Inequality of access to culture for children and young people in London
Culture as a regeneration power bringing the London community together
L. de Almeida Schulenburg (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
J.P.M. van Lierop – Mentor (TU Delft - Theory, Territories & Transitions)
H.F. Eckardt – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Design of Constrution)
J.A. Kuijper – Coach
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Abstract
The wealth gap has been widening over the last decades and it is visible over the different London’s boroughs and districts and people’s living standards. While richer areas have better infrastructure, better housing conditions, lower crime rates, higher life expectancy, other less privileged regions are somehow “forgotten”. Sometimes invisible to others and the government, these forgotten regions are also experiencing year by year a decrease on support and investments in some sectors.
Besides its wealth and social conditions, London also stands out for its rich cultural offer and is recognized as being a global art and capital of culture. The city cultural offer ranges from a great number of museums, galleries, libraries, theatres, pubs, parks and much more. It is also important to mention that a great deal of museums and galleries are public and free of charge, which makes it more accessible to the public. But yet we can also see inequality of access to culture among the struggles the city is trying to overcome, and social inequality plays an important role on it. These disparities can be observed and manifest themselves in multiple ways throughout the city and affect Londoners in different forms.
This essay will focus on cultural inequality in London and its causes and the consequences for Londoners with a focus on children and young people. The objective of this research is to understand the problem and its extent in order to find a way on how architecture can support and contribute to a more balanced access to culture in London which will be in the form of a design proposal.