Edgy Collective and LINDA win Camden ‘Square’ commission to test car‑free High Street during 18‑month trial

Edgy Collective, working with LINDA, has been named winner of the London Festival of Architecture’s Camden ‘Square’ competition. The temporary installation will be realised alongside Camden Council’s experimental 18‑month pedestrianisation trial on Camden High Street, testing community‑led, low‑tech public‑realm interventions drawn from a modest £100,000 programme and subject to monitoring and public feedback.

According to the Architects’ Journal, Edgy Collective working with LINDA has been named the winner of the London Festival of Architecture’s “Square” competition for Camden High Street, a commission that will be realised as part of the borough’s forthcoming pedestrianisation trial this autumn. The competition invited architects, designers and artists to propose “bold and creative” reinterpretations of a public square for a busy stretch of Camden High Street linking the tube station with Camden Lock and the market. The winning entry has not yet been publicly revealed in detail, but the organisers say it was chosen for its inventive reading of the theme and its capacity to reshape the road as a social and civic spine.

Camden Council’s decision to trial the closure of part of Camden High Street to motor traffic provides the policy backdrop for the commission. In a council news release on 26 February 2025, the authority confirmed an experimental traffic order to run for up to 18 months, closing the section from Parkway / Kentish Town Road to Jamestown Road / Hawley Crescent while retaining emergency access and limited servicing. The council says the trial, which follows a wide public engagement last summer that attracted more than 1,860 responses, is intended to ease overcrowding, improve air quality and enhance the visitor experience; monitoring, ongoing community feedback and a post‑trial evaluation will determine whether changes become permanent.

The appointed team and the London Festival of Architecture framed the win in explicitly sustainable and community‑centred terms. “We’re thrilled to get the chance to prove that sustainable design isn’t a nice‑to‑have; it’s the future of urban public space,” the Edgy Collective / LINDA team said in a statement reported by the Architects’ Journal. LFA director Rosa Rogina told the same publication that what distinguished the proposal was “how it reclaims one of London’s busiest streets with intelligence, flair, and a real sensitivity to the spirit of Camden,” pointing to adaptable planters and the use of the carriageway as a social spine. These characterisations should be read as the organisers’ framing of the project rather than as independent assessment of its eventual impacts.

Practical details of the competition underline its experimental and time‑limited nature. The commission is funded from a modest public programme: the total project budget is around £100,000 (plus VAT), of which the appointed design team will receive a reported £12,500 fee. Shortlisted teams were awarded £1,000 to develop second‑stage proposals, and entries were assessed with a stated emphasis on team credentials and an initial design vision. The competition listing published by the LFA described the brief as seeking proposals that respond spatially, socially or playfully to the idea of a “square” while supporting local culture and communities.

The selection of Edgy Collective may be read in the context of the team’s recent work and recognition for low‑tech, community‑led public realm interventions. New London Architecture awarded Edgy Collective its community prize in 2024 for “Let’s Meet On The Edge,” a project that used salvaged materials to create planters, seating and insect totems as part of a meanwhile activation strategy. That background aligns with the winning team’s emphasis on reclaimed materials, adaptability and local engagement, and echoes a strand of LFA commissions that have prioritised temporary, participatory installations delivered in partnership with the borough—most recently the Somers Town project delivered by NOOMA Studio in 2022.

The pedestrianisation trial will be accompanied by an active cultural programme intended to animate the space and support local traders. Camden’s events partnership has promoted a “Camden High Street Live” season running through the trial period that offers free music, pop‑up performances, fashion and art events designed to reflect the area’s creative heritage and to help test how a car‑free street might function for businesses and residents. The council has signalled that adjustments to loading, parking and blue badge provision will be part of the operational design for the trial, and that northbound cycling will be retained along the corridor.

The winning design will now be developed in collaboration with Camden Council as the borough prepares to implement the trial later in 2025. The council has emphasised monitoring and community consultation during the experimental traffic order, with any decision on permanence dependent on the evidence gathered and feedback received. Proponents argue that the measures will make the street safer and cleaner and help regenerate local activity; critics and some local stakeholders continue to stress the need for careful management of servicing, access and traffic displacement. The next months will therefore be decisive in testing whether a temporary “square” on Camden High Street can deliver the improvements its backers promise and secure lasting change.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
8

Notes:
The narrative was published on 11 August 2025. The competition was announced on 18 April 2025, with a submission deadline of 15 May 2025. ([seekfanatic.com](https://www.seekfanatic.com/2025/04/18/square-camden-high-street-a-new-design-competition-for-camden-town/?utm_source=openai)) The winning team, Edgy Collective working with LINDA, was announced on 11 August 2025. The report includes recent data and developments, indicating a high freshness score.

Quotes check

Score:
9

Notes:
The report includes direct quotes from the Edgy Collective / LINDA team and LFA director Rosa Rogina. These quotes appear to be original, with no identical matches found in earlier material. The wording is consistent with the context and tone of the report, suggesting authenticity.

Source reliability

Score:
9

Notes:
The narrative originates from the Architects’ Journal, a reputable publication in the architecture and design sector. This enhances the credibility of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score:
8

Notes:
The claims about the competition, the winning team, and the pedestrianisation trial are consistent with information from Camden Council’s official news release dated 26 February 2025. ([lovecamden.org](https://www.lovecamden.org/spotlight/review-of-the-year-2023?utm_source=openai)) The details about the competition’s budget, design fee, and the emphasis on sustainable and community-centred design align with the council’s objectives for the trial. The language and tone are appropriate for the subject matter, and the report provides specific factual anchors, such as dates, names, and institutions, supporting its plausibility.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary:
The narrative is fresh, with recent developments and original quotes. It originates from a reputable source and presents plausible claims supported by specific details. No significant issues were identified, indicating a high level of credibility.