Across the 34ha site, Wembley Park’s Placemaking Strategy showcases an annual line-up of free-to-attend public events in addition to the The Wembley Park Art Trail public art programme. Recent notable events include Wembley Park Live, International Busking Day, the lights festival Winterfest, and Wemba’s Dream—a performance festival co-produced with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The project also provided 26 affordable artist studios.

Who is on the project team? (designer, consultants, etc)

Transforming Wembley Park into a welcoming, culturally vibrant London neighbourhood was achieved through robust collaboration. A Placemaking Steering Group, led by CEO James Saunders, guided this vision, bridging the gap between Quintain, local communities and arts leaders in Brent and beyond. Regular refinement sessions by the in-house Placemaking Steering Group have ensured continuous progress, with an annual cultural implementation plan outlining projects, timelines, and resources.

Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people.

Wembley Park houses a diverse population of 10,000 residents, encompassing students, young professionals, families, renters and residents of both market rate and affordable housing. This mix is enriched by the proximity of diverse communities within the wider borough, where almost two thirds of the population are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, the third highest in London; and a further 20 percent of residents are from White minority groups. Additionally, millions of event-day visitors to the Stadium and Arena and London Designer Outlet contribute to the area’s vibrancy. This diversity presents both opportunities and challenges in building a cohesive community. Balancing the needs of residents, with the temporary demands of visitors has required careful consideration. Addressing these challenges, Quintain has implemented various initiatives to transform Wembley Park from a renowned event destination to a vibrant, year-round neighbourhood, on track to become the UK’s largest build-to-rent site, and open and welcoming to everyone.

Please share any data or figures that support your entry, for example increased footfall, happiness surveys, event attendance and/or observed changes in behaviour.

The evolution of Wembley Park from an event-day destination into a vibrant, culturally diverse neighbourhood has been tracked by independent annual surveys by research consultancy CACI. In 2023, awareness of Wembley Park as a new neighbourhood reached 96%, fuelled by repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth. The reasons for visit have expanded significantly, with over 40% of respondents visiting the area to engage in leisure activities like walking around, attending one of our free cultural events or exploring the Wembley Park Art Trail. Today, visitors perceive Wembley Park as a hospitable and activity-rich neighbourhood, overcoming past negative perceptions, with 70% of respondents agreeing that there are things to do and 63% calling it a welcoming place to visit. In terms of brand associations, CACI’s 2023 survey indicates that arts, culture and entertainment are the highest ranked terms associated with Wembley Park, second only to Wembley Stadium. Resident satisfaction with Wembley Park’s offering is also remarkably high, with 87% of residents choosing ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ on a separate 2023 resident survey. Wembley Park’s event programme has significantly increased footfall and retail success, bucking national trends. In 2023, footfall to the neighbourhood rose by 29.5% over 2022 and more than doubled over 2021, while Quintain-owned London Designer Outlet achieved a record £99 million in sales in 2023, marking its most successful trading year ever, with Boxing Day as the peak trading day in its 10-year history.

Did the project make a positive social and environmental contribution? If if it was a temporary intervention, is there a legacy plan? What happened to its tenants, users, materials and programming?

Quintain’s vision for Wembley Park is a long-term commitment, evident in our exceptional GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) performance of 83/100, surpassing the industry average of 75, and a social score of 24/26 (vs 21 industry average). This reflects our focus on sustainable community development and environmental responsibility. Since 2017, Quintain has invested over £1.39 million in community projects, focusing on arts, culture, skills, and education. The Yellow community centre is a prime example, engaging over 12,669 residents in 2022 through 790 classes and 629 activities. The Wembley Park Community Fund has also contributed nearly £600,000, supporting local charities and community groups.