Ruth Duston OBE, CEO and Founder of Primera, discusses the power of partnership in transforming London through collaborative public realm projects, as seen in the Public London publication.

What do a university, an art gallery, a council, and a church have in common? As it turns out, a whole lot more than first meets the eye. This is what emerged from the work spearheaded by the Northbank Business Improvement District (BID), which began with the launch of its public realm vision and strategy in 2015. Years later, it has resulted in one of the most ambitious public realm projects seen in London in recent years.

Strand/Aldwych is only one of many tangible examples of the power of partnership. At a time of increased division—in politics, online, in the world—there isn’t anything more powerful than making the decision to come together to effect positive change. Beyond the initial impulse for change, in the case of Strand/Aldwych, a wholesale redesign of one of the most polluted and dangerous corners of central London, the project’s key partners—King’s College London, Somerset House, St Mary le Strand, the Society of London Theatre, The Courtauld, and of course Westminster City Council and the Northbank BID, all supported by many others—carry on working together to manage and activate this new public space for Londoners and visitors to enjoy.

This successful example isn’t an isolated one. Partnerships are coming to life all over our capital. Of course, as an organisation specialising in improvement districts, it is no surprise to see Primera and the BIDs in our portfolio championing the coming together of the public and private sectors to deliver meaningful change. After all, partnerships are the very essence of BIDs, and we have seen first-hand how much of an impact they can have.

Over in the City of London, where Primera operates five BIDs—Aldgate Connect, Cheapside Business Alliance, Culture Mile BID, Eastern City BID, Fleet Street Quarter—for the 20th edition of the London Festival of Architecture, an architecture trail was created to celebrate the City’s heritage. Working closely with the City of London and with Urban Radicals—the winners of the design competition hosted by four of the BIDs and LFA—the project created four interventions which provided unique moments of public realm activation and gave visitors a new perspective on the Square Mile.

On a city-wide scale too, partnerships can be the key to unlock success. Primera is a proud member of Opportunity London, an initiative launched by the Mayor of London, London Councils and the City of London Corporation, and operated by NLA and London & Partners, which brings together some of the key stakeholders in London’s growth. By convening all these organisations with a stake in London’s success, we can showcase the incredible opportunities on offer in our capital city to investors from all over the world, as exemplified during this year’s iteration of MIPIM.

The case for partnership working is an easy one to make. Bringing together ambitions, skills, and resources to work jointly towards a shared goal is the one sure way to deliver more, and bigger, things. After a turbulent few years, it is our duty to our city, and to Londoners, to come together for the greater good.