Islington Kings Cross: Urban Design Framework

Land use
A detailed inventory of different classifications of land uses for the study area can aid in decisions on where future uses would be most appropriate. This
analysis allows for a more general summation of land use as shown.
Summary of land uses
The area to the north of the canal is
predominantly residential, consisting of social
housing estates built in the 1970s when the
historic street pattern and terraced houses were
replaced with a modernist estate. The old street
pattern is shown in Figure X, a map of the area
from the 1920s.
There is a strong sense of the high street along
the Caledonian Road, made up of independent
shops and businesses to serve the residents of
the estates. This should be preserved and
enhanced in future development frameworks, as
an asset for the working class community.
The other active frontages in the south of the
study area should also be preserved with the
opportunity to extend along York Way to create a
more integrated spine leading to the north.
Analysis
Historic map showing the northern part of
the study area in the 1920s
The King’s Cross Regeneration area to the west of
the study area, hosts a variety of uses, with high
end retail, offices, restaurants and upmarket
homes. The regeneration of this area may leave
the inhabitants on the other side of York Way
feeling excluded as they cannot afford the
expensive price tags.
The south of the study area is dominated by
King’s Cross Station and St Pancras Station,
where a commercial district has developed
consisting of offices and businesses. There are
residential developments interweaved between
offices and shops.
The triangle site on the northern edge of the
study area has been used for industrial purposes
since the removal of various railway tracks
(shown in Figure X).
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Adapted from: Google maps
Source: Digimaps