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Croydon is the new ... Barcelona
Valentine Low, Evening Standard13.11.07
It is a place that gives concrete jungles a bad name, an urban nightmare famed for its tram system and some of the ugliest architecture outside the old Soviet bloc.
Now Croydon wants to turn itself into Barcelona, one of the coolest cities on the planet.
The much-reviled town - whose one fragile connection with glamour is that it was the birthplace of Kate Moss - was today announcing a multi-billion pound regeneration plan that will include pod-shaped buildings on stilts.
With ambitions to become a beacon of sustainability, it will include a 30-storey version of the Eden Project and - inspired by the regeneration of Barcelona after the 1992 Olympics - scores of public squares and miniature parks throughout the town centre.
Intriguingly, glass apartment blocks will be linked by high-level covered walkways across the main Wellesley Road - at a time when apartment blocks with high-level walkways are being demolished all over Britain as breeding grounds of vandalism and crime.
The transformation is being masterminded by architect Will Alsop, whose centrepiece will be a giant greenhouse inspired by the Eden Project, with different species planted in "sky gardens" on each floor. One of Alsop's main themes is to reverse the car's stranglehold-The "forest of car parks" in the town centre will be hacked back, and the eight-lane Wellesley Road will be reduced to two.
He will build a pedestrian-friendly "emerald necklace" of parks, and bring the river Wandle to the surface for the first time in 40 years since it was buried in culverts. He even nurtures dreams that people might fish for Wandle trout.
The town centre population would be boosted from fewer than 5,000 to 50,000 by the building of 20,000 new homes. The proposals, named Third City, are part of Croydon's bid to gain city status after years of being overlooked. Jon Rouse, the council's chief executive, said: "Croydon was a prosperous historic town in the 19th century and the history books show that it was a really pleasant place to come.
"The Second World War completely blew it to bits. What grew up in the Sixties was one of the most wholehearted developments of Corbusian modernism. At the time it was seen as very exciting and pointed the time to the future. But it didn't work and it became seen as an alien structure imposed on the historic settlement. Now Will Alsop is trying to bring the historic urban pattern back."
Alsop said: "This marks a new beginning. Developers are lining up their money to invest and I have faith that the people of Croydon are behind what we are planning to do.
"We know London is under housing pressure but rather than building new estates in the Thames Gateway area, we should be looking to build ... in places like Croydon."
The plans will start with a £450 million urban regeneration vehicle set up by the Tory-controlled council. In addition some £3.5 billion in private investment has been earmarked for projects including an arena for 12,500 spectators and a 44-storey residential tower.
SOUTH LONDON VERSUS CATALONIA
CROYDON
History: Busy market town in the Middle Ages. The Germans bombed it and they built lots of skyscrapers.
Population: 430,000 people. Kate Moss is a native.
Quote: "From London to Croydon is as ugly a bit of country as any in England." William Cobbett in 1830.
Famous for: Trams, tower blocks and the Croydon facelift (a tight ponytail).
Attractions: Fairfield Halls, host to Seventies disco bands.
BARCELONA
History: Founded by Hercules 400 years before Rome.
Population: 1.6 million. Architect Antoni Gaudi and artist Joan Miro.
Quote: "The creation continues incessantly through the media of man." Antoni Gaudi.
Famous for: Stunning architecture and culture.
Attractions: Gaudi's cathedral La Sagrada Familia and a host of world class museum and galleries including the Picasso Museum and Miro Museum. Seven beaches and FC Barcelona.
Reader views (28)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
I have a friend that lives in Croydon and I have to say none of us go and visit him ever for obvious reasons. This new development may inspire us to consider going there...but not to see Matt, he keeps guinea pigs and wears see-thru Ted Baker shirts...doesnt that tell you enough about Croydon already and how it may never change?
- Rob Wine, Brighton, Brighton, East Sussex
In the past, London criminals used to move to Barcelona, in the belt which was nicknamed the Costa del Crime. Surely, now that criminal behaviour in the capital is reaching epidemic proportions, passing that mantle to Croydon will enable families to remain closer together and help to maintain a sense of community in our capital.
- Jules, Greenwich
I have the dubious pleasure of having lived in both Croydon (35 years) and Barcelona (nearly a year) and although I can vouch that Croydon is, indeed, a convenient place to escape from, it's quick to get to London and to the countryside, I can't help feeling any plans to 'Barcelona-ise' Croydon will fail. It's as much about the attitude of those that live in a place, as much as some fancy buildings.
I wish the architects luck and hope in 10 years time it's not as undesirable as the 60s towerblocks of Croydon had become by the 70s.
