D9.1 City Report | November 2023

Authors: Henry Staples, Ozge Ozduzen – UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

Vania Rolon, Nelli Ferenczi – BRUNEL UNIVERSITY LONDON

This report investigates how Windrush Square, a public space in London (UK) is experienced by people from diverse demographic backgrounds, and how these everyday interactions and tensions shape experiences of social cohesion and alienation. This space was selected as a case study as it captures the underlying tensions of the UK’s colonial past and its continuing impact in the present day. We first conducted three expert interviews to shed light on the role of the Greater London Authority in public space governance, landscape design and wellbeing of migrant populations, and community-led neighbourhood planning With the help of a local organisation, Friends of Windrush Square, we then conducted two focus groups (LABs I and II) with stakeholders of Windrush Square at the Black Cultural Archives, a space located in the heart of Windrush Square which played a significant role in the social history of Brixton residents and the transformation of the Windrush Square. We adopted a co-participatory ap-proach in our research using pre-prepated question cards to co-produce ideas and solutions for best practice in Windrush square and the surrounding local community. Four main themes emerged from our labs: (1) Culture, heritage and commemoration, (2) Community oversity and ownership, (3) Everyday dynamics, and (4) Events. These themes intersected with each other to provide a meaningful and complex insight into the ways that we can disconnect from public spaces. We offer policy recommendations for increasing social cohesion and contributing to de-radicalisation processes drawn from our desk research, expert interviews, and LAB I and II findings.