walk/tour
3 Granary Square, outside Lighterman Pub, N1C 4BH
Join this walking tour to explore London's energy history and its impact on sustainability. Visit the King's Cross canals to see old and new infrastructure. Topics include London's carbon footprint, quantifying health benefits from green infrastructure, and the role of the built environment in meeting net zero targets. Discover how London’s past has shaped its sustainable future.
King's Cross St. Pancras
King's Cross, St. Pancras
17, 205, 390, 46, 476
Tour start: 3 Granary Square, outside Lighterman Pub, N1C 4BH Tour end: next to the entrance to Kings Cross Station at Battle Bridge Place
Public toilets in Coal Drops Yard
We will be stopping by Camley Street Natural Park, which has some benches and toilets nearby
The tour will explain the history of the energy industry in London, and how it has affected London’s sustainable strategy as we know it today. The Industrial Revolution, although detrimental to the environment, was a necessary and important step to pave the way for sustainable infrastructure that is shaping London’s image as one of the most ‘livable’ and ‘sustainable’ cities today. We will cover the history of London through its environmental journey, comparing architecture, energy production, and building materials in the 19th century and earlier to nowadays. We will explore the following questions and more:
Can London ever abate its historical carbon footprint? (and does it have to?)
How can you quantify health benefits from green infrastructure?
What role do buildings play in helping the UK reach its net zero targets?
This tour is led by a participant of Open City’s Golden Key Academy – a course training up insightful and engaging guides dedicated to explaining London and bringing its many stories to life. It is part of a wider collection of tours created by Golden Key Academy guides for the Open House Festival celebrating their conclusion of the eight month course.
Further information on the Golden Key Academy can be found here https://open-city.org.uk/golden-key-academy
Guided tour / Walking tour
public realm/landscape, walk/tour, mixed use
King's Cross is a 67 acre development in Central London being transformed into a new city quarter with 20 regenerated heritage buildings, new homes, offices, public spaces, shops, galleries, bars, restaurants, schools and a university.
Townshend Landscape Architects, 2012
Guided tour
library, education, garden, walk/tour, gallery, public realm/landscape, online
The Aga Khan Centre, designed by Pritzker prize winning architect Fumihiko Maki, houses the UK institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network. A unique feature are its six gardens inspired by different regions of the Muslim world.
Fumihiko Maki of Maki and Associates, 2018
