history is being lost. We have worked with residents to begin mapping elements of local history that have influenced both the physical and social structure within the community over the past fifty years. To date over one hundred places have been captured ranging from Achilles Serre, the first dry cleaners in Britain to the pre World War II landfill site. This resource will serve as an archive for the community that will capture past and future changes. “It was lovely to be able to talk about and share our past memories of how Hackney Wick used to be when we were youngsters” were the comments made by one of the residents. See YouTube footage of some of the residents who participated in the project.

The Hackney Wick Community Map includes themes about current local action, views events. The community hopes to use the information as a tool for negotiation within the 2012 legacy framework in a bid to ensure focal elements are not forgotten and will hopefully be integrated into new developments.