HIGH STREET CLASSROOM
CLIENT: GLA
LOCATION: London
YEAR: 2024
A learning community of passionate people working to improve London’s high streets and town centres.
High Street Classroom launch - a celebratory workshop and collective lunch on East Street market
Since January 2024, JA Projects have been leading a team, including Architecture00 andKelly Drake to develop the High Street Classroom, a programme for the Mayor of London as part of their High Street Network. The High Street Network is a community of passionate people working to improve London’s high streets and town centres. Our mission is to support high streets to be inclusive, resilient and thriving.
The High Street Classroom is a learning programme of events and activities. Treating London’s high streets as our classroom, we visit projects, learn from each other and collaborate on fresh ideas to help deliver good growth for Londoners.
The High Street Classroom programme includes:
Visits to inspiring projects across London
Seminars on important high street topics
Working Groups that come together to innovate and develop solutions to specific challenges
A ‘High Street School of Thought’ coaching offer to support junior Local Authority officers with leadership development
Social gatherings
We have now completed all three terms of the High Street Classroom. Across the programme, activities have included:
Walking tours led by high street stakeholders and community leaders - from religious leaders in Southall and BID officers in Brixton, to young people in Wood Green and markets teams in Walthamstow
Seminars unpicking long-standing and emerging trends and policies with expert panels - from healthcare professionals and GLA Data teams to central government policymakers from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Working Groups unpacking the High Street Rental Auctions policy and its implementation in the London context
A pilot coaching programme supporting 7 junior Local Authority officers to develop partnership and leadership skills
Social gatherings
An online platform to distribute research, share best practice and network
This concluding third term introduced a new series of events, an additional working group, and a dedicated coaching programme, expanding both the scope and impact of the initiative. Term 3 highlights included:
Co-Design on the High Street explored collaborative approaches between councils, communities, and designers, using Roman Road as a case study for participatory practice.
Creative Economies on the High Street examined the role of the creative industries in driving regeneration, with a visit to Deptford showcasing the interplay of culture, enterprise, and affordable workspace.
The Future of the High Street looked ahead to emerging challenges and opportunities—from automation to shifting patterns of work and consumption—setting out ambitions for more inclusive and resilient high street futures.
Find out more about the High Street Network on the GLA website.
Join the Network here and sign up to events here!
If you have any questions about the network, write to us at hsn@ja-projects.com
CORE TEAM JA Projects, Architecture 00 and Kelly Drake
