Together with St. Pancras, which opened 16 years later, Kings Cross station served as the hub of London's transportation system in the 19th century when it first opened in 1852. (Worthington and Awinda 2014, p. 207). The two locations were very significant in London, and even today, one can still see various subterranean lines that connect St. Pancras International Rail Station, which opened in 1868, to locations around Europe and the United Kingdom. However, the neighborhood near Kings Cross was known for its racial discrimination, destitution, drug usage, and prostitution. Due to such societal difficulties, the government decided to renovate the city in order to make it more functional. King's Cross is the largest city that was developed in Central London for over 150 years with several uses. In 1994, establishment of the Channel Tunnel Rail took place facilitating transportation by trains from Waterloo to Paris although they were required to share railways with local trains between Waterloo and Kent (Holgersen and Haarstad 2009, p. 367). This was a great development since it facilitated trade and helped in developing the regions served by the trains. Later, high speed trains were established making it a very important rail line in the entire continent. In addition, the trains going to Paris from Waterloo and from Kent to Waterloo could transport goods and people efficiently since there was no need to share rails (Imrie 2009, p. 96). They were also faster, more reliable and quickened transportation to the destination areas. During summer games in London the transport network makes 25 million journeys per day and on the busiest days they can be as many as 3 million (Holgersen and Haarstad 2009, p. 367). In the past few years the region around King's Cross in London has experienced great developments attracting millions of visitors all year round. It is one area in London that is quite regenerated since 20 new streets, 50 new buildings, and 10 new public squares have been established (ULI Case Studies, 2017). It is one of the most dynamic and exciting places in the world hosting some headquarters of companies such as the Guardian Newspaper and Eurosta, which help in connecting the mainland Europe to London. Several cultural institutions such as St Pancras Grand are located in the city district. The name King's Cross originated from a huge monument of King Georg IV, which was building in 1835 (ULI Case Studies, 2017). King's Cross station was designed by Lewis Cubitt, an architect although after the WWII the district went through economic decline and needed regeneration. Some major cities in the UK such as Leeds, York, Edinburgh, Cambridge, and Nottingham connect to King's Cross by rail.
Economic, social, political, environmental problems
The City district experiences various economic, social, and political challenges such as unemployment for the population. For instance, 9.5 percent of population is unemployed and the leadership has to work hard to ensure that developments create job opportunities for the population (ULI Case Studies, 2017). It is also ranked among the top 10 percent UK deprived wards and is 30 percent over Camden average for health issues (ULI Case Studies, 2017). There is a need for social, physical, and economic integration that will involve surrounding regions to help in maximizing investment of transport facilities in the area. The area that required regeneration is quite wide and requires a lot of time to construct modern structures. This means that the authorities and planners have to protect the vulnerable communities when carrying out prolonged construction places. Besides they have to take care of the environment to ensure reduced pollution and environmental degradation of the area. Another problem is the challenge of providing affordable housing for the low income earners.
Governance
Leadership of King's Cross comprises the city council and other key developers such as event managers. Each party plays a vital role in ensuring complete renovation of the city to make it more vibrant. Redevelopment of the city district also requires participation of the health authorities who are mandated to ensure that health and sanitation standards are followed. Since security is important for every citizen living in the city the police force plays a big role in ensuring that businessmen, home owners, and other investors are safe. Education is also very vital and governance includes learning and skills council that ensures that the quality standards are maintained at all levels. Other authorities in the area include environmental agency, English heritage, and local communities who play a big role in promoting the growth of the city district. The Cross Central Limited Partnership owns the King's Cross estate although the public places and buildings are under a specialist team called the King's Cross Estate Services (Irvinleisure.co.uk. 2017). Its role is to maintain cleanliness in the town, maintain it, and ensure security day and night. In case of any issues the team find solutions very quickly in addition to organizing and organizing events and activities that take place in the district. Other leaders in the area include local councils and authorities in different stations who work together to promote development. Developing King's Cross region needed support from various parties and one of them was Argent which was selected in 2000 as a development partner for the area. There were several proposed changes, which were required for the regeneration of the city from the original master plan. For instance, open space was to be created covering 2 acres while 19 historic buildings and structures were to be restored (Irvinleisure.co.uk. 2017). In addition building of 1900 top-end and affordable homes was also necessary since population was increasing every day. There was a great need to provide open spaces, maintain culture, and improve the livelihoods of the people among others. Garttica, a utility service aids in the redevelopment process of the district by ensuring that every operation runs smoothly. In addition, installation of the combined heat and power plant contributed to the reduction of energy costs, which saved money for corporations and people as well as facilitating conservation of energy. The Pancras Square was completed and awarded BREEAM outstanding rating determined by levels of pollution, land use, waste management, water sage, and ecology.
