Boundless new home

Deptfords innovative Boundless project has taken a step forward by establishing its first permanent space called Gifspace at Giffin Square. A former artist studio in the Giffin Business centre is now home to the Boundless project. The new space will enable a regular weekly drop in clinic for meshbox users to troubleshoot any problems. Having a real place to drop in will galvanize efforts to bring the project a new level of focus. At the first meeting in the space, members discussed how the current Boundless website was difficult, but that it reflected the complex and unique structure of people and ideas in evolution. Whilst a wireless mesh network provides a real useful purpose, its establishment as a Cooperative union has enabled a wider cultural and political debate about how technology led projects interact with various other power structures. The independance of the Boundless Coop enables a level of integrity - enough to define its own brief as a unique communitarian effort. We are all excited about developing its outreach and interface with other forward looking technology and community projects.

Greenwich + Docklands International Festival

"Running from Saturday 25th June to Saturday 30th July, this year’s Festival sets sail with a powerful maritime spectacle in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich and ends with a fantasy ship sweeping through the streets of Bow. Why not jump on board? There will be some extraordinary experiences along the way; from breathtaking performances in the skies over Canary Wharf, to dancing JCB’s at Three Mills Green and a Catalan dragon on the streets of Woolwich. All events are free, expressing East London’s unique cultural vitality in dynamic new ways and promising an unforgettable voyage!" - festival website

Woolwich to Canary Wharf

Work has finally started on the new £180 million link to Woolwich.

Venice Goes Mobile with Wi-Fi Walking Tours

A collaboration between the Department of Urban Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Architecture Venice (IUAV), the project uses video-equipped cell phones, PDAs, and location-based technology to deliver multimedia walking tours of lesser-known Venetian neighborhoods. The mobile information system will not only provide visitors with a truer taste of the city, but also, organizers hope, create technology and content-production jobs for residents, luring them to stay.

Retail chains 'cloning' UK towns

Britain's town centres are rapidly becoming indistinguishable, losing all sense of local identity as they are taken over by global and national chain stores, economists warned today.....The foundation also assessed 27 high streets across London and found 13 were clones, nine were home towns that retained their identity, and five were border towns. Wimbledon, Hammersmith and Clapham Junction were the most extreme of the clones, while Shepherd's Bush, Deptford and Bethnal Green scored highest for individuality.

source: The Guardian June 6th

Convoys Wharf go ahead

Lewisham planning commitee has approved the masterplan by Richard Rogers Partnership which "includes 3,514 homes...There would be three tower blocks of 26, 32 and 40 storeys, a recycling facility, a boat repair yard and a river bus service."