Bartlett Walks: London’s Ring of Steel

Walking provides a novel perspective on issues, themes and artefacts within the built environment. Bartlett Walks is a series of PhD student led excursions around different corners of London. Covering diverse themes such as graffiti, regeneration and surveillance, the walks all assume different methodological or thematic approaches to the built environment. Come along, explore London, and get to know fellow Bartlett students from other departments.

London's Ring of Steel is an system of surveillance that was installed around the City of London as a response to repeated terror attacks in the Square Mile by the IRA in the 1990s. An invisible border was set up of ANPR (auto number plate recognition) surveillance cameras, the area was infilled with CCTV cameras, the street map was redrawn and the design choices for the urban environment leant towards the approach of fortress urbanism. Not only does the 'Ring' remain in place over 20 years later, it has been infilled and updated, whilst also acting as a key case study nationally and internationally for city planners looking to fortify the urban environment.

This Bartlett walk will walk a section of the Eastern boundary of the Ring of Steel and show you how to identify key techniques of surveillance and control and how they play out in the urban environment.

This walk will be led by Henrietta Williams, The Bartlett School of Architecture.