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Urban villages as self-sufficient, integrated communities: a case study in London's Docklands

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Abstract

This paper will look at the extent to which some key principles of the urban villages movement are realised in a particular development in East London. In particular, the paper will focus on the extent to which urban village developments promote local patterns of activity and integrated, vibrant communities. Fieldwork from West Silvertown will be drawn upon to assess how actual patterns of activity differ from the principles and ideals promoted for the development. The paper will conclude by exploring some of the reasons why urban village developments may not create the localised, self-sufficient and integrated communities that their advocates promote.

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Notes

  1. This finding is at odds with the urban villages movement, which stresses that mixed housing tenure and mixed social groupings will lead to more integrated communities.

  2. A bar/restaurant opened in West Silvertown since fieldwork was completed.

  3. The development manager of Wimpey PLC and a local estate agent confirmed that there was strong demand from first-time buyers in the area, making flat development commercially viable.

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  1. Department of Town and Regional Planning, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

    Malcolm Tait

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  1. Malcolm Tait
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Correspondence to Malcolm Tait.

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Tait, M. Urban villages as self-sufficient, integrated communities: a case study in London's Docklands. Urban Des Int 8, 37–52 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.udi.9000092

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