Marble Arch London BID has partnered with The Portman Estate and The Church Commissioners to set out priorities for public realm improvements along Edgware Road in the West End.
The Edgware Road placemaking strategy has been produced by DSDHA after the architects and urban designers carried out an extensive review with local residents, businesses, councillors, community partners, schools and faith groups, to find out what they would like their high street to look like.
The projects outlined in the placemaking strategy represent a collective consensus from all stakeholders, including the local community, and range from small-scale interventions through to substantial capital investment. The implementation of these projects will reaffirm Edgware Road’s status as a sociable and safe place to live, work, shop, eat out, study and visit, through the day and night.
Edgware Road forms the central spine that runs the length of the Marble Arch BID area and is bounded by The Portman Estate to the east and The Church Commissioners’ Hyde Park Estate to the west. This new placemaking strategy will help guide future investment towards the long-term protection and enhancement of one of London’s most vibrant and iconic neighbourhoods.
Alongside Marble Arch London BID, The Portman Estate and The Church Commissioners, the development of the placemaking strategy has been guided by a strategy group which includes representatives from Westminster City Council and Transport for London. This will help to ensure projects highlighted in the placemaking strategy support the wider strategic objectives of both the council and the Mayor of London in transforming London’s high streets.
The placemaking strategy concentrates on how streetscape and gateway projects, alongside public spaces and green infrastructure can be implemented along Edgware Road. A series of potential placemaking projects are listed within the strategy and stretch from Paddington Green and the Marylebone Flyover area, right down to Marble Arch.
The strategy also addresses community, cultural, environmental, business and economic objectives for those living, working and visiting Edgware Road. This includes improving wayfinding, adding seating, and showcasing public art. It also looks at the installation of more energy efficient lighting and electric vehicle charging, whilst encouraging active travel, as well as enhancing forecourts and shopfronts alongside creating meanwhile uses for underutilised areas.
The launch of the Edgware Road placemaking strategy follows the recent completion of the Marylebone Flyover Rain Gardens created by Transport for London. The gardens, which host 11 new trees, over 1,100 shrubs and plants, and 2,300 bulbs, have been created using the ramped and stepped entrances of a disused subway system. They are said epresent a prime example of the type of placemaking projects which could be rolled out across Edgware Road.
Kay Buxton, chief executive, Marble Arch London BID, said: “Edgware Road is a thriving retail and commercial hub within Westminster, providing shopping facilities, financial services and vital local amenities to residents. This placemaking strategy, driven by the insights of local people, will help guide investment and ensure Edgware Road remains an active, inclusive, safe and resilient neighbourhood that celebrates and enhances the area’s sociable and multicultural character.”
Simon Loomes, strategic projects director, The Portman Estate, said: “These plans, which help guide the Edgware Road’s future, are a testament to the power of collaboration and strategic partnerships, which have been pivotal in shaping this shared vision. The Portman Estate, as a key landowner on the east side of Edgware Road, is deeply committed to this initiative. We are dedicated to enhancing the public realm, improving facades, shop fronts, and forecourts, and ensuring that the Edgware Road remains a vibrant, inclusive and dynamic community. This strategy is a significant step towards a shared strategy for a sustainable and welcoming environment in one of London’s much loved cultural centres.”
James Parker, senior asset manager at The Church Commissioners for England, added: “Guided by the principles of long-term stewardship, and driven by an extensive round of public engagement, the strategy marks a step change for the historic area in and around Edgware Road. Alongside the Marble Arch BID and the Portman Estate, we now look forward to putting these plans into action, working collectively to bring forward public realm improvements and support for local businesses to ensure one of London’s oldest roads is a thriving, welcoming place for all.”
Tom Greenall, director at DSDHA said: “We are proud to have been asked to develop a placemaking strategy for Edgware Road. With a vibrant and diverse identity, it was vital that our strategy built upon the area’s multicultural character and existing qualities, whilst ensuring its long term economic, environmental and social sustainability as one of London’s great streets and places to be.”
