NLA has today revealed the shortlisted ideas that reimagine London with innovative, community focussed visions to tackle some of London’s most pressing challenges including accessibility and sustainability.

Over one hundred ideas were received with more than half submitted by individuals or groups under 35 years old; the top 25 were selected by a panel of expert assessors. Submitters were required to tackle a real issue London is currently facing and a focus on environmental sustainability and reclaiming streets for pedestrians were clear themes throughout the shortlist.

Ideas on the shortlist range from radical rethinking of how London’s underground network could be leveraged as urban farms, entertainment spaces and logistical routes, to a community striving to transform a concrete area of Waltham Forest into a vibrant and biodiverse community park.

One ambitious vision from architecture practice Able Partners reimagines London’s transport priorities with the proposal of ‘The Attenborough Line’, which lifts mass transit off the ground with cable cars above a pedestrian superhighway running straight through the capital with green spaces to play, interact, rest, eat, compete, watch, dance and thrive.

Community was at the heart of several of the shortlisted ideas with priorities placed on fostering spaces for locals to come together through community assets like pubs, music venues, and supporting new methods of community engagement.

Examples include 3 young people from Brixton with a vision for a Youth-led Empowerment Network that reimagines London’s unloved and forgotten spaces to encourage connection, development and opportunities for young people, and the Buro Happold x LDA Design vision for HubPubs which would see existing space of pubs to provide local services to all corners of the community such as café, creche, workshop, donation hub.

Accessibility was also a clear priority, with one group from London School of Architecture exploring how disabled communities use and navigate public spaces at night, emphasising the impact of inaccessible nighttime spaces on community areas, public facilities, and social venues. Elsewhere, Turley and Edge Urban Design proposed accessibility hubs to hire mobility and sensory aids, provide accessible toilets, seating, quiet rooms, lockers and information to support people in their daily lives and their journeys across the city.

The public can now vote for their favourite idea, with the winners set to be unveiled at a VIP reception on 17 September alongside a new exhibition showcasing the full shortlist at The London Centre.

View the full shortlist and vote for London’s best new idea here.

Catherine Staniland, Director, NLA said: “The wide range of fantastic submissions to Reimagine London demonstrate a wealth of ideas and solutions from across the city, with a focus on enhancing our green spaces, improving accessibility to all, and creating new community assets that bring people together.

The ideas submitted demonstrate the opportunity we have now to rise to the challenge of environmental adaptation in a way that brings tangible benefit to the quality of Londoners lives.

As the Mayor of London works to make a fairer, greener, more prosperous and affordable city the focus of his third Mayoral term, we look forward to continuing our work with policy makers, professionals and communities to turn these ideas into solutions”

Launched in collaboration with the LDN Collective and sponsored by Derwent, Reimagine London is designed to reinforce London’s reputation as a world-leading centre for innovation, and drive valuable debate about the future of the city as it enters a new development cycle which offers the opportunity to address wider issues of planetary, social and spatial justice.

The shortlisted entries will now be judged by an international Jury including Amy Lamé, London Night Czar; Johanna Agerman Ross, Chief Curator, Design Museum; Adam Nathaniel Furman, Designer and Artist and Suresh Singh (@thecockneysikh), Architect, Author and Educator.