Stratford Waterfront

We devised and delivered an engagement programme for a Reserved Matters Application for this key site in Stratford. A central element of meaningful engagement was establishing a clear scope of influence, allowing us to focus feedback on areas where the community could genuinely shape outcomes — recognising that some parameters were already set through the outline planning permission. This site sits within an area undergoing significant change. While there was a lot of excitement about its proximity to the East Bank, we aimed to bring the conversation to a more human scale, offering tangible opportunities for people to influence ideas. Through one-to-one conversations, school workshops, public events, and an online platform, we gathered insights on the type of public realm people wanted to see — including ideas for playful features, access and movement, and ground floor uses. These conversations often evolved into discussions about the atmosphere and overall ‘vibe’ of the area. To begin bringing that to life, we hosted a pop-up market alongside an engagement event that celebrated and showcased local talent. To specifically reach the incoming student population, we ran an incentivised online survey. This successfully reached over 200 students and gave us valuable insights into the facilities they currently use, as well as what they feel is missing in the area.