Walking and Talking to Build a Sustainable City Community

July 11th 2022
 

Woolwich Group Walk
Sunscreen was applied lavishly as we set out on our group walk along the designated Woolwich route.  Each of the six participants had taken the route separately, recording their responses to the prompts. This was the first time they were meeting to share those impressions. Our group were female and male, of mixed ethnicities and ranged in age from 17-77.

As we walked people branched off init twos or threes, pointing things out to each other, sharing observations and reflections. At various points along the way, we stopped to listen to audio recordings. The recordings were snippets from the participants' first, solo walk. Often we listened to two or three reactions to the same area, noting similarities and enjoying differences. We experimented with listening together as a group, this facilitated a group experience, but it was sometimes difficult to hear everything in busy areas. We listened to some extracts on personal headphones. This gave participants an intimate experience, as though the speaker were communicating with them personally. Each audio note served as an opportunity for further discussion.

Some Notable Observations:

• An appreciation of the many green spaces and trees, of the water fountains (for drinking) and the water features.

• A discussion around the screen on General Gordon Square.  Who was in charge of the programming and if it might be used to promote sustainability and community?

• Concerns about safety and crime, particularly at night in the General Gordon Square area.

• How peaceful and beautiful the Berkley development is, we noticed that it is pedestrianised. We also noted that it was beyond many people's price range and contained gated areas. One participant commented that he had thought a water feature there was on private property and had therefore never been there before.

• An appreciation for the rich variety of architecture in the area.

• A discussion around the fact that the old skateboard park had been removed. Participants wondered if a new one could be built on the abandoned site opposite Lidl so that the young people have somewhere to go again.

• An appreciation of Woolwich as a unique part of London with a diverse community and a rich history.

 

Back at the Bathway Theatre
After the walk, we returned to the Bathway Theatre for lunch and a chat to bring our thoughts together. It was lovely to observe how open and friendly everyone had become. We noted how the simple act of walking and reflecting brought with it a sense of connection to the environment.
Many people commented on the value of the process as a bonding/community-building exercise. Whilst talking we played a slideshow of the photos people had taken on their solo walks. Again, I was struck by the difference in the photos, the way we are all drawn to different details and how looking through someone else eyes opens up a greater appreciation of what is around you.
 

Memory and Place in a Sustainable City
A meaningful moment for me, and I think for many others, was sitting opposite the old town hall and listening to personal memories of the building: a wedding in the 1970’s, registering a child’s birth and a loved one's death. Buildings are containers for the many lives that knit together to create community. Valuing these places and their meanings is part of nurturing a sustainable city.