The NextGen Panel
A panel of young Croydon residents working with URW to shape the future of their town centre.
What is the NextGen Panel?
The NextGen Panel was created to ensure that young people across Croydon can get involved and are fundamental to shaping the future of the town centre and a new masterplan for the area around the Whitgift, Centrale and Allders shopping centres.
The panel has already met three times, with the first introductory session taking place in March, where the panellists created collages representing what Croydon could be in five years’ time. In May, we took the panellists on a tour of the site, and asked them to share their experiences living, working and studying in the area. In July the panel had the opportunity to read and provide feedback on the Summer 2025 consultation and discussed landscaped spaces before designing their own. You can read the brilliant feedback they provided in the reports below.
The NextGen Panel will continue to meet regularly across the year – running a programme of workshops, site tours and activities focused on the future of the site. They will also gain skills and new opportunities for their careers.
Our first workshop
Our first session brought together the panellists and members of our project team, including representatives from URW, Allies and Morrison and Portas.
Our second workshop
Our second session took panellists behind the scenes on a site tour, before hearing more about the Masterplan Framework.
Our third workshop
Our third session gave panellists the opportunity to read all the Summer 2025 public exhibition materials and share their thoughts, before delving into the detail of landscaped spaces and designing their own public spaces.
The NextGen network
Do you want to get involved and help to shape the future of Croydon?
If you’re 16-25 and live, work or study in Croydon, join the NextGen Network where you can:
- Share your ideas and be part of the future of Croydon town centre
- Receive regular emails and reports from the NextGen Panel and ask questions
- Be invited to all our consultation events this year
- Meet the design team
Get involved by messaging us using the contact information below.
