Placemaking

Autumn 2024 saw the launch of our area-wide AccessAble destination page for Baker Street and Marylebone Area. The page features a wealth of information for those with accessibility needs, from arriving here via Marylebone and Baker Street stations, to exploring the local attractions, public spaces and businesses. The project, developed in partnership with The Portman Estate, and which aims to make the area more welcoming to those with disabilities, has involved surveys of many of the pedestrian routes and of participating businesses, with more on the way.

Visit the Baker Street and Marylebone Area AccessAble page here. Or contact us if you are interested in finding out more about arranging a survey for your business.

Launched in 2025, following consultation with a wide range of community and cultural stakeholders, our strategy sets out how we will support strengthening Marylebone’s cultural identity, celebrate the creativity already here, and create more opportunities for people to connect through shared cultural experiences.

Projects so far have included Flag Making at Summer in the Square, created with local residents and community partners, and the Art Walk campaign, developed with Portman Marylebone and Marble Arch London.

There is more to come, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with our members, partners and local cultural institutions to help culture flourish across the neighbourhood.

Find out more.

With funding from Greening Westminster, we enhanced the greening along the walking route between Marylebone and Baker Street stations, via Dorset Square and Melcombe Street. These were complimented with new planters installed in partnership with Berkeley Court.

We also installed planters at Marylebone Station outside the main entrance and on Platforms 3 & 4, creating a warm welcome for commuters and visitors. These were funded through Chiltern Railways’ Community Investment Fund.

The planters are accompanied by a full management, maintenance and monitoring plan, and planted with perennials, evergreen shrubs, and hardy, slow-growing varieties that are designed to provide year-round interest while supporting local biodiversity.

The public toilets on Marylebone Road had been closed for many years and had unfortunately become a hotspot for antisocial behaviour. We liaised with the Council to arrange their full closure and boarding-up of the site, however the blank hoardings became a target for graffiti.

Working closely with, and with funding from, the University of Westminster, Westminster City Council Property & Estates Department, and Councillor Ward funding from Marylebone and Regent’s Park, we were able to transform the sites with a coordinated decorative scheme. New di-bond panels were installed around the blocks, each treated with an anti-graffiti coating to ensure that any future markings can be easily wiped clean.

The designs celebrate the local area, featuring signposts to nearby landmarks, transport hubs, and popular destinations, helping to promote Marylebone’s rich character while enhancing the streetscape.

In March 2024, we completed our installation at Marylebone Station. In recognition of Marylebone Station’s 125^th anniversary we took over the Harewood Avenue entrance/exit space and decluttered and cleaned up the space. We created and installed a large-scale map display and posters celebrating the history of the station, its links up the Chiltern lines and its role in the local community. We received funding from Chiltern Railways’ Community Investment Fund and worked closely with the Chiltern Railways team to deliver this project.

We undertook initial improvements and a trial activation in the space outside Baker Street station during the summer of 2024, working closely with TfL. Deep cleaning took place prior to the launch of a trial weekly food market with outdoor seating, improving the first impression to visitors and commuters to the area. The trial ended in November 24 as discussions take place about the future of the space.

We were delighted to open the transformed Wonderpass in 2016. Previously a much neglected, dank and dingy Marylebone Road Subway, the vibrant and welcoming walkway is a safe alternative to those wishing to cross Marylebone Road. The Wonderpass is also a cultural crossing that’s a wonderful celebration of our area’s history and attractions. More than just a lick of paint, the project involved a major structural upgrade, improving and renewing drainage, electrics and lighting, stairwells, floors and handrails. It represents a true collaboration of ourselves, TfL and Westminster City Council ward councillors, with production from Sing London, and the design features work from the Wallace Collection, Madame Tussauds and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

September 2019 saw the completion of this major public realm project, led by Westminster City Council and TfL with support from Baker Street Quarter and The Portman Estate, to change Baker Street and Gloucester Place from one-way to two-way. The scheme’s objectives were to improve air quality, reduce vehicle speeds, provide greater opportunity to walk and cycle, and make the shared public space a more enjoyable place to be.

Wider pavements, additional and better crossings, more trees and new surfacing have all contributed to a much-improved environment for those residents and workers that use the area regularly as well as for visitors and those travelling through. A detailed monitoring strategy, comparing data pre-works in July 2017 and after completion in October 2019, alongside repeated monitoring at several key junctions and locations, observed an increase in both pedestrian activity and cycle use as well as a decrease in vehicle speeds by approximately 25-30%. Further information on the Baker Street Two Way and the detailed monitoring report can be found here.