Key Points
- Hackney Council has secured over £19 million in UK government funding to regenerate Hackney Central, focusing on greener, safer, and more inclusive public spaces.
- The transformation is based on extensive community consultation, with thousands of local residents shaping priorities and projects.
- Major initiatives include the creation of green corridors, parklets, and pocket parks, as well as the revitalisation of Amhurst Road and Hackney Town Hall Square.
- Local businesses and community stewards are actively involved in maintaining new public spaces and ensuring their safety and accessibility.
- The council’s Parks and Green Spaces Strategy 2021–2031 sets out 30 commitments to improve access to green spaces, plant thousands of trees, and enhance biodiversity.
- Efforts are underway to make public spaces more representative of Hackney’s diverse communities, including renaming initiatives and inclusive design.
- Community ownership and meanwhile use of empty spaces have empowered local groups to deliver cultural and social projects, fostering a sense of belonging and resilience.
- The transformation addresses air quality, traffic reduction, and climate resilience, with a focus on social, economic, and environmental benefits for all residents.
- Hackney Council is collaborating with voluntary and community sector organisations to provide holistic, strengths-based support for residents, including targeted grants and infrastructure investment.
- The regeneration projects are designed to be adaptable, with ongoing feedback from residents and a commitment to annual progress reports.
Hackney’s ambitious public space transformation is reshaping the borough’s urban landscape, unlocking community value and setting a new standard for inclusive regeneration. Driven by significant government investment and shaped by the voices of local residents, the initiative aims to create greener, safer, and more vibrant spaces for everyone.
How Did Hackney Secure Funding for Its Public Space Transformation?
As reported by the Hackney Council’s official website, Hackney Central has received more than £19 million in investment from the UK government, previously known as the Levelling Up Fund. This funding underpins the Hackney Central Town Centre Strategy, a vision developed through extensive engagement with thousands of residents. The funding is directed at improving the town centre, creating better public spaces, supporting local businesses, and ensuring that new developments benefit the entire community.
The council’s strategy is built on four pillars: a greener Hackney Central, a creative Hackney Central, a growing Hackney Central, and a thriving Hackney Central. These priorities reflect the outcomes of community consultations such as the Hackney Central Conversation and the Moving Around Hackney Central consultation.
What Are the Main Features of Hackney’s Public Space Regeneration?
How Is Hackney Central Being Made Greener and More Accessible?
According to Urban Movement, commissioned by Hackney Council, the transformation of Amhurst Road is a flagship project. The plan is to convert Amhurst Road between Mare Street and Pembury Circus into a green corridor featuring new pocket parks, increased greenery, and additional seating areas. This initiative reclaims 23,000 square metres of space from motor traffic, providing more room for people and reducing the impact of vehicles.
The project also includes enhancements to gateways at Hackney Central and Hackney Downs stations, making the area more welcoming and accessible for pedestrians and cyclists. As highlighted in a video report by Hackney Council, vehicle access on Amhurst Road will be restricted to buses, cyclists, badge holders, deliveries, and emergency services, with the aim of creating a pedestrian-friendly environment filled with greenery and amenities such as rain gardens, public art, play spaces, and drinking fountains.
How Are Parklets and Pocket Parks Transforming Urban Streets?
Meristem Design, in collaboration with Hackney Council, has installed a network of parklets across the borough, including on Wilton Way and in Stoke Newington. These parklets provide greenery, seating, and bike parking, encouraging social interaction and active travel. With seven out of ten households in Hackney not owning a car, the emphasis on cycle parking and accessible outdoor spaces is significant.
To address concerns about anti-social behaviour, local businesses act as parklet stewards, monitoring the spaces between maintenance visits. The parklets feature collapsible benches that can be locked away at night, and the plant species were carefully chosen for resilience and ecological value.
How Has Community Consultation Shaped the Transformation?
What Role Have Residents Played in Shaping Hackney’s Public Spaces?
