Kingston University students showed off ideas to help resuscitate the town centre during a hackathon for Kingston Council to consider.
The hackathon (problem-solving) workshop saw students of varying degrees, from engineering and design to geography and business, in discussions with the council’s Place Making Team.
The proposals were considered by the council for their 10-year draft vision for the revival of the town centre.
Councillor Roger Hayes, Kingston Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy and Community Engagement, said: “It has been fantastic to have this contribution of inspirational ideas from Kingston University students to this important plan for the future of the Kingston Town Centre Area.
“We’re keen to hear from all members of the community about what they cherish the most and where improvements can be made to make sure Kingston town centre is a vibrant, attractive and inclusive place for everyone to enjoy.”
The vision is the result of what the council took after meetings over the past year with the students, a Citizen’s Panel, local communities and landowners, with the aim of understanding what they want for the future.
The session saw the students working in cross-degree groups, developing their ideas and tackling the challenges of solving real-world problems.
The ideas included the installation of lights and mosaics in alleyways down to the riverside, the construction of a community pavilion in Fairfield Recreation Ground and the greening of Eden Street.
The winning idea was the community pavilion idea, by the group of third year geography student Ben Hayward.
He said: “Our idea was focused around redeveloping the changing rooms in Fairfield Recreation Ground into a pavilion, providing a place for families with children to feel invited, including a new café.
“The opportunity to present our ideas, learn more about town planning and get more experience in public speaking was really valuable.”
The consultation for the drafted vision is available online until the 30th of April and members of the community can share their opinions on it.
Otherwise, residents can see an exhibition of the vision in the pilot urban room, Open Frame, at the Market House in Kingston’s Market Place.
The hackathon was a combined effort between the university Head of Geography Dr Pete Garside, HackCentre manager Amanda Baker and Senior Urban Designer at Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Todor Kuznetsov.
Featured image: Credit to Jim via Wikimedia Commons under the license CC BY 2.0
