On the site of what once was a Hackney council estate, Pembury Circus (E8 1JD) is a mixed-use development containing 268 flats, a community hall, a nursery and a number of shops.
It prides itself on being the largest car-free development in Europe, on using sustainable energy sources, and on a ‘permeable’ typology that is easy to pass through at street level.
What residents say
We could never start a family in this flat, the standard of living for our children would be poor and we could never have a car.
I really enjoy living here, despite some niggles. I love the design and layout of my flat, it feels really spacious. I love not having mould like all my previous flats..! I feel quite safe here too.
I don't like the fact that the social housing has been separated out into another block, which seems to have lower specs than our blocks. Everyone in my block is exactly the same, the same age, the same race, the same professions. I had to leave the online facebook group as it was full of people who complained about the most ridiculous things [...]. It just felt so privileged.