The Silvertown Quays Master Plan and Design Code were awarded the Waterfront Center Honor Award. The Waterfront Center is a non-profit education and urban planning organisation that believes waterfronts are unique, finite resources. In the cities that they help define, urban waterfronts are dynamic places and often represent the best opportunity for community enhancement and enrichment.
Front Row: Martin Wright, Ashurst/Gareth Blacker, LDA/Tom Winter/KUD/Joe Berridge, USI/Jack Jacobs, SQL/David Taylor, SQL/Viv Ramsey, London Borough of Newham/Fiona Duncan, LDA
Back Row: Tom Duffy, KUD/ Jo Fone, Montagu Evans /Matthew Gibbs, DP9/Robert Harris, Native Land, Alasdair Nicholls, Native Land, Terry Tommason, KUD/ Mark Bidgood, Ove Arup & Partners/ Ian Carradice, Ove Arups & Partners/Michel Trocme, USI/ Andrew Tentley, Halcrow/ Jeremy Skinner, Greater London Authrity/Pankaj Patel, Patel Taylor Architects.

The plan for Silvertown Quays calls for an entirely new mixed-use urban district that includes the aquarium Biota! and an active town centre for the area of Royal Docks. The proposed network of streets and open spaces responds to the unique dockside location and provides the framework for a range of commercial and residential buildings and water-based recreational facilities.

The High Commissioner said: "I was honoured to present the award on behalf of the Waterfront Center to both Urban Strategies Inc. and the whole team in recognition of their outstanding plans for Silvertown Quays. "

On receiving the award, Joe Berridge, Partner, Urban Strategies Inc. said:

"We are delighted to receive this award. The Waterfront Center is an organisation of great importance in Canada and this is an award that we are especially pleased to be sharing with the whole Silvertown Quays team. It's through working with people such as David Taylor, Jack Jacobs and the Silvertown Quays team that we have been able to design a masterplan as truly important and ambitious as this."

Silvertown Quays, a major part of London's Thames Gateway initiative is one of Europe's largest regeneration schemes. The redevelopment of the 24 hectares (59 acre) site, adjacent to the Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 is a vital element of the overall Thames Gateway concept, linking London City Airport, the river and existing residential and leisure schemes.

Joint developers Silvertown Quays Limited (SQL), Kajima Urban Development International (KUD) and landowners, the London Development Agency (LDA), are planning a major mixed use waterfront scheme of 494,020 sq m (5.3 m sq ft), including 4,930 residential units (including social rented and affordable housing) and leisure facilities that include the world-class aquarium designed by renowned architect Terry Farrell & Partners.

The site was masterplanned by Urban Strategies International (USI), a full-service planning and urban design firm, based in Toronto, Canada. They shape and enhance urban places of all scales through strategic actions, holistic design and progressive policies. Ongoing work throughout the UK includes the regeneration of Manchester, Salford, Sheffield, waterfront masterplanning for Canada Water, the Royal Docks and the Isle of Dogs.

For further information please contact naomi galt on 020 7269 9351.