Just Space is an informal alliance of community groups, campaigns and concerned independent organisations established in 2007 to act as a voice for Londoners at grass-roots level during the formulation of London’s major planning strategy, particularly the London Plan.
Everyone is affected by planning but how it works and the making of its policy are daunting to most people, even though we all understand and experience the issues: housing, parks, transport, pollution, and so on. The aim of Just Space is to improve the public’s participation in planning to ensure that policy and process are fairer towards communities, in a system that is dominated by the interests of property developers.
The Just Space Network brings together a wide range of groups, some with a London-wide remit (such as the London Tenants Federation, the London Forum of Civic and Amenity Societies), others locally-based community groups (such as Latin Elephant and PlushSE16) and some issue-based groups like the London Friends of Green Spaces Network.
The Network also has links with some of the Universities in London (e.g. UCL, CASS and LSE) whose staff and students provide research that the network presents alongside their own grass roots evidence at London Plan hearings and in other contexts.
We work by supporting our member groups and spreading information further afield. Groups collaborate and coordinate in making representations to planning authorities, share learning, research and experience through workshops and publications.
Just Space is run by volunteers with one funded role, the Organiser. We’re always looking for people to get involved or contribute their skills and we welcome any financial help.
Current funding comes from Trust for London and we also receive funds from UCL The Bartlett through working programmes with students on mutually beneficial projects.
MEMBERS
We have over 80 participating groups. Some are core, long-term ‘members’, others are new or taking part in the work we’re doing.
View our Constitution
CONTACT Michael Ball, Organiser. Email office @ justspace .org.uk