Urban Identity from the Ground Up

17:15 - 17:45

La Centrale, Nuvola Lavazza

A new philosophy for seeing London as a city built for people, challenging top-down economic planning models.

Londoners Making London is a project, a book, and philosophy rooted in the idea that the city is not just designed for its people, but actively made by them. Developed by Jan Kattein (founder at Jan Kattein Architects), the initiative reimagines urban design as a participatory, collaborative process where residents become co-authors of the spaces they inhabit. It challenges top-down planning models by emphasizing grassroots agency, local culture, and lived experience.

Through temporary architecture, community workshops, and site-specific interventions, Londoners Making London activates underused spaces and empowers communities to shape their own environments. Whether transforming disused car parks into vibrant public squares or co-creating market stalls with local vendors, the project demonstrates that small, low-cost changes can yield high-impact social and spatial transformation.

At its core, Londoners Making London is a call to rethink regeneration—not as displacement or spectacle, but as inclusion, co-creation, and care. It’s a celebration of everyday urbanism and a bold reminder that the future of the city depends on the people who live and work in it, not just those who plan it.

Jan Kattein is a London-based architect, writer, and educator known for his work at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and community engagement. Founder of Jan Kattein Architects, he champions design as a collaborative process rooted in place and participation. He teaches at UCL and is widely recognized for his contributions to regenerative urban practice.

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