The Eastern City Business Improvement District (BID) has unveiled an ambitious new public realm vision that provides a glimpse into the future of the area’s public spaces. The vision aims to create a more welcoming, green, accessible and vibrant neighbourhood for workers, residents and visitors through a series of urban design projects.

To engage with the public unveiling of The Portal, an interactive installation designed by Erik Schmitz and Jonas Johansson. Located on Camomile Street next to 100 Bishopsgate, The Portal invites people to scan a QR code and visually transport themselves into a reimagined Camomile Street, completely closed to traffic and transformed into an inviting public space. Free to visit from 14th October – 14th November.

The public realm vision is the result of a 10-month collaborative process led by the Eastern City BID and urban designers Publica, closely aligning with the City of London Corporation’s and property developers’ existing plans. Extensive research, stakeholder engagement and public consultation shaped the vision’s seven core aims: welcoming public spaces, green streets and plazas, lively activity, intuitive navigation, enhanced heritage, accessibility for all modes of transport, and safety.

The amount of new office space currently under construction in the Eastern City cluster will add over 500,000 square meters of new development and 11 new skyscrapers to the district. This rapid growth makes improving and expanding public spaces a high priority. The vision lays out several key public realm projects, including the potential closure of Camomile Street to vehicles to create a new public plaza, improvements to arrival areas like Fenchurch Street Station, and lighting enhancements along historic Lombard Street.

Kate Hart, Chief Executive of the Eastern City BID said:

“As the Eastern City continues to grow as a global business hub, we have a responsibility to shape that growth in a way that benefits workers, residents and visitors. This public realm vision provides an exciting blueprint for creating the type of dynamic, 21st century urban environment that will allow the Eastern City to thrive.”

The full Eastern City Public Realm Vision is available for download at www.easterncity.co.uk/vision.

ENDS.

About the Eastern City

The Eastern City BID is a Business Improvement District working to promote and enhance a unique part of the City of London known as the Eastern City. Representing a leading and innovative business community, the EC BID works collaboratively to deliver a range of programmes and transformative interventions that will develop this globally recognised economic district into an agile, dynamic and vibrant destination.

For more information on the work of the BID, please visit easterncity.co.uk.

About Erik Schmitz

Born in Germany and raised in the plain of Lleida. Graduated in Fine Arts at the UB in 2016 in Barcelona. He specialises mostly in sculpture but during his studies at UNAM, in Mexico City, he also learned the techniques of engraving and stamping. In 2020 he completed his studies as a Superior sculpture technician at Escola d’art Ondara in Tàrrega, Catalonia.

He has participated in numerous art festivals, made works for public spaces, and has participated innumerous collective exhibitions in his local region and further afield: in countries such as Algeria (Tindouf Sahrawi Refugee Camps), Sweden, Latvia, Mexico, Serbia, and Andorra.

This is the first time he has shown work in the UK.

About Jonas Johansson

Designer, artist, and teacher. Raised in Glommen, Sweden, and since 2017 senior lecturer in Visual Communication at Beckmans Design College. Runs the network Nordic Audiovisual Artists, the light collective Svartljus, and the art residency Visualia. Previously at Moment Factory (CA), Field.io (UK), and KRAM/WEISSHAAR (SE/DE). Artistic focus on co-creative design, conceptual-experimental spatial and light.