Key Stakeholders
King's Cross is a district that attracts various people from all parts of the world due to its unique features and planning. The major stakeholders include the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan who has ensured proper funding in which a lot of government money is put into completing projects that will make the area more attractive. For instance, in 2013 $500m was used for improving King's Cross Station to ensure that it was fully modernized (Irvinleisure.co.uk. 2017). Another stakeholder is John McAslan and Partners, who constructed the new western concourse, did refurbishment of the main train shed and Great Northern Hotel, build a new public square, and transformed some of the station buildings into offices increasing their utility (King's Cross, 2017). The Great Britain Olympic Committee put a lot of money on projects to renovate King's Cross and St Pancras railway stations, which facilitates travel to London and attracted several travellers. Australia Super is another important stakeholder that funded King's Cross renovation and is and holder of 25 percent stake in the city (King's Cross, 2017). Master planners are very important for facilitating the entire operation of regenerating the city and increasing its usefulness renovations has taken a good cause making the historical city more relevant. Others include Residents of King's Cross, Argent, Gattica, Allies and Morrison, Porphyrios Associates, Townshend Landscape Architects who play different roles in redeveloping the city district.
The Role that Events play in the Urban Strategy of the District
Kings Cross is an urban regeneration project of many uses located in Central London and one of the major transportation hubs. It is situated on a 27 ha piece of land, which was a rail and industrial center in the early 1900s. Redevelopment involving restoration of historic buildings and construction of new facilities is taking place with a plan that also includes internal streets. In fact, 10.5 ha of open space is intended for creation of public areas while office space occupies about 3.4 million square feet, and residential units takes 2,000 acres. Another 500,000 square feet is meant for retail businesses and leisure spaces, hotels, and facilities supporting education (ULI Case Studies, 2017). Other important features include six London underground lines, international high-speed train that connects the city to Paris, and two national mainline train stations. Others such as parks contribute to the realm of the public since they make the place very beautiful the vents such as the area hosts various events making it a centre of entertainment by people from various parts of the world. Technology is quite advanced and the WiFi is free in King's Cross enabling people to surf the internet any moment. There are several attractions which are quite interesting and exciting for fun lovers. Some of them are the fountains at the Gannary Square, the Skip Garden, Platform93/4, house of illustration, and Camley Street Natural Park among others. The area is an excellent destination for visitors, couples, and newlyweds because of its serene environment. Some such as Lethaby Gallery Regent's Canal, Ifo Sightings, No. 700 Reflections, and Central Saint Martins attract millions of visitors every year. There are several parks and open spaces such as Lewis Cubitt Park, Regent Canal, wharf Road Gardens and the Gasholder Park where people can relax and take their children to play (King's Cross, 2017). Museums, galleries, and art such as the 700 Reflections attract tourists from various parts of the world who come to view and enjoy the serene environment. The features have also facilitated city identity and some companies are relocating their headquarters since the city has shown signs of development. The Regeneration House was constructed in 1850 to host offices for goods and served as the centre for freights operations in the region (Edwards 1992, p. 168). It was damaged during the WWII but was later repaired and refurbished in the 1980s by the London Regeneration Consortium. Currently the building has been refurbished and named Granary Square and serves as the home of the art fund and a house of illustration (King's Cross, 2017). The Art Fund is a charity organization for helping museums and galleries through fundraisings in buying and showing works.
Historical events
King's Cross boasts of a rich and colourful past especially its location at which road, rail and river. The old layout of the streets and buildings can reveal this quite well making it a special place. For instance, the Regent's Canal built in the 1820s is a special historical feature in the district (Irvinleisure.co.uk. 2017). Some of the major historical buildings are being restored to increase their usability and promote the history of the city. Some of them include the Granary building, the German Gymnasium the Coal drops, and the Stanley Buildings among others. The district has transformed the initially underused industrial wasteland into a new environment with new homes, office, shops, bars, schools, galleries, and restaurants. It has also built a university to promote education and has also acquired a new postcode called NIC.
