Stadia developments sit at an important crossroads of culture, community and commerce. They draw millions in footfall, create a vibrant atmosphere, and act as iconic landmarks. Yet, too often, the areas surrounding stadia remain underwhelming – dominated by car parks, disconnected infrastructure, and limited long-term vision. 

Regenerating these neighbourhoods is not simply about proximity to a stadium. It demands a sophisticated blend of placemaking, long- range planning, asset management, and a deep understanding of how to transform occasional footfall into sustained vibrancy. Doing it well requires an expert eye and an integrated approach. 

Quintain’s transformation of the land around Wembley Stadium demonstrates what’s possible when regeneration is done right. From underused brownfield land to one of the most dynamic new neighbourhoods in London, Wembley Park is a living example of stadium-led regeneration with staying power. 

It is now home to over 6,000 residents in a thriving Build-to-Rent (BtR) community – on an 85-acre estate that will be home to the UK’s largest BtR development on a single site – with more than 3,200 homes professionally managed by Quintain Living and thousands more in the pipeline. Its appeal is multi-dimensional: a curated mix of retail and leisure, year-round cultural programming, safe and accessible public spaces, and award-winning design principles that focus on long-term management. 

But behind the scenes, it’s the expertise that made it possible. 

Stadium-centric development must start with smart, sensitive masterplanning. Event days bring enormous footfall and logistical challenges – but with the
right vision, these challenges can be leveraged into opportunities for placemaking and community activation. 

At Wembley Park, the vision wasn’t just to manage the crowd on event day – it was to design a place where people would want to live, work and visit and for those attending a match to want to come well before kick- off and stay long after the final whistle. That meant turning old infrastructure into new opportunity. The transformation of Olympic Way, the removal of the outdated pedway, and the creation of 12,000 sqm of high-quality public realm are all examples of how to blend movement, safety and social spaces.

Quintain’s integrated team brought together planning, operations, retail strategy and cultural programming to craft a place that thrives seven days a week – not just on match day. 

In stadium-adjacent regeneration, homes must be more than just housing – they must anchor a neighbourhood. This requires a long-term view. At Wembley Park, 5,943 homes of all tenures have been designed and delivered with purpose and practicality. One third of these are affordable. All are connected to services, infrastructure, and community assets that serve real, local needs: We were delighted that Wembley Park was named by The Sunday Times as one of the ‘Best Places to Live 2025’. 

Our work is built on a vertically integrated model: Quintain leads the process from land acquisition through to masterplanning, design, build, mobilisation and long- term management. The results speak for themselves – homes lease quickly, communities form, and retention is high. 

And critically, the masterplan evolution from residential for sale to a site dominated by Build-to-Rent housing has enabled a property portfolio that adapts to residents’ changing needs and lifestyles within a neighbourhood that has attracted a multitude of other living sector operators. 

Stadia bring people. The challenge is to keep them coming back. Wembley Park has been expertly shaped and curated into a cultural and entertainment district in its own right, not just a stadium surround. 

Through long-term partnerships with organisations like Boxpark, Troubadour Theatre, London Designer Outlet, Fresh Arts and Brent Council, the area now boasts a year-round calendar of multi-cultural events – from summer gigs to festive markets – that draw 16 million annual visitors. 

With venues such as the OVO Arena, theatre, and a cinema embedded in the masterplan, and a high street retail strategy anchored by London Designer Outlet and independent neighbourhood businesses alike, Wembley Park offers layered experiences that give people reasons to return. 

Urban regeneration must mean more than aesthetics. True success lies in creating places that provide meaningful long-term benefit to local communities. Our aim is for our residents to live more sustainably and for us to work towards our Net Zero target by 2040. 

At Wembley Park, social value was embedded from the outset, 20 years ago. Employment targets were exceeded through apprenticeship schemes and local construction jobs. A brand-new NHS GP surgery, now the largest in North West London, was delivered. Creative spaces such as Second Floor Studios & Arts support local artists and makers. All of this was the product of close collaboration with the local authority and stakeholders, not an afterthought. 

Placemaking without asset management is only half a strategy. Around stadia, the job isn’t done when the buildings are delivered – it’s just begun. Quintain’s integrated approach extends into the operational phase, with in-building services including concierge, maintenance and resident management teams as well as estate-wide services including neighbourhood cultural programming and event creation, retail asset management and security. Quintain Living, our in-
house award-winning BtR property management arm, ensures year-round high occupancy and income maximisation through thoughtful design, excellent customer service and a strong sense of place. 

This commitment to long-term stewardship and stakeholder management is critical to a growing and flourishing community. 

Developing around stadia isn’t just a development challenge – it’s a placemaking and operational one. It requires a particular blend of expertise: in planning, crowd dynamics, community engagement, housing strategy, public realm design, cultural programming and asset management. 

Wembley Park proves that when done well, stadium- centric development can deliver vibrant, inclusive, year-round neighbourhoods that not only elevate
their surroundings, but set a new standard for urban regeneration. 

For those looking to unlock the potential of land around stadia, the message is clear: it takes vision, commitment and the ability to manage the journey from first sketch to long-term stewardship.