University of the Arts London (UAL) is leading a coalition of partners: Camden Council, Knowledge Quarter London, Lendlease and Somers Town Community Association to deliver the London pilot for EU urban redevelopment research project, T-Factor. The project will work with Euston residents to build targeted opportunities for the local population into the area’s redevelopment over the next 3 years.

Funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, T-Factor is a 4-year project involving 25 organisations from 12 countries. London is one of 6 European city pilots, alongside Amsterdam, Bilbao, Kaunas, Lisbon and Milan. The pilots will build opportunities for residents into large-scale city redevelopment projects by activating ‘meanwhile spaces’ – temporarily vacant and unused commercial and industrial sites that evolve into public spaces, becoming sites for social, cultural and entrepreneurial activity.

Recognising that opportunities for social innovation are an important asset to cities and their populations, the overall project will lead radical new approaches to regeneration; building cultural and creative hubs into city neighbourhoods that can transform urban redevelopment projects, potentially addressing some of the tensions created by large-scale regeneration.

With expertise in Creative Cities, UAL is building on its long-term civic engagement work to lead the London pilot. The UAL team will work closely with staff and students across the University’s 6 Colleges which are based across London. Lendlease was appointed ‘Master Development Partner’ for the Euston development by the government and will support the implementation of T-Factor together with partners and communities. Knowledge Quarter (KQ) London, Camden Council teams and Somers Town Community Association are engaging community groups, Euston residents, council officers and KQ London members to collaborate in the design and prototyping of interventions to meet local challenges.

T-Factor will also apply learning from 8 mature European and worldwide city case studies where proactive approaches to ‘meanwhile space/use’ have been implemented within the development process – including London’s King’s Cross, which became home to UAL’s award-winning Central Saint Martins college campus in 2011, playing a defining role in the Kings Cross development.

Jodie Eastwood, Chief Executive of Knowledge Quarter London:
“We’re absolutely delighted that the Knowledge Quarter will be working to deliver T-Factor. Across its 100 member organisations, the KQ has the potential to unlock its unique concentration of world-class talent and resource across science, research and culture for the benefit of the local community. T-factor will provide a catalyst – and the evidence base – to support us in our ambition to ensure local residents benefit from the wealth of knowledge at their doorstep.”