Watch Dalston Grow by chrishall

WATCH DALSTON GROW

Growing plots at Camley Street Nature Reserve - London

PREMISE Dalston is undergoing rapid development which is altering an environment which for a long time, remained successfully local. It is now Dalston’s turn to face the development which reinvigorated neighbouring Shoreditch, spurred on by the successful reimagining of London’s East End. This development provides an opportunity to address long standing deprivation issues Dalston is facing. What has been observed so far has not been this however. Dalston’s new development has been high end and uncontrolled due to the lack of consultation with Dalston’s long standing active community. Development of this area needs to actively engage these people in order to address the pressing problem of deprivation, rather than passing it down the line and forcing the long standing residents down with it. This project aims at addressing deprivation in Dalston, whilst maintaining new development through establishing an Urban Agricultural Zone across the area. The ideas of this project are a reaction against the wholly commercial and locally insensitive development which has been observed so far. The zone is a trial of resilience on a large scale, questioning if a neighbourhood can be resilient both towards gentrification and as a way for the community to survive and flourish against a pro-development council.

SITE LOCATION Dalston is located towards to East-end of central London, within the borough of Hackney. It exists on the western edge of this boundary, with the neighbourhood merging smoothly into the adjacent borough of Islington. The boundaries of Dalston are somewhat contested within the community, due to Dalstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new image, many people quote themselves as living in Dalston, when in fact they reside in De Beauvoir, Queensbridge or further afield. Dalston itself is relatively small. This project crosses the boundaries into the neighbourhoods of De Beauvoir and Queensbridge in order for a holistic approach to the issue to be taken, to ensure imagined boundary lines are not the reason for locals to miss out.

4 HACKNEY

DALSTON

DE BEAUVOIR

QUEENSBRIDGE

DALSTON

As mentioned, the Dalston area is undergoing rapid gentrification as a result of extensions to the London Overground and reopening of the Dalston Junction station as part of the London Olympic bid rejuvenating the East-end. For many years, Dalston has been the home of immigrants in London, building a rich tapestry of culture. This is widely thought to have begun with the arrival of a large Jewish population from Europe, before they were replaced by a Caribbean community through the middle of the 20th century. This population remains influential today through the food sold in the local Ridley Road market, just north of the chosen site for this project. A large Turkish population have defined Dalston in more recent years, with a new community of Vietnamese and Polish groups starting to emerge. Due to these populations having newly immigrated, Dalston has traditionally held higher levels of deprivation. The Olympic bid and proximity to neighbouring bohemian Shoreditch has led to a shift in artisan populations to Dalston, as Shoreditch has been increasingly gentrified. This has led to Dalston now being seen as a trendy place to live, and newly emerging commercial and residential units are reflecting this. This image has led to developer investment into the area, following the same path as Shoreditch. Expensive new apartments and coffee bars have emerged, replacing the old, traditional and rich culture of Dalstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, with a new image. This is pricing the traditional community out of their neighbourhoods. Hackney council are seemingly pro-development and have ignored efforts from the community to voice concerns over the gentrification. This now has been widely publicised under the Dalston Who Asked You? campaign. This project looks to re-adjust the balance in Dalston, by aiding the traditional community in getting some level of control back over their community. To do this, the project directly tackles the deprivation levels which Hackney Council are pushing elsewhere by pricing these residents out of the neighbourhood. By addressing deprivation and empowering the community, it is expected that the community will have more power to ensure Dalston can still be their neighbourhood in the future.

Hackney Peace Carnival Mural outside Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is a local landmark promoting peace as a response to race riots of 1981

PROJECT RESEARCH Within Hackney are some of the most deprived areas in the UK, based on the Indicies of Multiple Deprivation, published by the Department of Communities and Local Government. The immediate image below shows the Indicies of Multiple Deprivation score, based on LSOAs within Hackney, using data published by the Greater London Authority. The darker colour on the map shows the most deprived areas within Hackney. This map (which uses the GLA published boundaries), at a initial viewing shows deprivation congregated towards the south of the borough. However, the boundaries used by the GLA obscure the real deprivation in the borough. The far right hand map shows the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;realâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; deprivation, using equal boundaries. The darkest colour represents the top 10% most deprived areas in the UK. The least deprived LSOAs within Hackney still fall into the top 40% most deprived in the country, making Hackney the number 1 most deprived place in the UK. 8

Indicies of Multiple Deprivation Score

(where 1 is most deprived) New boundaries

(where 1 is most deprived) gla (2013) London lsoa atlas

447.0 - 2064.8 (top 6% most deprived)

0 - 3284.4 (top 10% most deprived)

2064.9 - 3106.8 (top 10% most deprived)

3284.5 - 6568.8 (top 20% most deprived) hackney 021a

6568.9 - 13137.6 (top 40% most deprived)

3106.9 - 4335 (top 13% most deprived) hackney 021E

4355.1 - 6611.2 (top 20% most deprived)

hackney 021f hackney 021c

6611.3 - 11886 (top 36% most deprived)

hackney 021b

FOOD POVERTY Linked to Hackney’s deprivation score is a number of indicators which can be attributed to the area suffering from ‘food poverty’. Food poverty can be described as ‘the inability to afford, or have access to food to make up a healthy diet’. This can be both down to insufficient shops selling the goods as well as lacking the funds to purchase these items due to pressing financial commitments such as rent and bill payments. The studied area has a much higher percentage of social housing than the UK average, alongside more benefits claimants and a greater percentage of fuel poverty. These are all indicators that food poverty exists in the area.

