London’s newest mainline station to open in over a decade was celebrated with an impactful, community-led launch event over the weekend, highlighting the importance of placemaking for communities as well as developers.
The event, produced on behalf of Barnet Council by We Are Placemaking, invited local residents, rail enthusiasts, delivery partners and politicians to watch the unveiling of Brent Cross West station in North London on Sunday morning (December 10), before immersing themselves in a variety of activities hosted by the community. It included the grand unveiling of a ceremonial plaque by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
Local businesses including Cricklewood Coffee, Karma Bakery and Happy Face Pizza were invited to offer their goods at the event and host a variety of workshops including Christmas decoration making and steel band lessons. Artists from the Brent Cross area were also given the opportunity to perform at the event.
As well as engaging with surrounding stakeholders to helped ideate the launch, the We Are Placemaking team produced a wide variety of infrastructure for the event, including a plaque to commemorate the station opening, and exhibition boards showcasing the history of the area. Local artist Elisa Cantarelli was invited to curate a legacy piece for the station, and We Are Placemaking organised for local schools and community groups to help create the piece.
Hanna Davis, Account Director at We Are Placemaking, said: “At the heart of every placemaking event lies a community, and this is a mentality we have always kept at the forefront of our minds – to ground our goals and enhance our projects.
“Alongside celebrating this huge milestone for the community, we used this event as a platform to showcase local businesses, groups and artists within the area – offering a unique and memorable experience hosted by the community, for the community.”
The new station is part of the major ‘Brent Cross Town’ redevelopment currently underway, and will serve a community of residents who will live in thousands of new homes being constructed. It will also provide a new route to Brent Cross shopping centre, which is expected to undergo a £1.4 billion redevelopment.
Nick Morgan, CEO of We Are Placemaking, said: “Local placemaking events are essential in the activation of new spaces, and the data is there to show it.
“Developers looking to bring visitors into spaces must realise the value of experiences and placemaking.
“We’re really proud to have worked with Barnet Council to deliver this event for the community.”
