The term ‘meanwhile space’ refers to spaces which are temporarily occupied before long-term use is decided, and the likes of food surplus shops, independent cafes, community hubs and learning centres are making use of these and answering the needs of many London communities.
Well-known meanwhile spaces in the capital, such as Boxpark and Coal Drops Yard, have had widespread success with both locals and tourists.
But smaller, niche spaces across the capital are reportedly empowering children, supporting women’s groups and facilitating innovative start-ups.
Mahmud Shahnawaz, founder of The Utilize Project, explains: “London communities are in need of smaller businesses that offer specific services to their local areas. Meanwhile spaces facilitate just that, due to their peppercorn rental rates they give opportunities for small businesses and community enterprises to develop.”
Sarah A’la, a regular user of the Women’s Network, a female-first community group based in Canary Wharf, says: “We have our coffee mornings pretty much every week in the lovely and spacious community events space which overlooks the water.
“We have been so fortunate to benefit from the space at no cost at all which is very helpful as I am home-schooling my kids and a space like this is a breath of fresh air for the children and all the parents including myself who can call it our own."
Meanwhile spaces are also facilitating children’s learning within the capital, offering spaces for AI-led classes and children’s coding projects to be housed.
The Virtual Schools project, which offers these services, is based in a meanwhile space in Canary Wharf for a fraction of the price of normal rental rates. This allows them to offer the use of their high-tech learning aids to school children for a fraction of the price too.
Adam, a private primary school teacher and user of the Virtual School's project, shares: “I was introduced to Virtual Schools when searching for innovation in the classroom.”
“The tech meant the pupils could go on explorations and mountain excursions from the comfort of our classroom where ordinarily this would never have been possible. This tool has been especially helpful for children who require visual aids for their learning and we saw a massive improvement in their progress and morale through the use of tech in the classroom.”
Some meanwhile spaces in London are also providing cheap events spaces, allowing community-first groups to house their initiatives for little to no money.
Shah, a parent of a child who attended a summer camp put on by Wapping in the Community, also adds: “The space and the camp were free of charge which was great as many parents struggle to find such initiatives like this as it does normally become quite pricey especially when parents have a few children to pay for.”
A variety of London start-ups are also reaping the benefits of meanwhiles spaces. Both Nickle Factory and London Imaginative Collective have used the DLT Hub, a temporary tech-savvy office space, that was facilitated by The Utilize Project.
A spokesperson from Nickle Factory said: “This meanwhile space gave us our first opportunity to speak when we were a brand new startup, it was the break we needed to get people on board!
“There is no other space that attracts people who all work on amazing projects and have a real drive to build the future” he adds.
London Imaginative Collective is a student-run start-up, and they explain: “Starting a media company is tough, doing it as students juggling studies and a tiny budget makes it even harder. The DLT Hub meanwhile space has supported us and given us a place to thrive, a place full of entrepreneurs, builders and great minds.”
As property developments continue to see delays, the future of meanwhile spaces is looking bright. Plus, with backing from various London communities, The Utilize Project predict increased interest from local councils and developers to facilitate the movement.