FOOD QUALITY There is a direct link between the poorer population and diet quality in the UK. Poor diet increases the risk of premature death by increasing the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. In this case, poor diet is attributed to 30% of all premature deaths in the UK. The Faculty of Public Heath strongly advocates changing the ‘food environment’, which is having a negative impact on lower income groups who are eating more processed foods (usually cheaper to purchase) which lack nutritious value, with the biggest number being those on benefits. As previously mentioned, it is not always down to the cheap processed food. Deprived areas have a higher number of food store closures, making food shopping less accessible and more expensive to the local residents. In this case, increasing the accessibility of cheap and nutritious food could cause the change in the food environment that is needed to reduce these premature deaths.

13.9

13.6 13.5 %

Dalston

de beauvoir

queensbridge

fuel poverty

de beauvoir

Dalston

queensbridge

social housing tenure

% uk

incapacity lone parent

queensbridge and uk

Jobseekers

de beauvoir and uk

Dalston and UK

benefits claimed

FOOD PRODUCTION - CRITIQUE OF FOOD MILES Some attribute the gradual increase in food miles to the cost difference between nutrious food and its cheaper processed counterpart. The food miles of a fruit and vegetable isle of a Tesco Supermarket is shown below. However, this has been recently critiqued by government who suggest that in some cases, it is less environmentally friendly and cost effective to grow non-native crops in the UK. Our expectation of nonnative and out of season items is a consumption issue the country faces. This project proposes producing food that can be grown in the UK, which teaches the idea of seasonality as well as aiming to increase access to healthy food by growing it right on the doorstep of those who need it.

FOOD MILES * miles approximated. based off produce from tesco stores - sheffield

300

miles

MUSHROOMS PEPPERS

ORANGES TOMATOES GARLIC AUBERGINE COURGETTE BROCCOLI LETTUCE

800

2300

miles

PEACHES GRAPES

6000

miles

7500

BLUEBERRIES

miles

PRECEDENTS A number of precedents have been observed, analysed and critiqued as part of this project. This was completed as a way to collate ideas and analyse the success of concepts, to test their use in the context of this project. The precedents which has influenced this project in some way have been collated and published in a separate book titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Watch Dalston Grow - Precedentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This book can be found in the back of this document.

RESILIENCE THROUGH SELF-SUFFICIENCY Previously, the garden recieved external funding, however the garden is currently runs as a social enterprise, and therefore, has to fully sustain itself without external funding. The cafe and donations made in the cafe currently sustain the garden, the money raised here is invested into events or into the garden itself. In a similar format, the garden also fully sustains its governance from within. Marie and Brian act as guardians and final decision makers, but they are supported by a network of volunteers which keep it running. Finally, this map also shows interaction with the garden, as suggested by Marie. Everyone is involved at some point according to her, with no one excluded. The garden in this case acts as a central â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the community.

RESILIENT AGAINST

The garden is having to be traditonal pressure at the site. The developer an with the community of which the ma and potentially few who are heavily in

ECONMIC FLOWS INTERACTION VOLUNTEERING MANAGEMENT

MANAGEMENT

USERS

PRESSURE CONSULTATION INTERACTION

VOLUNTEERS

DALSTON EASTERN CURVE GARDEN RESILIENT MAPPING The project begun by analysing a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;resilientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; project in Dalston. To understand how it is resilient, a mapping of the project has been completed. Resilience has been researched in terms of governance, where the self-sufficient nature of the garden has been mapped to show how it is resilient, how the garden is being traditionally resilient against development pressure on the facilitators (Marie and Brian) and how Marie and Brian facilitate a network of skills and knowledge sharing.

T DEVELOPMENT

lly resilient against huge development nd the council have both consulted ap shows is only part of the community nvolved in the garden.

RESILIENCE THROUGH SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING Skills and knowledge are shared at the garden through not only the educational workshops that are run here, but also at the cafe and more generally in the garden both to the volunteers, and also the users of the space. Self-sufficient practices are communicated from growing fruit and vegetables, to making crafts and reusing materials. These practices teach a more resilient way of life which can be easily passed on around the community.

