Strand Aldwych reclaims a heavily polluted gyratory creating a car-free place for people and nature. The project has freed St Mary le Strand church and created a unique cultural landscape.

It’s rare to be able to create expansive public realm in historic city centres, but Westminster has invested £22 million into converting two busy roads, Strand and Aldwych, to establish welcoming civic space.

Changes to traffic circulation were key to reclaiming significant space for people and nature. Through-traffic was removed from Strand between Waterloo Bridge and Arundel Street, establishing a stunning, tranquil space with all the benefits of a healthy street, and managing the needs of cyclists and bus services. Aldwych became two-way; slower and now safer, with five new signalised pedestrian crossings.

The project liberated Grade 1 listed St Mary-Le-Strand Church from its role as a glorified traffic island within a one-way gyratory.

Seating and resting areas beneath 100-year old plane trees make this thoroughfare a place for cultural exchange and relaxation. Once polluted and noisy, Strand is now full of life. People sit chatting, laughing, snacking, reading, even in mid-winter. Generous spans of beautiful sculptural seats, colourful chairs and long tables make the place inviting and welcoming. 7000m2 of all-inclusive public realm has been created where there was none, designed to meet the daily needs of a community comprising students, academics, visitors, office workers, residents, and businesses. A Civic Trust award panel said that the scheme sets a precedent for transformations in cities worldwide.

Strand is home to key cultural and educational centres, including King’s College London, the London School of Economics, Somerset House, the Courtauld Institute and 180 Studios. Now, they have a public space to use for installations, rehearsals and performances, events and research.

Air quality on Strand is significantly improved and the new design mitigates urban heating. There are 41 new trees and 1,370m2 of biodiverse planting, supporting pollinating insects, providing year-round colour and interest and bringing people into contact with nature.

Cannon Ivers, Director, LDA Design said:

“Dating as far back as AD190, the Strand has always been about movement and transport. Now we have a democratic space for everyone to enjoy, with seating for up to 700 people. It is the institutions, embassies, businesses, universities and hotels that help to give Strand Aldwych its distinct identity and now people from all of these have somewhere to come together. We hope the project will encourage other global cities to be bold, reclaim polluted streets, and create spaces for communities and nature to thrive."