Watford For You

In January 2009, Watford Borough Council (WBC) commissioned a multi-disciplinary team led by masterplanning practice EDAW (now known as AECOM), to develop a cultural masterplan for the town centre.

The aspiration is to create a vibrant, diverse and distinctive area at the top of Watford’s town centre that, through effectively integrating a range of facilities, activities and open spaces, will act as a stimulating focal point for culture and heritage within the Borough. The rejuvenated area will deliver key cultural, physical economic and social improvements to the town and will make a major contribution to achieving the Council’s vision of a family friendly town centre. The area overall will exploit the best of current provision, whilst successfully blending it with new facilities and open spaces that will be designed and built to deliver a contemporary destination which will meet people’s needs and aspirations and contribute to the borough’s economic prosperity and civic pride in the town.

Culture can be a key driver of regeneration as place-making. It can help build a sense of place, foster community pride and ownership, boost the local economy, support learning, drive creativity and help shape an areas reputation. Cultural activities help achieve a wide range of social, community and economic outputs and benefits. There is widespread evidence of the effective delivery of these by partnerships arrangements involving public and cultural agencies, commercial providers and artist and community-led bodies. The masterplan identifies culturally specific proposals to build on the existing base and place the town at the heart of the regions cultural scene.