BIG CONTRIBUTORS SMALL CONTRIBUTORS FACILITATORS OF SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

POPULATION INCREASING HOUSING NEED FOR THE SOUTH EAST OF ENGLAND AND LONDON CAUSING RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT TO BE DESIRED IN THIS AREA

ECONOMY INCREASING LAND VALUES, BOOSTED BY THE OLYMPICS IN THE EAST END INCREASES THE DESIRABILITY OF THE SITE FOR DEVELOPMENT. DEMAND FROM INCREASED HOUSEHOLD NEED FORCES PRICES HIGHER AND INCENTIVISES DEVELOPERS TO BUILD ENOUGH TO KEEP SUPPLY LIMITED

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT POLICY DALSTON INCLUDED WITHIN THE CAMBRIDGE CORRIDOR AS A PRIME DEVELOPMENT AREA1 GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY POLICY DEFINES DALSTON AS A GROWTH AREA IN THE LONDON PLAN2

IDER ND W

UK A

D LON

DEVELOPER LINEAR PARK SERVES AS A GREEN INCENTIVE TO THE PROPOSAL. HOWEVER THE ULTIMATE WISH IS TO PROVIDE A THOROUGHFARE AS PRIORITY.

DEVELOPER OWNS SITE AND PRESSES TO REDEVELOP DUE TO WIDER FACTORS, HOWEVER LIKES WHAT GARDEN HAS ACHIEVED TEMPORARILY3

COMMUNITY GROUPS FIND IT UNETHICAL THAT DEVELOPMENT CAN BE SUPPOTYRF WHICH REPLACES THE GARDEN WITHOUT ADEQUATE GREEN ALTERNATIVES. PRESSURISING COUNCIL TO USE CIL/S106 TO SECURE MORE BENEFITS FOR THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS.

COUNCIL SOCIETY KEEN FOR DEVELOPMENT TO GO AHEAD WITH OR WITHOUT PARK7

Y KNE HAC

COMMUNITY GROUPS GARDEN ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO THE AREA AND PROVIDES MANY COMMUNITY EVENTS. WOULD BE A BIG LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY4

LOCAL RESIDENT LINEAR PARK NOT AN ADEQUATE REPLACEMENT TO DALSTON EASTERN CURVE GARDEN8

GARDEN PARK NOT A REPLACEMENT OF GARDEN DUE TO LACK OF ENCLOSURE. INITIAL POSITION UNCHANGED9

14 TON DALS

GARDEN FACED WITH CLOSURE. LOOKING TO FIGHT AGAINST THE DEVELOPMENT5

LOCAL RESIDENT ANGER AT THE COUNCIL FOR NOT SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY12

GARDEN LEADING THE BACKLASH TOWARDS THE COUNCIL AGAINST THE NEW DEVELOPMENT

2015

2014

ARCHITECT ARCHITECT PROPOSES A LINEAR PARK IN THE DESIGN IN AN ATTEMPT TO APPEASE THE COMMUNITY

INTIAL PROPOSAL FROM THE DEVELOPER6

DEVELOPMENT STALLED DUE TO COMPLICATIONS IN THE CONSULTATION PROCESS. COMMUNITY INSISTING ON HEIGHT REDUCTIONS, MAINTAINING MORE GARDEN SPACE ALONG THE EASTERN CURVE AND PROVIDING A NEW SEPERATE PUBLIC PARK10

NEW MOVEMENT STARTS TO BEGIN TO GARDEN IN INDIVIDUALLY, USING SKIL CURVE GARDEN

ALTERED PROPOSAL DURING CONSULTATION11

SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT - GATHERING PUBLICS AND GENERATING A NETWORK OF GROWING This page plays through the scenario of the closure of Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, based on the current planning applications, and subsequent community action from the local residents in response to this. It gives a narrative as to how a bottom-up urban agriculture zone can be facilitated, and how the state can become involved further down the line to reinforce the zone and introduce policy to uphold it.

London, Stansted, Cambridge Consortium (2013). London Stansted Cambridge Corridor: Towards an agenda for jobs, growth and livability [online]. Available at: http://lscc.co/wp-content/ uploads/2013/07/LSCC-Growth-Agenda-June-2013.pdf [Accessed: 9/2/2014] Greater London Authority (2011). The London Plan: Annex 1 Opportunity and Intensivication Areas [online]. Available at: http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/LP2011%20 Annex%201.pdf [Accessed: 9/2/2014] 3 Criterion Capital (2013). Kingsland Shopping Centre Dalston, Master Scheme [online]. Available at: http://www.criterioncapital.co.uk/our-portfolio/residential/kingsland-shopping-centredalston/ [Accessed: 9/2/2014] 4 Destination Hackney (2012). Dalston Eastern Curve Garden [online]. Available at: http://www. destinationhackney.co.uk/googlesearch/Business.asp?categoryid=0&subcategoryid=0&catego ryname=&id=436 [Accessed: 9/2/2014] 5 Marie Murray, Dalston Eastern Curve Garden Manager. Personal Communication on 26/11/2013 6 Criterion Capital (2013). Kingsland Shopping Centre Dalston, Master Scheme [online]. Available at: http://www.criterioncapital.co.uk/our-portfolio/residential/kingsland-shopping-centredalston/ [Accessed: 9/2/2014] 789 Dalstonist (2013). Question Mark Hangs Over Eastern Curve Garden’s Future [online]. Available at: http://dalstonist.co.uk/question-mark-hangs-over-eastern-curve-gardensfuture/ [Accessed: 9/2/2014] 10 11 Criterion Capital and Waugh Thistleton Architects (2013) Transforming Kingsland Shopping Centre [online]. Available at: http://www.kingslandconsultation.com/index.html [Accessed: 9/2/2014] 12 Open Dalston (2013) “It’s not silencing the public because they didn’t have a voice anyway” [online]. Available at: http://opendalston.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/its-not-silencing-publicbecause-they.html [Accessed: 9/2/2014] 13 Criterion Captial and Waugh Thistleton Architects (2014) Phase 1 [online]. Available at: http://www.kingslandconsultation.com/phase-1.html [Accessed: 19/5/2014] 1

