High Street 2012 is an ambitious project to improve and celebrate one of London’s great high streets. It includes a range of public realm improvements along the A11/A118 from Aldgate to Stratford. The project aims to upgrade parts of the street from Whitechapel Road to Stratford High Street, and to provide a lasting legacy from the 2012 Games for local communities.

The High Street 2012 area is culturally and economically very diverse. It is home to communities which are economically and socially marginalised, with some of the lowest employment levels and highest levels of ill health in the UK.

The project aims to create a thriving high street by re-enforcing the distinctive character of the places along the route, by creating places for people to stop, slow down and socialise and by balancing the needs of pedestrians and other road users. It will create a connected street by enhancing natural flows across and along the street, removing barriers to make it easier for everyone to move around and find their way. A healthier street will be created by increasing opportunities for walking, cycling, recreation and leisure. Social projects and events will bring the street to life before and during the Olympics and ensure local communities benefit from the Games, through boosting regeneration, community pride and the visitor economy.

A team led by Fluid Architects was selected to develop a vision study, undertake intensive stakeholder and community engagement, develop plans for creating a common character along the street, and prepare design frameworks and briefs for individual projects. This was completed in March 2009.

Since then a number of different architectural teams have been appointed to take forward projects along the street. These include MUF Architecture Art and JMP at Aldgate, Mile End Waste and Mile End Bridge; East Architecture and Alan Baxters at Whitechapel Market, PRP and Adams and Sutherland at Ocean Green, Aecom at Stratford High Street and Julian Harrap for the historic building enhancement project stretching along the A11.

Braham Street Park at Aldgate designed by EDCO was the first High Street project to be completed in Feb 2010. A cluster of historic buildings was completed in September 2010 at Aldgate. Stratford High Street public realm improvements are on site and many other projects are due to start in spring or early summer 2011.

Partners: Design for London, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London Borough of Newham, English Heritage, Transport for London and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation