Soundbite: From Vacant to Vibrant: unlocking value through temporary activation of space

**Please note the venue for this event has changed to Roberts Building G08 Sir David Davies LT. Full details of the location can be found below.**

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About

London is growing at an increasingly fast pace and its town centres and neighbourhoods are subject to significant changes affecting everyday urban living for residents and businesses. Urban regeneration is a slow process – it can take years before realising a project and evaluating its impact, successes and failures. The meanwhile use of vacant assets offers an alternative to long-term planning through unlocking resources to bring vibrancy by creating space for new ideas, where enterprise and social cohesion are nurtured. A number of meanwhile projects have been delivered in London and there is evidence of their ability to create a local incentive and encourage community initiatives. But can they have a lasting socio-economic impact and contribute to the prosperity of neighbourhoods? The talk will challenge this and place the temporary activation approach in perspective through case studies from Walthamstow to discuss the key practical challenges, how competing demands of stakeholders are balanced to broker a meaningful solution and their potential to generate value and develop legacy.

The speaker

Yoana is an urbanist by profession and motivation, and holds a masters in urban regeneration. Formerly part of Meanwhile Space CIC where she developed a practical understanding of the contribution of temporary uses in a wider context of change and accelerated growth. Currently part of Waltham Forest’s Strategic Regeneration team, Yoana is responsible for designing, developing and delivering complex physical, cultural and creative placemaking regeneration projects in Walthamstow town centre to achieve benefits for residents and businesses. She applies her holistic approach, practicality and determination to shape projects and implement initiatives that deliver unique significance locally.