DEVELOPER COUNCIL NOW REQUIRES IN POLICY, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT TO PROVIDE GROWING SPACE. THIS IS IMPLEMENTED THROUGH REINSTATING THE GARDEN WITHIN THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WITH NEW FACILITATES

DEVELOPER PUBLIC BACKLASH CAUSES DEVELOPER TO RECONSIDER PROVIDING SPACE FOR SOME SORT OF GARDEN TO EXIST WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT SITE

COUNCIL KEEN TO SUPPORT NEW PROJECTS DUE TO THEIR POPULARITY. DECLARES DALSTON AS AN URBAN AGRICULTURE ZONE AND GENERATES POLICY TO SUPPORT THIS

COMMUNITY A NUMBER OF SEPARATE COMMUNITY GROUPS DECIDE TO IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN GARDENING PROJECTS TO COUNTERACT THE LOSS OF THE EASTERN CURVE GARDEN. THESE PROJECTS ARE ALL WITHIN CURRENT POLICY BOUNDARIES, THEREFORE THE COUNCIL ARE UNABLE TO PREVENT THEM FROM OCCURRING

S IN DALSTON - COMMUNITY DECIDES N DISUSED SPACES ACROSS DALSTON LLS GAINED FROM THE EASTERN

COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR GROWING PROJECTS IS EVER INCREASING OFF THE SUCCESS OF THE ORIGINAL PROJECTS, AIDED BY THE WATCH DALSTON GROW NETWORK AND SUPPORTED BY LONDON FARMER FACILITATORS. COMMUNITY STARTS TO TAKE BACK A SENSE OF CONTROL DUE TO FEELING EMPOWERED FROM THESE PROJECTS

GARDEN KEEN TO FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PROJECTS, ALONGSIDE THEIR FIGHT AGAINST CLOSURE

GARDEN NOW A MAJOR PART OF WATCH DALSTON GROW, PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES TO A RANGE OF PROJECTS

2016

WATCH DALSTON GROW NETWORK NEW NETWORK GENERATED BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND EASTERN CURVE GARDEN TO AID THE GENERATION OF SMALL GARDENING PROJECTS ACROSS DALSTON. THE NETWORK PROVIDES GUIDANCE, AS WELL AS SKILL SHARING AND RESOURCE SHARING. THE NETWORK IS NOTICED BY LONDON FARMER FACILITATORS, A WIDER ORGANISATION WHICH HAS THE POWER TO PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES AND VOLUNTEERS INTO THE SYSTEM TO ALLOW THE PROJECTS TO FLOURISH

COUNCIL NOW REQUIRE NEW DEVELOPMENTS TO PROVIDE 1 METRE2 OF GROWING SPACE FOR EVERY BEDROOM BUILT IN DALSTON TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF THE COMMUNITY ORIENTATED AGRICULTURE ZONE

NEW DEVELOPMENT BUILT WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GROWING SPACES ATTACHED. COMMUNITY GROWING PROJECTS THRIVING AROUND DALSTON DUE TO THE STRONG NETWORK OF LOCALLY CLOSURE LOOPS MOVING RESOURCES AND KNOWLEDGE AROUND THE WATCH DALSTON GROW AREA.

KINGSLAND CONSULTATION VISION WITH WATCH DALSTON GROW ALTERATIONS13

SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT As the previous pages show, a scenario has been developed in order to understand the context of a proposed development of Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, as a major part of the gentrification of the area against the communities wishes. There is a social ramification to this development which is based around the Council completely removing the locals voice, effectively alienating them within their own community. Politically, this suggests Hackney Council do not consider Dalstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional community with much importance. These actions by the council give an assembled public which this project can use in order for the community to regain some control and importance within Dalston. As the research has shown, food growing is a way in which deprivation could be addressed. Using this public, this project attempts to facilitate this as a way for the community to regain their power. As this is a direct response to the council, these projects should refrain from needing council permission to be implemented.