- Nic Grrrr, Barcelona, Spain
Let's not get hung up on the Barcelona thing - that was a headline in ...whereas in fact that lovely city was never mentioned in any of the visions or plans put out by the Council or Will Alsop...as so many people have commented below, Croydon has it's positive and its negative sides - but the vision aims to maximise the former and minimise the latter. Plenty of other parts of London have reinvented themselves over the last 20 or 30 years...so why not Croydon?
- Johnb, Penge, London
In my experience Croydon’s stereotype as a rough borough is often only upheld by people who have NEVER been there!. Only when the general public’s mindset changes about Croydon will they realise what an opportunity filled “City” it is. It’s personally proven to be the ideal town for this first time buyer! Why not take a shopping trip to Croydon this winter and see for yourself. With only a twenty minute tube free commute from London there’s no excuse!
- David Rollins, Croydon
I think this is a wonderful idea, although personally I feel that Croydon is beautiful place as it is.
- Maria Lewis, Croydon
Kate Moss - who's she? I moved here because of Croydon's transport links (overcrowded now) and (relatively) affordable property. It has easy access to the South Bank and is 45 mins from the coast. It has an excellent town hall with cinema, café, workshops and good library services; it has a diverse range of shops, terrific produce market and good restaurants. Coombe Wood and Beddington Park are lovely. But, you wouldn't want to take your kids into any of the town pubs for lunch and the town centre IS a threatening place at night. The town needs investment more than smart flats, and better facilities for young people, and of course money needs to be spent more wisely on education, health and policing (but where doesn’t?). Croydon can't be Barcelona without Gaudi, a waterfront and balmy weather, but it is a pretty good place to live as a family in London.
- Ella'S Mum, Croydon, Surrey
Firstly I feel Croydon is seen in an unfair light. Places such as Redhill are none to pretty either. Yes Croydon does suffer with crime as does any urban area and Croydon is not the worst by a long way, and the Police and the community are actively working to cut crime in the area.
Croydon already has great transport links, good shopping areas, nice parks and is not too far away from the countryside.
Nightlife in Croydon has quietened down a bit recently but generally attracts people from other towns around Croydon as well as from the town itself.
I personaly feel proud that Croydon is trying to push itself forward and has adventurous plans for the future. A lot of towns and cities don't seem to have such plans. I am not sure on the flats with walkways idea but many of the other things will almost certainly work well.
Croydon is more than Kate Moss and concrete.
- Martin, Croydon
Before they name Croydon as a city as exotic as Barcelona, a nice city in the sun with a great football team, they need to solve the violent no go areas at night in the city centre. Croydon has changed dramatically and for the worse.
- Mrs. E. Stevens, London England
Croydon is awesome and you better believe it!
- Bd, Croydon, UK
What a dump it is, a town divided by a road. I have refused jobs in Croydon as it is a dirty and depressing place to look at coupled with high crime especially muggings having had a frined and myself been mugged in broad daylight when trying to use the underpass to get across the road cutting it in half. It is simply a train station for people traveling into London.
- Graham Martin, Redhill Surrey
I looked into moving to Croydon a few years ago due only because of its convenience. After a short and rather unpleasent trip around the town centre I decided against it. However 6 months months ago I was handed a magazine called CITY3 which tells the story of what is happening in Croydon and the regeneration plans. Needless to say I have now viewed several properties and made an offer at the weekend. Croydon has to be the place to move to!
- Lee Harrison, London, England
We are also famous for the largest population of one of the rarest plants in the country. In a beautiful orchid meadow is where you will find it.
Who cares about Kate Moss? Dame Peggy Ashcroft was also born here and Samuel Coleridge also lived here for some time. Both have providing something of cultural worth to the world.
- Kaz Ford, Croydon
I am leaving Oz to return to my beautiful home town!
- Trevor Pickett, Sydney, Australia
Croydon is much maligned, it is a great place to live on the edge of! Lively, friendly, convenient and genuinely multi-cultural but I do have to wonder where these additional 45,000 souls will dwell, and keep their cars?
Love the Eden Project idea and if the Wandle was allowed to resurface perhaps it would be less inclined to flood in other areas? Transport to everywhere is great and the shopping centres are as good as, if not better than any outside London. I learned to dance at the Orchid Ballroom, first saw the Beatles at The Fairfield Halls in the sixties and does anyone else remember the "Olive Tree" coffee bar? Ken Livingstome made a big mistake in not creating a Park 'N Ride system when the trams were built and compounded it by not extending them to the prosperous south of the borough so that the burghers of such places as Warlingham, Woldingham and Oxted could do their Christmas shopping. Perhaps this is an opportunity to put this right along with rebuilding the swimming pools which were demolished and never replaced and creating a night time brightly lit pedestrianised feature of the "restaurant alley" on the Brighton Road?
