What makes a neighbourhood unique? Each area in a city has a distinct character produced by its layout and architecture, the people who use it, its shops, markets, cafes and the everyday life of its streets. Together these generate a delicate “sensory choreography” – a sense of place that reflects a neighbourhood’s past and present culture.
But this experiential landscape can easily be disrupted. The announcement by the City of London Corporation in November that Smithfield market is to close after almost 900 years of trading has been met with surprise and dismay. Many Londoners fear Smithfield’s special sense of place will be lost for good as a result.
This decision reversed an existing plan to relocate both Smithfield and Billingsgate fish market to Dagenham Dock from 2028. An online petition calling to save Smithfield soon attracted more than 31,000 signatures, describing the market as an “irreplaceable part of the city’s cultural and economic fabric”.
