A few weeks ago I helped lead Future of London’s study tour of the Aberfeldy Estate regeneration in Poplar, LB Tower Hamlets. I was joined by our clients Poplar HARCA and EcoWorld London, as well as one of our collaborators, Dinah Bornat (of ZCD Architects). Poplar Works (home to Making for Change) and owners of local businesses also spoke about how they have fed into the regeneration process and what impact it is having on the local people. Throughout the visit, we covered a number of key themes that we believe are fundamental for best practice estate regeneration, including deep community engagement (for all ages).

Future of London wrote a summary about the visit – available here – and they concluded it with: "‘Regeneration’ is not always welcomed by communities in London. Poorer residents are often displaced or segregated where some level of social housing is retained. But Poplar HARCA’s approach is built on the premise that for any investment to make a difference, residents need to shape the regeneration of where they live. [...] Aberfeldy serves as an example of how to plan for the future while responding to immediate needs – something we can all learn from in recovery."