Cities and towns face challenges that are not new, but continue to be shaped by technology, with the twin catalysts of public health and economic shocks: attracting investment, tenants, workers, visitors, families, services; supporting commercial and environmental resilience – retaining what has been attracted; governing spaces that are environmentally and socially sustainable.
This boils down to one essential question – as old as cities – why come? Not all places can (or should) answer this the same way or compete at the same level. Whatever their role, though, places need more than ever to have clarity about destination and purpose – why go there?
Urban reinvention is not new – it is the norm. What matters is pace: Too slow, and places ossify, become brittle and exposed to creeping change revealed when the tide goes out suddenly; Done without care, places can lose their integrity. Collaboration between city partners – occupiers, investors, developers, government, citizens – is a necessary condition for success.
That will not always mean consensus, but requires dialogue where all partners recognise the value (sometimes competing, sometimes aligned) of adventure, restraint, bravery, risk-taking, respect for place and stewardship of social and environmental capital. Different cities, towns and urban quarters can answer the essential question differently. Setting expectations is essential for this to happen without delaying investment, though.
The Fleet Street Quarter is a young Business Improvement District – in its second year – covering 43 hectares of a truly global city. It aims to help build a community that is founded on quality of place. FSQ is not struggling with investment in change: within it, more than thirty heavy refurb and redevelopment projects will deliver around £5bn of state of the art office, retail and leisure space in the next 5 years – perhaps 20,000 new members of the community; around it, the imminent completion of city-scale projects whose zone of influence will overlap at the heart of FSQ – Blackfriars Bridge Foreshore open space (completion 2025) and the London Museum (opening 2026) at West Smithfield.
The FSQ BID has an essential role to play in ensuring this is a success – in environmental, social and governance terms – for occupiers. Our strategic focus is on public realm, safety, connected community and destination-marketing.
Since startup in Spring 2022, the BID team has invested hugely in building relationships with our city partners and helping to deliver projects that allow this part of the city to do what it does best – evolve, inspire and engage. The FSQ Ambassadors – Saud and Alhoussein – have welcomed nearly 4,000 people to the area in four months. The BID has partnered with Morph to help his Epic Art Adventure, piloted street parties in Carter Lane, street gardens at Holborn Circus and Urban Farm meanwhile uses that bring high street properties to life.
Earlier this year, we launched our Destination report (The Future Is Fleet Street Quarter) to help put FSQ back on the map. We are also on track with Gensler to launch our ground-breaking Public Realm Strategy later this year, following work with our city partners.
15 months in, the BID much to celebrate but are only just reaching the end of the beginning.
Watch this place.
