The Bridge
Connecting people
The context
Figures from the Office of National Statistics
2.6M adults feel lonely often or always
It affects the mental health of 7.4M adults
43% of us feel lonely some of the time
The idea
The Bridge sits on walls that separate neighbours from the street and each other.
It provides an opportunity for people to chat, have a cuppa, play games – and when available street-wide allows for communal events like pizza nights and markets.
We want to see if it can encourage people to spend more time outside and get to know their neighbours better.
The pilot
12
households on Tavistock Avenue, E17
25
people are involved in the project
What people have been doing.
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Playing games.
The Bridge is a great size for a game. We were playing Hive here. Jenga was a good one to engage passersby. And we were introduced to the game of Santorini on a neighbour’s Bridge.
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Sharing things.
A couple of houses used their Bridge to give away cuttings, others shared books, toys and cakes.
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Inviting people to play.
The Bridge has proved a great way to playfully engage neighbours and passersby. People involved have set design challenges, run polls and shared card making kits.
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Making it their own.
We loved to see this family personalise their Bridge.
What people said.
I really enjoyed meeting & chatting with people I’ve only smiled at before.
Loved seeing the kids take over the road space too 😃
Hopefully we can do more street events in the future, it’s created such lovely & positive feelings all round. 💕
Sue Burton, Tavsitock Avenue
Before
After
The team
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Sam Griffiths
CO-DESIGNER
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Karl Toomey
CO-DESIGNER