The Arc, Victoria

The Arc: Victoria

Supporting the development of a strategic masterplan and vision enhancing opportunities for walking, wheeling, and cycling in a historic central London context

New Practice worked with John McAslan + Partners on behalf of Victoria and Westminster Business District to deliver a comprehensive programme of public engagement events and activities as part of the Arc; a public realm enhancement project developed to improve pedestrian, cyclist, and resident experiences of a ‘one-step-back’ route linking Westminster Abbey and Victoria Station.

This ambitious project involved the development of a site-wide strategic masterplan and concept designs for 10 key locations across this route. 

It was vital to the client that the diverse mixture of people making use of this area everyday, including local residents, workers, and visitors, inform the project from the earliest stages. New Practice worked closely with the client and design team to develop a comprehensive public engagement strategy, delivered at key phases of the design development journey. 

This began with creating opportunities to develop and influence a vision and range of key priorities for the project, establishing consensus on a set of principles guiding the design process and against which future work could be assessed. A second engagement phase focussed on presenting a site-wide masterplan, addressing traffic management, heritage, lighting and public art, as well as visualisations and drawings outlining how streets might better support active travel and street life in the future. 

In-person engagement included a mixture of methods each developed to appeal to and capture the views of different users of the area. ‘Meet the Design’ team workshops offered local residents and key stakeholders, including local businesses and property developers, an opportunity to meet with the design and client team, receive a presentation on the developing strategic masterplan and provide their responses.

To capture the views of everyday users of the route, including local residents and workers, pop-up engagement was delivered at a number of key locations. New Practice worked with design and fabrication agency WD-DP to create a bespoke engagement vehicle, a cart that could move across the site and act as a display space for boards and materials. This cart was designed with a second-life in mind, ensuring that materials could be reused, including the option to convert into planter boxes for donation to local growing groups.