Dalston Eastern Curve Garden against the backdrop of developing Hackney

DEAD SPACES WHERE FOOD CAN BE GROWN The site boundary for this project was initially considered to be the administrative boundary of Dalston. However, this has been blurred as potential sites arose during a visit to the area. These sites, as areas of dead or under-utilised spaces, were then mapped which showed some in neighbouring wards. As the boundaries between wards isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always obvious, cutting the site off for these boundaries isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an attractive proposition. This project therefore takes a more holistic approach by considering all the potential areas, across these imagined boundaries.

Scale 1:7500 0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000 m

VISION Building on the scenario, Dalston could be considered as an Urban Agriculture Zone, creating a resilient neighbourhood from a number of smaller resilient projects working within a network. This designation wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t form until after the community initiated prototypes have proved successful in re-empowering the community and altering the identity of the area. Due to this, Hackney Council could consider supporting the project within policy, therefore designating an Urban Agriculture Zone to facilitate the continual growing movement within new development in the area. In this vision, locals have become more empowered through a new community identity which they have generated themselves through their prototypes, and these have given them a voice again. Within the community, growing food is helping to tackle high deprivation levels, by reducing expenditure of residents on food, as well as providing added health benefits. Due to new community power, the power of developers has been reduced in the area, allowing the community to press for more affordable housing, aiding them from being priced out of the market. The project will sustain itself into the future through continued community prototypes, council policy ensuring new development provides growing spaces and the proposed agency of London Farmer Facilitators, through Watch Dalston Grow, incentivising and facilitating new projects from within the current built fabric.

A few of t used as g involved pu build upon.

Site contains a large amount of dead space in a particularly promin There is also a well defined cohort of residents to be actors in this

Dalston Eastern Curve Garden - Projects should be in close proximity to the garden, as the reasoning behind the projects is a direct reaction against the gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closure.

these roof terraces are currently being growing environments, therefore an ublic already exists which a project can .

nent location. process.

MUF Masterplan shown this neighbourhood are keen to grow already, and the under utilised green spaces provide the perfect environment for this to occur.

URBAN ANALYSIS This plan shows the location of possible locations for projects which could act as prototypes for the Urban Agriculture Zone. DALSTON SQUARE PROTOTYPE #03

DALSTON EASTERN CURVE GARDEN DALSTON JUNCTION

22 PROTOTYPE #02

PROTOTYPE #01

KINGSLAND ROAD

The current layout of the site limits movement around it. Kingsland Road acts as a barrier to pedestrians trying to cross it due to the traffic that it carries. The Dalston Square development and adjacent social housing estate have two completely different identities, creating a boundary between them. The landmarks of Dalston Eastern Curve Garden and Dalston Junction Station are supported well by nodes, however let down by the pathways which are stopped by the barrier of Kingsland Road.

The re-imagining of the site through the prototypes should aim to address these issues. Prototypes would create new nodes of activity in which people would travel to, therefore creating new pathways. Depending on the extent of this activity, this could reorder traffic along Kingsland Road which would remove this barrier. The prototypes could help to remove the two different identities across the new and old areas in favour of one new joint urban agriculture identity. Also the underutilised node in Dalston Square could be used as a possible market location for growers to distribute or sell excess produce.

PROTOTYPES As it has been suggested, this project aims to achieve its vision through testing and developing three prototypes at a number of scales. These prototypes, once proven successful, can then be replicated elsewhere to aid the generation of a resilient, urban agriculture neighbourhood through a number of smaller resilient projects. These projects, as well as growing food to sustain locals and improve food poverty, also teach skills and knowledge, and also a culture of sharing skills and knowledge, as well as the materials and people needed to create these projects. Alongside this, the self-governing nature of the projects should allow community empowerment to occur, giving the traditional community a feeling of pride once again in their community. Due to Hackney Council being pro-development, the following projects have explored ways in which they can be implemented at some scale, without the need for council permission.

PROTOTYPE #01 - (FRONT) GARDEN GROWING This first prototype is located in private front gardens, where a large amount of underutilised space was noticed. A large amount of this space was located along Kingsland Road, making it highly visible and therefore a perfect location to inspire others to get involved in the project. This prototype is based around the idea that gardening is perfectly within individuals development rights, as is gardening communally. This idea explores how communal growing can be facilitated through the use of party wall agreements, to create efficient and more robust growing spaces. Growing projects such as these benefit from a network of similar projects around it to provide knowledge, skills, volunteers as well as the physical resources to maintain function.

HOW IT WORKS In the UK, residents do not have a right to development, hence the need for planning permission. However agriculture does not constitute development, therefore gardening of any sort, can be carried out without permission. To garden communally does require consideration of other policy. Party wall acts would need to be agreed for any and every wall removed between boundaries in order to transverse from the private to the communal threshold. These would need to be agreed with the landlords if the space is privately rented.

