Creating Better Places: Cheshire Street Community Parklets

Pax Associates for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

​

The measures implemented in Cheshire Street re-define the public realm, creating a route with interest which in turn supports many of the Healthy Streets indicators such as clean air, feeling safer and more relaxed, things to do and see and the promotion of pedestrian activity generally.

 

The presence of parklets and trees has transformed Cheshire Street through design innovation and quality streetscape. The parklets are proposed as an alternative to conventional traffic calming measures. By deviating the path of traffic, the design has reduced driving speeds and other anti-social driving behaviour. The design of these pedestrian friendly spaces provide social spaces for all to enjoy, to encourage activity and promote access to the shop frontages, whilst emphasising and enhancing the classical repetition and order of the street.

 

On market days the parklets allow crossing points in the street increasing the access between the stalls and shop frontages. The shade from the trees and plinth or perch seating, where desired, offers comfortable resting areas and respite from crowded thoroughfares. At night and in the darker winter months the trees and seating areas are feature lit improving safety, appearance and the shopping/ market experience year-round. This transformational approach has promoted footfall further east from areas such as the City Fringe and Spitalfields via Brick Lane to support the local economy and new independent retail offers developing in Cheshire Street and its Market.