New Events, Festivals, and event programmes
The city district has been involved in bid for major events, which attract tourists in the area. Events play a big role in development of the urban strategy of the district such as being the instruments for social cohesion. For instance, museums, galleries, and music centres help in bringing people from various backgrounds together enhancing cohesion. The main historical events include Magnum 70 x 70 light exhibitions which include 70 iconic images got from the photos of Magnu for the past 70 years (Irvinleisure.co.uk. 2017). For this year it will be held from 17th may to 1 June. This will serve to remind viewers' development of the city over years, its challenges, and achievements. Others include Courtyard Festival, Crick Discovery Day that entails pop-up science CSM degree show, Cubitt Sessions, and Magnun Lab exhibition (King's Cross 2017). The new events available include family Saturdays at the Skip Gardens which involves cooking and crafts for families. Children can learn a lot about cooking, which can help them in future in appreciating their culture. Another new festival considered of great importance is the 'Let the Waitrose Cookery School make Lunch' held every second Tuesday of every month in which the chefs make delicious lunchboxes for the visitors. The events help in attracting many people to experience the uniqueness of the city's culture. The city boasts of many other vents related to art, music, culture, sports, entertainment, and cooking among others according to Kings Cross: What'sOn (2017) (King's Cross 2017). The city has appropriated the traditional and local events for wider purposes to serve different interests such as cookery, crafts, museums, music, and parks among others. These ensure diversity of activities allowing people from all parts of the world to participate and enjoy the vents. The district has an annual program indicating the event, date, and venue making it easy for the stakeholders and other people to plan in advance for attendance. Some of the examples of programmed events include Strawberries & Screen held on 03/07/2017 - 16/07/2017, Nous Vous: Three Men in a Boat on 16/03/2017 - 11/06/2017, CSM Degree Show One on 24/05/2017 - 28/05/2017, and Circumference Circus 01/06/2017 - 30/09/2017 among others (King's Cross 2017). People can make arrangements and attend their preferred vents by keeping the city District's calendar. Festivalisation is important in the district allowing people to enjoy cultural and historical events of the city district.
Infrastructure and Spaces for events and their Management
The city has redeveloped infrastructure and spaces to ensure that the city is fully modernized. There are several streets and new public spaces as well as pipe work, which facilitate transportation of essential commodities. For instance the St Pancras International is a new home for Eurostar while some developments projects such as a new entrance to King's Cross and a new station makes the place quite magnificent. Construction of 20 new streets and 3 bridges connects the city with other areas (Future-proof 2017). For instance, Boulevard and King's bridge have been constructed and facilitate transport for people and cargo. Others include piping, cables, and fibre optics, which are quite useful in the district. The city district promote events by providing a calendar to followed throughout the year and allow people to plan early enough. Providing financial support for planning of every event is important since it makes it affordable o many people. In addition, ensuring security and good infrastructure facilitate attendance by many people interested in experiencing the unique culture of the city district. The events play the role of representing the city in the globe since many people com aware of King's City as they attend various functions. After an event, visitors are free to tour the area and discover more interesting features. Festivals help in marketing the beautiful city and attract investors to set up their ventures in the area. The events create several jobs throughout the year to various s professional working in different fields. For instance, events' planners, cooks, security guards, tour guides, and cooks, photographers and artists among others are some of the jobs created. Jobs opportunities depend on the type of event being held and many people can earn depending on the festival being held. The plan includes construction of 50 new buildings, addition of 20 streets, and 10 new major public spaces (Future-proof 2017). For instance 26 acres of open space has been set aside to establish places where people can relax with friends and relatives. There are also plans to restore or refurbish of 19 historic buildings and structures as well as construct 1,900 new homes in the city district. Another major development plan include 3.4 million square feet of workspace and the United Kingdom's first man-made fresh water public bathing pond and sustainable community garden among others. These infrastructural facilities are capable of changing the place and improving its developments.
Conclusion
King's Cross is an upcoming city district, which is expected to attract millions of investors in the region due to the renovations of the buildings and other infrastructure. The development of the city district has experienced developments of streets and public spaces for events that attract various people to experience the uniqueness of the city. Careful planning is the main goal of the leaders to have a city that is completely modernized and secure for business. For instance, Eurostar has already moved its headquarter to St. Pancras indicating the vibrancy of the city district. Several other developments are taking place especially ones associated with the modern technology to help in modernizing the party. With good governance and focus on development the city district of King's Cross is likely to be a big attraction to millions of investors, tourists, and event planners. Throughout history many changes have occur in the area around King's Cross City District and only cultural events can help in remembrance of the importance occurrences through history. Apart from the historical events there are new ones established to help the new generation in discovering its talents and abilities. There are several museums, galleries, music centres, and fun places for kids and fitness clubs. For nature lovers, there are parks where young and old can stroll and relax during vacations and other periods of the year. The visitor centre is located in the western Transit Shed where people can have exciting experiences such as photo displays, photo shoots, and open places among others. Already the city district is grappling with high number of families concentrated in certain locations, which can lead to sprouting of slums. There is a need to construct residential houses for the families besides ensuring availability of affordable schools. Another major challenge is balancing between opportunity areas and conservation areas, which require great planning skills. This is important to ensure environmental sustainability and reduction of pollution of the environment.
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