I just found this film called ‘The Perfect High Street’ in Monocle “a magazine briefing on global affairs, business, culture, design and much more”. This vision for the global high street is unlike anything most would recognise, or have use for. This vision is overwhelmingly white and hipster catering only to a wealthy middle-class. The British street I recognised here was Primrose Hill, an area of extreme wealth. If this is a vision for the future of high streets recognised by those driving regeneration, those of us invested in super-diverse areas such as Wood Green should be worried.
Compare with this film ‘Ordinary Streets’ about Rye Lane in Peckham made by LSE Cities. This is a much more balanced and thoughtful piece that recognises and values the intersections of cultures and classes and the creative adaptations already being made to ordinary streets from those that are invested in them. In the words of the narrator of the film “diversity is crucial to urban vitality”.
List of works cited:
LSE Cities (2015) Ordinary Cities. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKWr2IjylM (Accessed 19 July 2016)
Monocle (2015) The Perfect High Street. Available at https://monocle.com/film/business/the-perfect-high-street/ (Accessed 19 July 2016)
Intellectual Simulation 
This is brilliant, I’ve always liked reading Monocle, I’ve never watched those vids. I like ordinary Streets, I’ve been drafting notes for a piece on Rye Lane, this was encouraging