The Architecture Foundation’s autumn 08 - spring 09 education programme engaged and empowered a team of four young people who live or study in Southwark to critically explore the Bankside Urban Forest, Witherford Watson Mann Architects’ public realm framework for the area between the Thames and the Elephant and Castle.

Over ten days between October 2008 and March 2009, these four Bankside Urban Pioneers made a podcast, planted trees, visited Epping Forest, found wildlife with the BBC’s Urban Birder, made illustrations of the area, discovered how the process of designing for the public realm works and took part in the Five Hour Film Challenge – in which they wrote, produced and edited a film in a day. Visit the blog to find out more about their journey.