Make an Entrance

A project to transform the experience of arriving in Camden Town, with a refreshed public realm that celebrates the neighbourhood’s unique creative character.

CONTEXT

Camden Town is loved by people from all walks of life, with 200,000 residents and over 30 million visitors each year. Despite its global reputation for music, creativity, and culture, consultation has shown that the experience of arriving in Camden Town does not currently reflect the area’s character or potential.

During a London Design Festival workshop, participants noted the crammed pavement, confusing wayfinding, cars dominating the environment and a lack of colour, nature and art. This is not the entrance that Camden Town deserves. 

In April 2023, the Camden Town Unlimited board agreed to fund a set of interventions that would ‘transform the experience of arriving in Camden Town.’

With support secured from the Mayor of London’s Healthy Streets Everyday II programme, and following early conversations with Camden Council and TfL, we are now moving forward with the appointment of a design team and the launch of a co-design process with local residents.

Make an Entrance sits under our umbrella initiative, the Camden Green Loop; a bold strategy to reimagine Camden Town and Euston’s public spaces and walking networks, while celebrating and amplifying the rich cultural offer.

PROJECT AIMS

  • Encouraging positive use of the space by all community groups by setting a welcoming, playful and interactive tone to the urban realm, day and night.

  • Injecting bursts of nature to the landscape which set a precedent for incorporating green infrastructure and biodiversity in to Camden’s urban spaces.

  • Improving the perception of the high street as a shared space and community asset, to the benefit of both resident and businesses groups.

  • To authentically and creatively represent the identity and heritage of Camden Town, looking beyond stereotypes.

DESIGN TEAM

We are delighted to appoint Carver Haggard, an award-winning design and architecture practice with extensive experience in community-led public realm transformations. Their portfolio includes projects such as North End Road Market, Greenhill Place, and Shape Newham, demonstrating their ability to deliver at scale while reflecting local priorities.

Carver Haggard will be supported by a skilled delivery team:

  • Europa – urban design and creative consultancy

  • Light Follows Behaviour – specialists in architectural lighting design

  • Robert Bray Associates – experts in sustainable urban drainage and green infrastructure

  • Tisserin Engineers – structural engineering specialists

CO-DESIGN PROCESS

CTU will recruit 20 passionate local people as Neighbourhood Designers to co-design the Make an Entrance project. Collaborating with urban designers, artists and architects, participants will help translate community priorities into tangible improvements.

Exhibitions and panel discussions will be held throughout the design process to broaden participation, ensuring a wide range of voices shape the final designs.

Everyone is invited to join the public consultation and exhibitions to input to the designs. Join our newsletter for project updates.

Next Steps

Over the coming months, the design team will work with stakeholders, Neighbourhood Designers, and the wider community to develop proposals for consultation.

Board and BID members will be kept updated through regular reports, and we will share opportunities for input and advocacy as the project progresses.

Make an Entrance is funded by Camden Town Unlimited BID and CRP’s Healthy Streets Everyday II programme, with support from the Mayor of London.

The Make an Entrance project is independent of the ongoing 18‑month pedestrianisation trial and will be delivered regardless of the trial’s outcome. The scope of the project does not include the newly pedestrianised high street, which remains under review.