From a vertical farm in Anglia Square to a kinder city, is this the future of Norwich?

Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form students' 'Food for the Future' vision puts Norwich at the heart of food sustainability Picture: contributed (Image: Archant)

The ideas are the result of a year-long project which has seen pupils from seven secondary schools in Norwich, create and share their visions for what they think the Norwich of tomorrow should look like.

Funded by the Norwich Freemen's Charity, the WeCreateNorwich project saw pupils address issues such as homelessness, food sustainability, accessibility and transport.

And now, after months of hard work and a week-long interactive exhibition in The Forum, the teenagers have had the opportunity to explain their ideas to the public, reflect on their achievements and exchange their ideas with one another.

Sam Roddock, the project leader for Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form college, which looked at the future of food sustainability and envisaged a redevelopment of Anglia Square which included a vertical hydroponic farm, said: "The students' are beyond brilliant, they're highly intelligent pupils who are going to go on to do amazing things.

Pupils from Pathways College have designed a new bus which they hope will help improve independence across the city. Pictures: CONTRIBUTED (Image: Archant)

"I think there's no reason why in the redevelopment of Anglia Square shouldn't include something like this, it's a no brainer."

George Littlewood, 17, a student from Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form College who was one of those to work on the Food for the Future project, said the group had been concerned with a food sustainability as a whole: "Our idea was to create something where food was available to everyone. The idea was that if we turned Anglia Square in a hydroponic farm it would be an environmentally friendly farm where all sorts of crops could be grown."

Alice Whitney, project manager for Creative Nation, which along with the Norwich Freemen's Charity helped deliver the project said, she was thrilled by what the pupils had achieved, she said: "I'm absolutely delighted with how it has gone, it's been quite a challenge and quite a journey.

"There hasn't been anything like this before, no one has done this sort of project before the ideas are there, now it's over to the adults."

Pupils from Norwich High School for Girls have put together an idea to transform the Castle Mall into a space created by, and for, young people Picture: CONTRIBUTED (Image: Archant)