Municipal Landscapes: A Celebration

Telling the story of London’s social housing, this walk will provide a social, political and architectural history of the post-war estate in London.

Led by designer-in-residence Hester Buck and author of Municipal Dreams John Boughton, this walk focuses on the Churchill Gardens Estate in Westminster, an award-winning scheme epitomising post-war principles of planning and a more classless society. Its later story and wider context illustrate how policies and ideals have evolved since.

Through a series of readings and historic accounts, the walk will explore the ideas that defined its design and its use by tenants both past and present. The walk will question how the design of the estates landscape can be understood as a form of common ground, open land designed for public use. Following the walk participants will also be invited to join a light picnic to continue the conversation.

This event is part of Walking the City, a series exploring how the act of walking can create new ways of understanding, celebrating and re-imagining the city.