Suggestions for a more magical, literate London

Your recent Voxpop (DW 11 June) posed the question, ‘If you could design one thing to benefit the capital, what would it be?’

London needs a floating desert island to drift down the River Thames, stopping at random, unexpected locations.

An oasis for escape. A space without time or location, drifting freely and liberating people from the city.

A liberated, floating desert island would be a great way to discover the Thames, which is a magical element of London.

The island, free of everything except desert, should be a magical place for contemplation and escape, taking you to, and showing you, places you’ve never seen.
We often take London for granted and need a mechanism for discovery.
Ab Rogers, Founder, Ab Rogers Design, by e-mail

I’d help break down barriers between London’s many nationalities and cultures through random – and well-designed – encounters with language.

Each embassy in the capital would select 100 words or phrases, print them on a uniform design of stickers and posters, then paste them around London.

Learn a few words of Farsi each day as you pass the same set of lamp posts, or take in some Portuguese proverbs while riding on the Tube.

Just a beginning, but this simple and regular window into other cultures would slowly build up greater understanding.
M@ Brown, Editor, Londonist.com, by e-mail