Many Colombians love taking photographs both in groups and selfies. Whether it's in cafes, shops or boarding the plane there always seemed to be a pause while photos were taken. Almost, every place we visited from villages to cities had a place sign and it's taken...
As the new year allows for a (brief) period of reflection, we´ve been thinking about collaboration and the many ways we at The Assembly Line, form connections with others which often bring new ideas, bigger projects and new learning.We find we collaborate in many forms...
With growing population numbers and increased tourism post covid, how can we maintain access to public spaces and facilities for all in cities which are turning into a tourist destinations? According to recent Census figures, the population in England and Wales has increased by 6%...
Can a place over-play their most well known asset? With some people still hesitant on booking holidays, Liverpool is proving a hit with my friends and there’s been a steady stream of visitors over the past few months. However, recently, a friend messaged (on the way) to...
UK Cities of Culture tripsThe UK City of Culture title is relatively new, with only two events having taken place so far. The first was Derry/Londonderry in 2013, a city I’ve visited, but not during their year of culture. In 2017, Hull had the accolade,...
The end of 2021 marked 10 years since I left my job, to set-up what is now known as The Assembly Line and what an interesting time it has been! With a few jobs in regeneration/place related roles throughout my career, I’d also spent several years...
Recently I’ve been exploring the North West and finding out about local projects in the larger towns and cities. So far, I’ve visited Lancaster, Bolton, Preston and Wigan (more soon on those) and there’s plenty more places to go! My first trip was to Lancaster, a...
England’s first lockdown saw most high streets and town centre’s physical stores close, which resulted in a huge increase in online shopping. Whilst lockdown 2 is lighter, there are still huge disparities between what is classed as essential and non-essential and markets vs shops with...
As a trustee at The London Society, we hosted a panel discussion last week on London’s high streets. We know that the lockdown has affected current patterns of working, shopping and eating out. Local high streets are reporting some recovery, but central areas are still seeing footfall...
Under normal circumstances, we’re out and about a lot both for work and socially. Being based in London, it’s always good to visit other places for a different perspective, whether it’s in the UK or elsewhere in the world. In the weeks before lockdown, we’d...