We have developed placemaking strategies for Baker Street and Edgware Road with the local Business Improvement Districts. Extensive engagement was carried out with key stakeholders including the resident associations, neighbourhood forums, Westminster City Council, TFL, local business, charities and faith groups.
These strategies will help guide future investment towards the protection and enhancement of the vibrant neighbourhoods long into the future.
Edgware Road Placemaking Strategy
Together with Marble Arch London BID and The Church Commissioners, we have produced a long-term vision for Edgware Road that guides our placemaking strategy.
“Reaffirm Edgware Road’s status as one of London’s great historic streets and a sociable place to live, work, shop, eat- out, study and visit, through the day and night.
An approach – driven by local people – towards the creation of an active, inclusive, safe and resilient neighbourhood that celebrates and enhances the area’s sociable and multicultural character.”
The strategy will set out priorities for public realm improvements, what sort of uses people would like to see on the high street and what the high street should look like. It will direct investment and provide a framework for physical improvements as well as a template for frontage design enhancements.
Architects and urban designers DSDHA were appointed in 2023 to undertake this exciting project. Extensive reviews of previous studies and strategies preceded a four-month engagement series involving local residents, businesses, councillors and council officers, community partners, schools and faith groups. This followed, and drew from, Westminster Council’s High Streets engagement work in summer 2023.
The draft strategy was available for public comment during the month of June 2024 and the team is currently finalising the strategy, taking into consideration the feedback received.
To view the draft Edgware Road Placemaking Strategy, click below
Baker Street and the Marylebone Area
In partnership with the Baker Street Quarter Partnership, we developed a Placemaking Strategy which outlines a vision for Baker Street and the Marylebone area, and recommends processes for ongoing change. The aim being to build upon the area’s assets and qualities over the short, medium and long term.
Re-imagining Baker Street and the Marylebone area as an exceptional place to live, work, study and visit within the heart of London.
A community-driven approach towards an active, greener, safer and more inclusive neighbourhood.
Urban design consultancy, Publica, was engaged to develop the strategy through detailed area studies and comprehensive engagement with local residents and key stakeholders which helped to identify the following three primary objectives:
- To build on the neighbourly qualities of the area
- To strengthen a sense of belonging
- To put sustainability at the heart of future change.
Since the completion of the Baker Street Two Way Project in 2019, there have been rapid changes to the retail environment and people’s work patterns. Priorities have shifted towards achieving a cleaner, greener, and more inclusive city. The published strategy proposes both public realm and placemaking interventions aligned with local priorities, including:
- Transformation of key gateways and improving connections to local and wider area destinations.
- Enhancement of public spaces and streets through the introduction of green areas, inviting public squares and improved pedestrian walkways, to create a welcoming environment.
- Encouraging a diversified food and retail offer, catering to people of all ages and backgrounds.
- Increased street activation and encouraging initiatives that highlight and celebrate the area’s diverse cultural offering and rich history.
- Improving safety and day-to-day maintenance through continued collaboration and engagement, to create a welcoming atmosphere.
- Embedding sustainable practices in every project.
We are now working closely with stakeholders to explore the recommendations in this report. To view the Baker Street and the Marylebone area Placemaking Strategy, click here on the button below.