Along a terrace such as Kingsland Road, access from the road exists to every front door. However if the space has become communal, a number of accesses reduces the amount of growing space available. Creating joint accesses is therefore a solution to allow more growing space, however this must comply with Building Regulations, especially H6 concerning waste removal. To ensure the project remains within current planning policy, the front walls to the terrace cannot be removed to open up the project publicly, due to the site existing within the Kingsland Conservation area. The prototype explores how the project could be scaled up further through the removal of this front fence, whether through policy or activism, to bring the prototype into the public realm.

Policy Threshold

In a conservation area, requires permission to remove wall greater than 1m in height adjacent to a highway Building Regulation H6 requires bins to be stored within 30m of collection point

Party Wall Act 1996. Joint agreement required to remove party fence wall

Private - Communal Threshold

Governance between flats Public - Private Threshold

1pm

bin shed

N 1:2500

tools shed

compost

bin shed tools shed

communal space

bin sheds

kingsland road sunrise

PROTOTYPE #01 COMMUNAL GROWING SPACE Party wall agreements alongside informal easements between landlords and tenants allow a communal growing space to emerge between gardens. Large planters could be shared and gardened communally in this new space. A communal space for conservations is needed to allow self-governance to occur, alongside shared tool sheds and composting facilities.

PROTOTYPE #01 PUBLIC GROWING SPACE This prototype could be extended into the public realm through the removal of the front wall, opening up the available gardening space to challenge our ideas about private land. Planning permission would be needed, however more people could then benefit from this proposal. This idea could not be managed in the same way as communal growing space, as planters could be added anywhere, testing the communities right to take control of their area.

PROTOTYPE #02 - ROOF TERRACE GROWING Dalston, like many London boroughs, has a number of streets where the building typology has changed to ensure the ground floor commercial units are as close as they can be to potential customers walking down the street. This has created roads such as Kingsland Road and Dalston Lane, where the ground floor commercial use extrudes from the front of the building, creating a flat terrace above it. In a dense urban area such as Dalston, these terraces are wasted space, and some locals have capitalised on this to give themselves or their business more room to expand. Roof terrace growing is based around these terraces as they often have the benefit of greater sun exposure than at ground level. These terraces are easily gardened, even if they are owned by another party. These spaces have the potential to be gardened individually, as part of a growing association or for the benefit of the community, depending on the network of actors involved. Growing projects such as these benefit from a network of similar projects around it to provide knowledge, skills, volunteers as well as the physical resources to maintain function.

HOW IT WORKS 36

Roof terrace growing does require consideration of a few different forms of policy than Prototype 01, depending on ownership of the site. In Dalston, the roof terraces exist on the first floor, facing the road, above commercial units (labelled A1 or A3, referring to their use class). The buildings also contained residential use (C3) in the form of privately rented flats. In every situation, the use below the terrace will always be the legal â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of it. When they are rented, the landlords need to be considered as the main actor. To garden on a roof terrace, permission is needed from the landlord and the use below the terrace (in this case the commercial unit). If it is being gardened by someone who does not have access to the building, an easement will need to be granted by the landlord to anyone wishing to access. This is simply done and can be informal. Physical access onto the terrace may be more difficult. Here, access was found at the end of the row and it was this landlord who needed to grant the easement to use their access onto the roof terrace. Once access has been granted and a space is ready to use, it is worth considering how this space will be gardened, and how it could be expanded if others come into the project. For the Kingsland Road terraces, there is a limit to the loading on the roof which could either be overcome through an engineering solution or worked around by limiting planters. Increasing the scale of this project is a great way to garden more efficiently, as well as having more varied produce, expertise and people to benefit from it.

conservation area Controls the external alterations to properties in the area. This includes the right to remove trees. Alterations concerning gardening are not considered however.

Governance between flats

a1, a3 or a5

It is important that any alterations are agreed between all users of the building to ensure community cohesion.

terrace ownership In law, the owner of a roof terrace is solely placed into the owner (or renter) of the use below it. Therefore the commerical unit will always need to be consulted for gardening to occur on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;theirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roof terrace.

Residential Access Access to the residential units is secured via a separate door to the rest of the building. If this is the only access up to the terrace, an easement would need to be granted by the landlord to anyone who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t currently have access in.

sunrise

kingsland roa

1pm

PROTOTYPE #03 - COMMUNAL ALLOTMENT GROWING Communal allotment growing is based around the concept that social housing green spaces are generally under-utilised and are highly visible to the passing public, therefore potentially inspiring others to get involved. This prototype has been based around the social housing estate between Dalston Lane and Queensland Road which contains a large amount of disused green space within it. The project looks at exploring community right to build orders as a way to bypass the planning process to allow the community to decide what exists in their area. Allotment plots could be individual or communal, depending on how the community decide to grow and share the produce. The allotments are based around a single shed which allows sharing of tools, materials, seeds, knowledge and skills. There is also potential for a food market to emerge, selling or gifting excess produce to the rest of the community.

