Touching the City

PROJECT 01 BENCHSPACE PROBE
Walk Report

PATHWAYone
Saturday 30 June 2007, 10.30am - 5.30pm

For an unusual insight into the City, we walked PATHWAYone, - one of our three benchspace sample strips - from Westminster Underground Station to Trinity Buoy Wharf, Canning Town. Travelling eastwards from the heart of London, the city 'decompresses' from the touristic, governmental and cultural centre, passing through deserted residential areas and into silent industrial tracts. We observed some of London's better and lesser known public spaces, from Parliament Square, along Lower Marsh, over Tower Bridge, spotting yachts in St Katherines, a stop to view a dance video installation at the Wapping Project, past the Grapes Pub, through Bow Creek Ecology Park and ending up at Container City and Fatboy's Diner. Participant backgrounds included architecture, physiotherapy, animation, journalism, branding... A very enjoyable day of discussion, fry-ups, pouring rain, flooded underpasses, and a warming pint at the end.