As we launch the New London Agenda, Ruth Duston OBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Primera reflects on bringing the built environment together and taking the lead on positive change.

Planning for future health emergencies, future-proofing our economy, reaching net zero, championing true inclusivity, managing the challenges brought on by AI while also supporting innovation, … Looking at the issues that have been in the news, and at the forefront of political and business leaders’ minds over the last few years, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

 

The challenges facing our modern societies are so wide-ranging and far-reaching, where do we even start? One thing all these things have in common is as obvious as it is simple: places. Places for people to feel welcome, safe and to socialise, places for people to meet and work, places for people to make the discoveries that will power our future, places for people to debate, discuss and make decisions.

 

As an industry, we are fragmented. There is commercial real estate, retail, residential. There are also the urban planners, the policy experts, the ESG specialists, and then there are the people and organisations living in our buildings, the shops, cultural institutions, bars, restaurants, universities etc.

 

But while there are many of us, we all speak the same language, and it is time we all come together and lead from the front.

 

Of course, we can’t fix every issue, we can’t replace government, we can’t do it all. But there is a lot we can do and, faced with a climate emergency looming increasingly close and with societal challenges we should all feel concerned about, we must show leadership and be the catalyst for positive change.

 

What does this look like in practice?

 

For the last 20 years, this is the question Primera has been answering. Working with partners all across London through the business improvement districts and partnerships we operate, we have brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to answer some of the biggest challenges faced by our capital city.

 

Our team has delivered a lot over the past two decades, but Strand/Aldwych, which the Northbank BID led, comes to mind as the perfect example of the impact our industry can have if it comes together to proactively address some of these big issues countries around the world are wrestling with.

 

When the plans for this transformational project were laid out in the Northbank BID’s public realm vision and strategy published in 2015, it was obvious it could only come to fruition through close collaboration with all the partners involved.

 

Despite being located right in the heart of the capital and near some of London’s most famed institutions, the area had long been a problematic place, plagued by heavy traffic, pollution and narrow pavements, making it a hostile environment for pedestrians and cyclists. In short, it wasn’t a pleasant place to spend time in.

 

By convening a group of more than 70 stakeholders, including Westminster City Council, King's College London, the Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, St Mary le Strand and many more, the vision developed by the Northbank BID spurred on a £23m investment to completely transform this area of the capital.

 

Collaboration went far beyond securing funding, this was about creating a new piece of central London, fit for the future and which would address the needs of the various organisations, and people, calling the area home.

 

Working with Westminster City Council and LDA Design, the new plans not only created a safer pedestrianised public space, but also a new creative hub for our capital, forming a backdrop for world-class events and a space for all visitors, workers, students and residents to enjoy. With high environmental standards and plenty of space to sit down, relax and spend time, Strand/Aldwych is a truly sustainable, inclusive, and welcoming new piece of public realm. Even more impressively, this has been delivered in just seven years.

 

But the work doesn’t stop here. Sustainability is also at the heart of the project’s innovative new joint management model. As well as ongoing air quality monitoring, a Sustainability Action Plan was developed to support landowners to reduce building carbon emissions and to better manage freight and deliveries, improve waste management practices, and deliver a new education programme jointly led by King’s College London, The London School of Economics and Political Science, Somerset House and The Courtauld Institute.

 

The Northbank BID will also work with more than 300 businesses to secure funding and resources for installations and trials encouraging active travel and continuing to deliver on the project’s environmental goals.

 

Following its official launch in December 2022, the project won Best Public Space at the Pineapple Awards, The Mayor of London’s Award for Good Growth at the Business LDN Planning Awards, and also won the Public Spaces category at the New London Awards. But beyond prizes, it has created a new part of London that will be kinder to the planet, be more accessible to all and help Londoners and visitors be healthier, and support better, more positive economic growth.

 

This is what our industry can do when we come together, and this is what we should aim for through every single one of our projects. 

 

With two elections on the horizon this year, now is the time to show our political leaders what we’re capable of, and why they should support our industry.