Suzi Hall, LSE

Migration Matters

Why is Rye Lane important for the economy?

Suzi Hall, an architect-ethnographer and Director of the LSE Cities programme, studies the inner workings of multi-ethnic streets in five British cities. In this video, Hall takes us to a super-diverse street in South London, Peckham’s Rye Lane, where proprietors from more than 20 countries run their businesses on the 10-min long stretch. She explains what we can learn from Rye Lane, in terms of how migrants get on the job ladder, what streets like this mean for the economy, and what we can learn about the ways migration shapes modern cities.

Look out for...

  • Participation in independent retail
  • Racial and economic prospects
  • If someone isn’t white or British, they are far more likely to be self-employed and to be employed in retail
  • Creation of culture