High Street 2012

High Street 2012 is an ambitious project to improve and celebrate one of London’s great high streets. This ribbon of London life is both everyday and remarkable. It is historic and modern, and constantly evolving. The project aims to reconnect places and communities, making this high street a place that East Londoners can share with the world in 2012 and beyond.

The high street connects the City to the Olympic Park and is part of the London 2012 Olympic marathon route. While it runs through some of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the capital and is also dominated by heavy traffic, it also passes through some of the most culturally diverse and historically rich areas of London, with a wonderful range of existing buildings, streets, markets, waterways and many parks and green routes.

We want to build on the strengths of this street, transform perceptions of the area, encourage positive change and stimulate investment.

Our shared vision which has been developed in partnership with communities and businesses along the street is to create a world class and thriving ‘High Street’, where there is a balance between pedestrian and road uses, where people and places are connected, where locals, visitors and tourists want to be, and where there is a sense of well being, community and history.

Tower Hamlets Olympic Ambassador Mizanul Chaudhury said “High Street 2012 will have a profound effect for the local communities living and working along this key route. It will bring disused and underused spaces back into use, improve the balance between pedestrian and road users, and take advantage of the various opportunities created by its proximity to the Olympic Park to create a world class high street.

Download a summary of High Street 2012 (pdf, 72 kb).

Updates

Tower Hamlets Council has successfully secured upwards of £8 million from external partners to begin delivering improvements on the A11/A12 as part of the High Street 2012 Project.

As part of the ambitious regeneration programme, four clusters of 60 historic buildings are being restored to reveal the traditional shop fronts and period facades, bringing the buildings to life and preserving the area’s legacy for many years to come.

Work began on the first group of buildings in Aldgate in March 2010, and will soon start onsite at Mile End Terrace. Improvements to the buildings at Whitechapel Market and Bow will get underway next year.

Tower Hamlets Council has also been consulting with local residents and businesses on the public realms improvements planned for Aldgate and Altab Ali Park, Mile End Waste, Whitechapel Market and Mile End.

The planned improvements will continue to roll out over the next two years, and will include better pedestrian links and crossings to key areas such as Brick Lane and Mile End Park, accent lighting, street de-cluttering and new market stalls.

The first of these improvements – the new Braham Street Park – was officially opened in March 2010 and local residents and workers are enjoying the area’s new found open green space, seating and shade.

Find out more about upcoming events and consultations.