The Votes Are In... This Is Officially London's Favourite Infrastructure Project

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The Votes Are In... This Is Officially London's Favourite Infrastructure Project

This is a sponsored article on behalf of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Last month, we asked Londonist readers to vote on their favourite infrastructure project as part of the ICE London Civil Engineering Awards — a showcase of the most innovative contributions to the capital's physical and social environment.

Almost 2000 of you voted, and there was some stiff competition: Crossrail, the V&A's Exhibition Road Quarter and London's first plastic road were just a few of the ten entries pitted against each other. And now, the votes are in...

We're pleased to announce that Enjoy Waltham Forest — the transformative public realm scheme, implemented by the London Borough of Waltham Forest — secured the popular vote, and has been crowned the winner of the prestigious ICE London People's Choice Award.

Jules Pipe (far left), Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills with the Enjoy Waltham Forest team.
Jules Pipe (far left), Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills with the Enjoy Waltham Forest team.

The 'Mini-Holland' scheme, also bestowed with the Award For Community Benefit, saw more than £27m worth of infrastructure improvements to the area — including new cycle lanes and pedestrianised zones — designed to encourage more locals to walk and cycle.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment, Clyde Loakes, said of the win:

It was an honour to be nominated in the first place, but it is brilliant that we have won. It is a testament to the council’s hard work over the last five years that despite some vocal criticism when we first began proposing radical new road layouts, public realm interventions and modal filters to improve the safety and priority of pedestrians and cyclists, that actually now the public are behind us and have voted for us to win this highly prestigious award.

The event also saw Crossrail pick up the Greatest Contribution to London Award, for its commitment to future skills, sustainability practices during construction, and the future impact the project will have on the capital as a whole.

An extra congratulations goes to the three voters selected from the public vote to win some awards of their own:

  • André Descamps, who has won a guided tour of One Great George Street
  • John Field and Hanna Salomonsson, who have both won a copy of the hardback — The Civil Engineers: The Story of the Civil Engineers and the People Who Made it

We think it's great to see a smaller scheme come out on top — a testament to the benefits it has delivered to the local community. Did your favourite project win? Let us know in the comments.

Other winners at the ICE London Civil Engineering Awards include:
Judges' Inspiration Award - V&A Exhibition Road Quarter
Innovation Award - Thames Estuary Asset Management 2100
Highly Commended - Nereda® technology for Thames Water
Best Infrastructure Project - Nine Elms South Bank Cable Tunnel

Last Updated 30 May 2018