Shaping Southbury Engagement

Another Successful Pop-Up Engagement Event on Queensway!

We recently held another successful pop-up engagement event, this time at the much-loved Giovanni’s Italian Deli on Queensway. On Friday 5 December, the Journeys and Places team hosted a two-hour drop-in session as part of the Shaping Southbury project, inviting residents, local businesses, and visitors to learn more about the the public realm interventions and improvements being delivered as part of the programme.

Attendees had the opportunity to meet DYSPLA, the artists behind the upcoming 'This is Southbury Art Trail'. DYSPLA shared early prototypes of the portrait artworks that will be installed on 19 lampposts along a 1km route connecting Southbury Road to Kingsway and Queensway. These portraits will be accompanied by poetry co-created with students Kingsmead School, helping to tell each featured individual’s story in greater depth. The public artworks will also include QR codes linked to interactive augmented-reality portraits and audio content, providing multi-sensory and accessible experiences.

A member of the design and construction team was also available to speak in detail about the public realm improvements planned for Kingsway and Queensway. Meanwhile, Pencil + Brick, who are designing and delivering some attractive new wayfinding and signage for Queensway, continued their community engagement by gathering ideas, feedback, and aspirations for how the new signs should look and what they should communicate.

Despite the chilly afternoon, festive Italian snacks and warm drinks helped create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Many residents and business owners stopped by throughout the session to learn more about the interventions coming to Southbury, ask questions, and share their thoughts on the emerging plans.

Overall, it was a highly successful engagement event, with meaningful exchanges and strong community interest. We look forward to continuing the conversation with residents, businesses, and local organisations as these exciting improvements progress.