HOW IT WORKS The process of how this project works is mostly governed by community right to build regulations. These cover the process of how to apply and work through an application for a community right to build order, which includes setting up and governing a formal organisation with a charitable status. A local referendum is needed also to vote on the project with the council required to grant or refuse an application based on the outcome of this vote.

OPEN ACCESS Access to the site is always open therefore it remains entirely public. A system of governance would need to control the picking of crops

public land Land is owned by the council and they control the development rights of the site

restricted activity The council restrict activity on the land to prevent anything which could cause tension between residents (for example no ball games). This leaves the land sterile of any activity. If a majority of residents vote in favour of allowing an activity (as they have to as part of Community Right to Build permission), then new activities could occur at the site

EFFECT ON DALSTON Growing communally in Dalston through these prototypes is a way in which the community can self-organise to create something communally which shows the value of the public forgotten by the council. The prototypes have a direct impact on the urban environment around them, especially in the location of Kingsland Road, as they act as a direct contrast to the busy street in front of them. Communal growing shows therefore a resilient community who are defiant against loosing their neighbourhood by adding value to land which could be seen as development potential, as well as reminding the council that Dalston’s traditional community can self-organise and alter the place they live how they wish. This public action could be seen as a direct response to the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden scenario by replacing potential lost garden with more gardens across Dalston. The nature of the prototypes makes removing them, especially once plants have been developed, very dubious of the council, therefore they exist in a ‘we cannot be moved’ type manner.

FACILITATING THE PROTOTYPES For each prototype, a method of facilitating the production of the prototype has been devised, from explaining the policy, towards choosing the scale of the project, into explaining a self-governing actor network which can help a growing association run efficiently to aid the prototype to exist in the long term. The prototypes have been designed to exist in a network, with each aiding the others to help grow the projects and sustain them. This is all achieved within the Watch Dalston Grow network, where skills, knowledge, seeds, and materials will be shared with each other, in a manner shown in the overleaf map. Anything which is fed into the system from outside the Watch Dalston Grow network will be assisted by London Farmer Facilitators, a wide scale network to aid projects such as these. More information on London Farmer Facilitators is explained later.

Attracted to start a gardening project in Dalston area

new proje

new individual gardening project

recycled wood

compost seeds

network local collection

supermarket upcyclin

network

new project

ect

new project

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;growthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of garden

collective growing project

guidance contributing back into the network

seeds

compost skills

knowledge

PROTOTYPE MANUALS For each of the prototypes, a manual has been produced which explains in detail, everything that is needed to facilitate a growing project in Dalston, from the ground up. A copy of each of the manuals is attached in the back of this booklet. The manuals are provided as open source materials, which have an element of allowing feedback into them, through a forum, which allows knowledge and skills around setting up a prototype to be shared beyond the context of Dalston. Each manual also includes an insert which includes instructions for the basic practical information needed to start a project out in the location.

HOW COULD DALSTON BE IMPROVED? The prototypes and the activity created by them are designed to help the traditional community of Dalston feel empowered, as well as addressing issues of food poverty and therefore aiding the battle against deprivation. People entering Dalston with these prototypes occurring would see a traditional community taking control of their locality, as well as a Council allowing the gentrification and densification of the area. A new identity for the traditional residents could therefore be formed, one which the council would find harder to ignore as they have developed and altered Dalston completely removed from the Council. The physical changes to the area would be seen through the urban greening, but also potentially in other indirect activity that could occur from it, for example new food markets.

HOW COULD DALSTON BE IMPROVED? Kingsland Road is an area where the majority of physical changes would occur. The road could change from one which is entirely vehicle orientated to a more pedestrian friendly environment, where growing is not just located on the periphery of the street. These changes however depend on the activism of the individuals involved. Each of the sketches right show an element of growing influencing Kingsland Road, however the scale of this may change over time.

PROTOTYPE #02 Joining growing plots over the street with climbing plants

PROTOTYPE #01 Garden boundaries removed, opening up the gardens into public growing space

PROTOTYPE #01 Growing within garden boundaries and onto the adjacent space across the street

PROTOTYPE #01 FRONT GARDEN GROWING

PROTOTYPE #03 PROTOTYPE #02

COMMUNITY ALLOTMENTS

(ROOF) TERRACE GROWING

DALSTON EASTERN CURVE GARDEN KINGSLAND ROAD

WATCH DALSTON GROW

HOW COULD DALSTON BE IMPROVED? It is not just the physical changes to Dalston which are important. A successful urban growing zone would also have a big social implication to the average resident of Dalston, whether they are directly involved in the growing or not. This would mainly be achieved during the growing ‘off-season’. Growing still occurs here, with some winter and perennial crops, however to supplement the loss of some activity, weekly skills workshops can be run to teach new skills and knowledge to interested parties. During the greener months, when the growing season is particularly active, Dalston’s residents and volunteers will be swept up in a wave of activity both at the growing locations, and between them as materials and seeds are swapped between sites. Monthly Urban Farmer’s Markets provide social gatherings for the community to buy and gift produce to each other, with the harvesting season seeing more frequent markets to ensure produce is never wasted. In times when produce production is high outside this time, local markets could be organised to facilitate the sharing of goods. The design of this year round project ensures projects do not die out and lose momentum over the quieter months. As the diagram right illustrates, the quieter growing months have become the busier social months, ensuring Dalston remains active throughout the entire year.

