Developed in 1986 with Arup’s original designs, Broadgate – the largest pedestrianised neighbourhood in Central London – was once also the City of London’s premier office district. But with extraordinary growth and changes in the surrounding area, Broadgate has seen the need to change, too. 

Today Broadgate is undergoing a transformation into a world class, mixed-use destination for London, including 4.9 million sq. ft. of new and redefined workspaces, retail and restaurants, bringing people together to work, shop, drink and dine. 

Arup’s urban design team was commissioned by British Land to develop a placemaking strategy to guide Broadgate’s journey from a predominantly office complex to a vibrant central London neighbourhood. Arup’s placemaking strategy took the form of a masterplan framework to enable British Land to make future design, land use and investment decisions within the estate. The strategy was informed by a robust baseline assessment of the campus and context from movement patterns to climatic performance, and from demographic change to future-workplace trends.  

By 2030, British Land expects around 50% of its Broadgate business tenants will come from outside the traditional financial sector with a growing focus on Fintech, Technology, and Media. At the same time, the lifestyle expectations of future users and employees are changing, and their employers are in a race to attract and retain talent. Broadgate must respond to this change if it is to remain competitive as a successful central London mixed-use destination.

Masterplanning

The vision for Broadgate was formed around four guiding principles (the “Four Cs”) each with a set of specific recommendations to help achieve the broader aspiration. 

  • Connect to the surroundings – Creating a greater number of physical connections by opening up new and clearer ways into Broadgate from the east and north and better integrating with Liverpool Street station to the south. 
  • Create places from spaces – Highlighting the special character of each of Broadgate’s open spaces and redesigning spaces to be more inviting to a more diverse group of people. 
  • Curate the experience – Using Broadgate’s pedestrian environment as a canvas for a year-round programme of cultural events for workers as well as visitors. 
  • Be a custodian of the wider city – Building a wider Broadgate community and establishing strategic partnerships to advocate for urban change and investment. 

We worked very closely with the client, their designer and architects throughout, and our ability to think creatively within a complex technical context have enabled us to successfully deliver a masterplan that has underpinned £1.5 billion in investment plans. 

Broadgate circle workers enjoying the sunshine
Our strategy for Broadgate included refurbishing key open spaces, better pedestrian connections to the surroundings, a tripling of retail uses, and the curation of events to activate the neighbourhood.
Map of Broadgate Circle and the surrounding areas
Plan shows a greater number of physical connections by opening up new and clearer ways into Broadgate from the east and north and better integrating with Liverpool Street station to the south.