The Fleet Street Quarter BID has published a new placemaking and public realm vision for the area, which is poised to see a £5bn development pipeline delivered over the coming years.
The circa £80m, 10-year public realm strategy for the 43-hectare area identifies 34 different opportunities to deliver an attractive and sustainable community for workers, visitors and residents.
The Fleet Street Quarter BID commissioned global architecture, design and planning firm Gensler, Norman Rourke Pryme and UP Projects to develop the ‘Fleet Street Quarter’s Era of Change’ vision for the area, in consultation with the City of London and other key stakeholders and businesses.
The 34 identified opportunities will result in improvements to reconnect the area, enhance movement and walkability, address issues of legibility and provide green spaces and amenities for people to enjoy.
On Fleet Street itself, the pedestrian footpath will be widened, new trees will be planted and there will be new greening and seating, and at Holborn Circus an ‘urban forest’ will be created.
Lady Lucy French OBE, chief executive of the Fleet Street Quarter BID, said: “This project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that calls for a joint collaborative approach to the ongoing improvements of the streetscape and public spaces. The sheer scale of this transformation is directly what we know our businesses and investors in the area want to see, it is a direct response to the voices of our levy payers and the wider community. This area is steeped with a rich history but now it is about taking it forward into its next phase of transformation, ensuring the area is globally competitive and catering for a new generation of visitors, workers and businesses.”
Deputy Shravan Joshi MBE, planning and transportation chairman at the City of London Corporation, added: “As footfall across Central London continues to rise, it is crucial the City Corporation supports organisations like the Fleet Street Quarter BID to make the Square Mile a safer, more inviting environment for everyone. The new City Plan has designated the Fleet Street Quarter as an area to encourage new development, in order to deliver greater inward investment and economic growth.
“With the launch of the Fleet Street Quarter’s public realm strategy, as well as the changes being made, in tandem, to our own City Plan and transport strategy, the Square Mile will become an even more desirable and inclusive seven-day-a-week visitor destination, for all to enjoy.”
Ian Mulcahey, global director of cities at Gensler, said: “We are delighted to be developing the strategy for one of the biggest improvement initiatives in the City of London in over 100 years. The reinvigoration of the Fleet Street Quarter has the potential to transform an essential and historic part of London’s central business istrict to create a dynamic 24/7 working, cultural and visitor destination.”