- Realitycheck, South Croydon
I have previously lived in Croydon for several years in several flats and can also confirm it's a dump! Hence the fact I moved miles away. Alas I still work here, so have to come back 5 times a week...
And as for the previous mention of "The Blue Orchid", The Blue Schoolkid more like.. A horrid hovel of a "night club" heaving with underage drinkers and pathetic attitude. Best thing to happen to Croydon was the doors closing on that place!
- Spencer Davis, Eastbourne, East Sussex
I was brought up in Croydon and my last flat was in the Croydon side of Crystal Palace and I can truly say, hand on heart that Croydon always has been and always will be a dump.
- Trevor Roll, London
I too wander at the feet of the towering mid century wonders, flicking the chicken bones with my feet as I float past the many pinnacles of modern consumerism. I'm too, proud that Croydon with its (honestly) incredibly good public transport connections, allows the national metabolic crisis to continue by allowing the such huge volumes of Croydon facelift owners to park their unnecessarily purchased tractors so conveniently close to said comsumer outlets. Oh - lest forget the thousands of watts of unnecessarily wasted electricity lighting up the monolothic lumps that Croydon council think 'makes it look pretty'. Hmm.. Barcelona or Croydon, Barcelona or Croydon I just can't make my mind up!
- Don Hulio, Croydon, Surrey
I think flattening the place and rebuilding it sounds like a great plan. As long as we bring back the best nightspot in the South East - The Blue Orchid.
- Jon Gale, Purley
Listen up, Croydon is indeed the gem in the crown of Ken Livingstone's head so it's about time he started using it. It gets a bad rap, but there's loads of great pubs to socialise in, like the Shirley Inn. There's also plenty of great places to shop, like my local newsagent. And as for the trams being dubbed "The Silent Killers" they're not silent, they have bells on them that the driver can ring aggressively at passers by, this combined with sticking his head out the little window and swearing at people. The crux of this article really is simple, this big greenhouse thing that is being mentioned above will change the way we all grow plants, and that can only be a good thing. We welcome all new Croydonians in mass.
- Alex Hinkley, Croydon
Croydon is a great place. I'm sure with some investment and a couple more attractions other than 3 shopping centres and Fairfield Halls people will start to realise it's a pretty good place.
Oh, and we are also known for being the home of Nestle...
- Matt Pope, Croydon, England
Croydon should be a City as it is already a City in all but name.
It has applied 3 or 4 times for Cityhood and has lost out unfairly each time to much less developed places.
This time it should be granted.
- Jon, Sutton, England
Having spent a fair bit of my time in and around Croydon, and having visited Barcelona, it makes me wonder what planet the town planners have descended from. The planet has gone mad!
- Vicky, Orpington, Kent,
I brought a house near Croydon a year ago and before that I had rented in the area. To be fair it's cheap and close to London which was one reason why I moved here. It has good links for public transport, a great market and a few good pubs, (the Ship being the best). Apart from that it is full of chavs and teenage mums on the social. On the weekends it's like Ibiza but with attitude, which is not good. If it could clean up it's act and the young people could stop fighting and have some respect for the other people in the area it would be a nice town, maybe. I don't think build blocks of flats and walkways is a good idea, not just in Croydon but anywhere. Sensible housing projects in areas that need regeneration are the answer, not huge crime traps that will be run down and off limits after dark within 5 years.
- Bigpatty, Woodside Green, nr Croydon.
Give me a break - I don't see too many Spanish, French, Italian, German and Dutch tourists pilgrimaging to the Whitgift Centre every year, do you? No. QED, Once a dump, always a dump.
- James Murphy, Petersfield, Hampshire
The thing that makes Croydon great for shopping is the amount of Car Parks, Please do not pander to the anti-car brigade who are trying to force people onto Trams and Buses.
- Neil, Crystal Palace
Good luck to Croydon.
- Gary Martin, London, UK
As a Croydonian I get very annoyed by people peering down their noses at Croydon. It is a complete jewel of the south of London with excellent links to London, Gatwick and the country. It stakes claims in not just the success of Kate Moss, but also Dane Bowers and that chap from the last series of X Factor... When I drive over the flyover into Croydon, I feel a sense of pride as I see 'mini Manhattan' on the horizon. To quote the Croydon Advertiser Croydon is the 'Power house of the south east' and it is about time we got some recognition for our outstanding accomplishments. Especially after the successful year the Croydon Cougars have had.
- Ted Horseables, Croydon
