Archway

Transforming Archway Gyratory into Navigator Square

Archway has been transformed over the past three years. The 1960’s gyratory system that caused traffic to dominate and divide the area has gone.

The new square underlines our commitment to create a healthier, greener Islington by encouraging people to walk and cycle, and to take steps to help tackle poor air quality. We want our streets and neighbourhoods to be enjoyable, welcoming places.

Navigator Square is a space for the community with a regular market, annual events including summer and Christmas lights festivals and a vinyl market to promote local venues, labels and record shops.

New measures have also been introduced to green and improve air quality In Archway. New trees have been introduced outside Archway library and in Despard Road and we have seen air quality improve in the area. Planting has been installed outside Vorley Road Children’s Centre, and the pavement there widened.

Read the summary

Data

Results from monitoring carried out before and after the scheme have been compiled and summarised in the PDF at the bottom of this page.

The data from the traffic counts main roads and side streets are also available at the bottom of this page.

Navigator Square

The name Navigator Square, suggested by a resident and selected through a public voting process, celebrates the people who have made the area historically and today; coming from ‘navvy’, it honours the area’s Irish community and manual labourers who worked on big civil engineering projects.

In addition to the weekly Archway Market, the Council has embarked upon a programme of events to bring Navigator Square to life, including annual Christmas and Summer festivals, themed educational events, vinyl markets to promote local venues and shops, and free cinema screenings. Complemented by training, this programme of events lays the foundations for community groups to continue this work well into the future.

If you would like to run events in the new public space or have any ideas for events we could run, please email towncentres@islington.gov.uk
Live road travel information is available from tfl.gov.uk/trafficnews or @TfLTrafficNews on Twitter. To find out how your bus journey may be affected, please visit tfl.gov.uk/bus/status or follow @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter.

If you have any queries or would like to be kept informed about projects happening in Archway, please contact: 

Telephone: 020 7527 2000