As reported by Hackney Council and echoed by Ashden, the transformation has been shaped by the input of thousands of residents over a five-year period. Community consultations, focus groups, and public meetings have informed the council’s Parks and Green Spaces Strategy 2021–2031, which sets out 30 commitments to improve access, plant trees, and enhance biodiversity.
The council is also addressing historical under-representation by inviting residents, particularly from African and Caribbean backgrounds, to help rename public spaces previously named after slave owners. According to The Jamaica Gleaner, the Hackney Naming Hub and a community steering group are leading efforts to ensure that public spaces reflect the borough’s diversity and history.
Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources, Councillor Carole Williams, stated in The Jamaica Gleaner: “The names of slave owners and those responsible for taking the lives of so many black people should not be honoured in our community. 2020 has been an important year for taking real action in the fight against racism. This is a small part of that big fight. We hope residents take the opportunity to join us as we face our history and look forward to a more inclusive Hackney.”
Steering group member Ngoma Bishop added: “We’re happy to be working with Hackney Council to ensure that residents and people working or studying in the borough are involved in all aspects of the process, and not only consulted but instrumental in the selection of alternative names for our borough.”
How Are Community Groups and Local Businesses Involved?
What Impact Has Community Ownership Had on Public Spaces?
As detailed by Stir to Action, local collectives in Hackney Wick have taken on empty spaces, transforming them into community assets such as studios, galleries, and cultural venues. Juliet, a member of the Stour collective, explained: “We delivered what the community wanted. There wasn’t necessarily a theory of change; there wasn’t a business plan. It was us coming together to say, let’s do something; let’s take some action. And so it became 40 studios, a gallery space, a place for dance and culture, a space to be together.”
This approach has empowered residents, fostered a sense of belonging, and provided affordable or free spaces for artists and community groups. The collective’s cross-subsidy model, renting out space for events to subsidise community use, has helped resist market pressures and maintain accessibility.
The UK Parliament’s Commons Library Research Briefing notes that assets of community value can be nominated by local groups, with funding available for projects that increase pride, social trust, participation, and economic outcomes.
How Are Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations Supported?
According to Hackney Council’s report on voluntary and community sector grants, the council has increased the number of community infrastructure organisations to 24, extending provision of holistic, place-based, and person-centred support. Project-based grants, including Children and Young People’s and Healthier Hackney grants, are part of the strategy to empower residents and build resilience.
How Is the Transformation Addressing Environmental and Social Challenges?
What Steps Are Being Taken to Improve Air Quality and Climate Resilience?
As reported by Ashden, Hackney Council’s roadmap to net zero includes planting over 5,000 new street trees and more than 30,000 trees and saplings in parks and open spaces between 2018 and 2022. The council is also trialling electric tools and machinery to lower the carbon footprint of green space management.
The transformation of Amhurst Road and other public spaces is designed to reduce traffic, improve air quality, and create safer, greener environments. According to Hackney Council’s video report, the focus is on less traffic, cleaner air, safer cycling, increased biodiversity, and spaces that foster connection with nature and the community.
How Is Inclusivity Being Ensured in Public Space Design?
Efforts to make public spaces more inclusive include the renaming initiative, the installation of accessible ramps in parklets, and the creation of spaces that cater to people of all abilities. The council’s strategy emphasises wellbeing for all, ensuring that spaces, services, and networks enable communities to feel healthy, safe, and cared for.
What Are the Long-Term Goals and Next Steps for Hackney’s Public Spaces?
How Will Progress Be Monitored and Maintained?
Hackney Council has committed to annual progress reports on its Parks and Green Spaces Strategy, with ongoing feedback from residents informing future improvements. The transformation projects are designed to be adaptable, with mechanisms in place for community involvement and stewardship.
The council’s vision is for Hackney Central and surrounding areas to remain vibrant, inclusive, and resilient, setting a benchmark for urban regeneration that prioritises community value, environmental sustainability, and social equity.
In summary, Hackney’s public space transformation represents a comprehensive, community-driven approach to urban regeneration. By prioritising green infrastructure, inclusivity, and local empowerment, the borough is unlocking lasting value for all its residents, while setting an example for cities across the UK.
