Blueprints: Euston’s Festival of Community-powered Housing

Written By NW3 CLT

On 30th October 2025, NW3 Community Land Trust was invited to speak at BIG IDEAS: What should a community-powered neighbourhood be like?, which was part of an event series on housing by Old Diorama Arts Centre exploring creative and community-led responses to London’s housing challenges.

Representing the CLT, Dr Silvie Jacobi shared insights from our journey developing a micro-scale, community-driven housing model in Camden — showing how local residents can take ownership of their neighbourhood’s future through collective action.

The discussion highlighted both the opportunities and the real challenges faced on the ground: from navigating planning and funding systems to sustaining volunteer-led governance. Our message was simple — local solutions can be powerful when people are empowered to lead them.

Key Takeaways from the Event

  • Engagement must be active – not a tick-box exercise, but genuine collaboration.

  • Community is everything – sustainable housing begins with relationships, not just buildings.

  • Be active – local residents, practitioners, and partners all need to take initiative and stay involved to make change possible.

For more info check out Old Diorama’s Instagram account. A report will be published following the event.

NW3 CLT
Next

Coordinator