At the start of 2022, WeAreWaterloo Business Improvement District commissioned architecture and design firm Allies & Morrison to create a Waterloo Placemaking Strategy. After months of research and engagement conducted by A&M that included workshops, surveys, one on one interviews and more.
We hate seeing spaces in Waterloo go to waste – for every unit left vacant we can think of a whole host of temporary creative uses that could enliven the street. Therefore, we launched Pretty Vacant – a scheme aimed at activating empty spaces whilst the landlord searches for a long-term tenant.
In 2025, WeAreWaterloo BID, Lambeth Council and local partners delivered a major greening of Hercules Road after a £325,000 investment, replacing grey carriageway with plant beds, new trees, cycle parking and seating. The project followed extensive community engagement and forms part of the South Bank and Waterloo Net Zero 2030 Strategy to boost climate resilience and local wellbeing.
Lower Marsh Market has been a community hub since the 1800s. Once the UK’s longest street market, it has been managed by WeAreWaterloo since 2012 and remains a lively mix of global street food, fresh produce, and crafts.