DECEMBER

SEPTEMBER

MARCH

HIGH HARVESTING ACTIVITY

HIGH PLANTING ACTIVITY

JUNE

Skill Sharing Workshops Dalston Urban Farmers Market Local Produce Sharing Market

NETWORK LOGISTICS

PROVIDED BY LONDON FARMER FACILITAT PROVIDED BY WATCH DALSTON GROW

AGENCY Facilitating the prototypes is not something which is just managed between each prototype through the Watch Dalston Grow Network. London Farmer Facilitators, a wider scale agency oversees Watch Dalston Grow and provides inputs into the system to ensure locally closed loops can exist in the first place for the prototypes. From there, LFF are primarily an advisory body which can provide volunteers and expertise from their experience in other growing projects across London. This agency has been devised as part of this project, alongside the website: www.londonfarmerfacilitator.wordpress.com

PROTOTYPE #01

VOL

TORS

OLUNTEERS

SEED UPCYCLING

PROTOTYPE #02

COMPOST

SEEDS

PROTOTYPE #03

GUIDANCE PALETTES

WATCH DALSTON GROW NETWORK

POLICY Following the earlier scenario, once successful prototypes have been implemented, and their affect on Dalston is starting to be realised, it is expected that Hackney Council will want to build on the agriculture zone as a way in which to promote the area and to protect the fragility of the resilient neighbourhood. In order to do this, it is expected that new policy will be devised to strengthen the agriculture zone, and ensure all new development adheres to it. An example of potential policies which would achieve this have been considered.

• Requirement to set aside 1m2 of growing space per bedroom to be located within the development

• Requirement to provide facilities to promote the use of the growing space

• To not develop to the detriment of an existing growing plot, unless a suitable replacement can be found

• Development must enhance Dalston’s Urban Agriculture Zone and should engage directly to the Agriculture Zone in its architecture

POLICY This new policy has been applied to the development proposal for the Dalston Eastern Curve site, to test the impact it could have on new development. Above is the architects image for what it envisioned the Eastern Curve site could look like. Whilst this involves some wild greenery on the ground (which is arguably unlikely), the architecture is very bland. The image to its right shows how the policy could affect the development. Ensuring that the architecture enforces the agricultural zone prevents bland architecture from occurring by forcing green roofs or green walls or similar to be used. Also shown is a possible new growing area that the development could be forced to incorporate, based on the number of bedrooms proposed. This new growing space gives new residents an opportunity to integrate with the traditional community through a growing project, which could be facilitated through the same Watch Dalston Grow network.

DALSTON’S FUTURE? DALSTON JUNCTION

PROTOTYPE #02

PROTOTYPE #01

KINGSLAND ROAD

URBAN GROWERS MARKET DALSTON EASTERN CURVE GARDEN

PROTOTYPE #01 (FRONT) GARDEN GROWING

KINGSLAND DEVELOPMENT

PROTOTYPE #02 ROOF TERRACE GROWING

PROTOTYPE #03

PROTOTYPE #03 COMMUNITY ALLOTMENTS

CONCLUSION This booklet has explained the strategic level of the Watch Dalston Grow project. The project has provided a way in which urban agriculture can be used to tackle deprivation and re-empower the traditional community of Dalston against the gentrification and densification which is threatening their neighbourhood. The project has proposed three prototype resilient projects to change the social, political and physical environment of Dalston to ensure the community still have a place in their neighbourhood in the future, and are not forgotten and forced out by the pro-development council. The project also moves into an imagined future where a successful agricultural zone has captured the interest of the council who are using it to their advantage to gain more resilient new development, and where the traditional community are once again part of this decision making process.

Old and new Hackney existing alongside each other

74 This project has been developed as part of Studio: Facilitating Resilience for MA Urban Design at Sheffield School of Architecture. More information about the studio and this project can be found at: www.facilitatingresilience.wordpress.com A direct link to my page: www.facilitatingresilience.wordpress.com/student-projects/christopher-hall Also the joint agency London Farmer Facilitators, developed alongside fellow student Joe Moss: www.londonfarmerfacilitator.wordpress.com

Produced by Chris Hall in relation to MA Urban Design Project â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Watch Dalston Growâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for studio Facilitating Resilience Sheffield School of Architecture