Would you like to take part in a study on the gentrification of Dalston?

Have you lived in Dalston for some time?

If so you have probably seen it change a lot. And your experience of this will be different and unique to the next person. Some people experience change as positive, some as negative, and some a combination of both.

Like many other London neighbourhoods, Dalston is changing. And people are experiencing this change in different ways. Dalston is the coolest place in the world according to Italian Vogue, but still one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London. House prices have gone up and transport improved, but unemployment rates have remained the same and homelessness is still a problem. People feel safer and like how the area looks cleaner at the same time as feeling excluded from some of the new bars and cafes.

This project is about understanding how the area is changing, and how people can make connections so that change can be made good: making connections with the past, building on current connections to maintain community cohesion and connecting people together to have a voice about the future. Its aim is to see how graphic design can connect people together to raise awareness of change and encourage people to make change which feels inclusive.

It is linked to Dalston Bridge, which is a hyper-local fundraising campaign which taps into Dalston’s new wealth to support those who haven’t benefitted from gentrification.

The project is based around principles of community participation. Research is conducted by involving people in the community and ideas are generated through community led workshops.

My name is Cat Drew and I am an MA Graphic Design student at the London College of Communication and a Senior Policy Advisor in the Government’s Policy Lab. All views are my own (and not official Government ones).

You can find out more about the project by visiting this site.

If you would like to take part, please contact me on 07739 989391 or at catdrew19@gmail.com.