Tyssen Street – Rename, Reclaim, Reconnect
Overview
This project explores the naming, identity and heritage of Tyssen Street, with the aim of better reflecting local history and the communities who live and work in Hoxton today.
It forms part of a wider programme of work focused on strengthening Hoxton’s identity through the public realm, ensuring that streets and spaces feel rooted in local stories and experiences.
Upcoming project
Further consultation will take place in summer 2026. This will help shape how the project develops, including any future naming, heritage or wayfinding proposals.
What is happening
We are beginning to explore opportunities to review how Tyssen Street is named, understood and experienced. This may include looking at how the street’s identity could better reflect local history, as well as the diverse communities that shape the area today.
As part of this, there is potential to introduce elements that help tell local stories in the public realm. This could include interpretive features, heritage references or other approaches that make local narratives more visible and accessible.
The scope of the project, including any potential changes to naming or physical elements within the street, is currently being developed.
What we heard from local people
Engagement to date has highlighted a strong interest in local history and how it is represented in the area.
People have expressed a desire for place names and public spaces to better reflect the identity of the community, as well as the stories and experiences that have shaped Hoxton over time. There is also a clear importance placed on recognising local narratives in a way that feels meaningful and inclusive.
How this project responds
This project responds by exploring how the identity of Tyssen Street can be shaped in a way that better reflects both its history and its present-day community.
By considering opportunities to introduce storytelling and heritage into the street, the project supports a more locally meaningful sense of place. It also contributes to a wider ambition across Connecting Hoxton to ensure that the public realm reflects the people who use it, rather than feeling generic or disconnected from local identity.
About Review, Rename, Reclaim
The Review, Rename, Reclaim project is Hackney Council’s ongoing review into the legacies of African enslavement, history and colonialism in Hackney.
In June 2020, Hackney Council announced the Review, Rename, Reclaim initiative to give everyone an opportunity to rethink the names of spaces where communities live, learn, work and play. The aim is to ensure they reflect our diverse borough and the shared values that define Hackney today.
Since then, members of the Council’s Culture, Heritage and Consultation Teams have worked with a community steering group made up of local historians, community leaders, educationalists and young people. Together they have identified names of individuals who profited from slavery and colonialism and remain memorialised in public spaces.
Explore the wider theme
This project is part of the Connecting Hoxton theme: Strengthening Hoxton’s Identity and Putting Community at the Heart of Development.
Stay connected to what’s happening in Hoxton
Sign up to receive occasional updates about Connecting Hoxton, including how projects are progressing, upcoming engagement opportunities, and ways to have your say as plans develop.
We will only use your email address to share information about Connecting Hoxton. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Interests
- Connecting Hoxton