A congested city street has been transformed into a green oasis of calm, as Mayor of London Boris Johnson opened Braham Street Park, built on a site formerly occupied by the Aldgate gyratory traffic system.
The new 160 meter long public space will aid the regeneration of the Aldgate area, and includes grassed and planted areas, a fountain, and one of the longest continuous wooden public benches in London. It creates a new community resource and gives local residents much –needed additional green space.
The project is part of the Mayor of London’s Great Outdoors program, a pan-London plan to improve streets, roads, squares, and green spaces, supported by a commitment of £220 million over three years. It is also the first completed project under the banner of High Street 2012, a program to improve the main street that connects the City, and the Olympic and Paralympic venues at Stratford. The park was funded by a £2 million contribution from local developer Tishman Speyer, secured through planning obligations to Tower Hamlets Council who partnered the project alongside Design for London, and £350,000 from the London Development Agency.
Braham Street will host a series of community events introducing local people to their new park. Tower Hamlets council has organized bike and kayak simulators, a climbing wall, arts and crafts and other activities to keep children from nearby schools and beyond entertained across the opening weekend on Saturday 20 March and Sunday 21 March .
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The historic district in which this new park sits, where the East End borders London’s financial hub, has long been in need of some love and attention. This green oasis gives the local community an attractive new public space – a beautified relaxing place for all where once there was a traffic-clogged street. This is exactly the kind of transformation that we are replicating across London ahead of 2012 and beyond – improving the local environment, and bringing formerly disused or underused spaces back to life for Londoners to enjoy.”
London Development Agency Deputy Chief Executive, Peter Bishop, said: “High Street 2012 will create great improvements to the route from the City to Stratford in East London. The first is Braham Street Park in Aldgate a new breathing space close to the City, where it was once a stretch of urban motorway. This is the start of the improvements along the route that will create a Great Space – a place Londoners can share with the world during the Olympics and beyond.”
Lutfur Rahman, Leader of Tower Hamlets Council said: “This is an important milestone for High Street 2012 – a key project that will significantly contribute to the regeneration of some of the most deprived areas within Tower Hamlets. Enabled by our role as a Host Borough for London 2012, it promises to greatly improve destinations along the route for existing communities, and create a sought-after destination for those that want to be close to the action in 2012 and beyond.”
Michael Spies, Senior Managing Director Europe, Tishman Speyer, said: “It is very gratifying to have been part of a successful public-private collaboration to create a new park in central London. The vision for this project came initially eight years ago shortly after we acquired the property. Through close cooperation and support from the Mayor, Tower Hamlets, TfL, LDA, Design for London and the GLA, this vision is now achieved and the local environment has been greatly improved”.
Source: London.gov
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