The Pineapples 2023: Announcing the shortlist

The Great Northern is a six-hectare leisure and retail site in the centre of Manchester with a public square, Victorian warehouse and 1990’s leisure complex. Managed by Trilogy Real Estate since 2015, community engagement with over 1000 participants has taken place over 7 years in workshops, surveys or 1-1 interviews

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea created the Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team to work on the refurbishment of 800 homes on Lancaster West Estate. The team has been working in partnership with residents to select the architects and co-design the refurbishment of the estate itself

In spring 2021, Wirral Borough Council published its Birkenhead 2040 Framework, a 20-year plan to revitalise the Leftbank of the River Mersey. Successful engagement was identified as key to building trust with local communities and changing external perceptions, with resources allocated across multiple projects, including co-creation workshops, pop-up shops, drop-in workshops and a central hub for the town - BirkenEd’s Place

In early 2020, Croydon Council appointed Urban Symbiotics to lead a multi-disciplinary team in developing a strategic regeneration framework for the district centre and surrounding area of Purley. To create a genuinely community-led vision, engagement included visual questionnaires, interactive school assembly workshops, digital mapping and the Purley Panel – a group of people demographically representative of Purley

Factory Quarter in Turnham Green was completed by Notting Hill Genesis in 2010. In recent years, satisfaction levels had decreased, residents didn’t feel listened to, commercial units were vacant and the place felt unloved. Notting Hill Genesis formed a new Placemaking and Estates Team in April 2022 that redesigns the management strategy with community engagement at its heart

The Silverburn Forum has been in place for over 15 years and comprises community stakeholders, as well as Silverburn team members who have helped shape the community groups and charities that they engage with. From this meaningful engagement, Silverburn Cares was established to tackle key issues, and its Community Fund has raised over £10,000 since 2020 alone

Demographic change in Margate had created divisions between local residents and those ‘down from London’. A wide range of community engagement activities were undertaken to achieve consensus around what could be delivered through a £20m Town Deal. The People’s Panel of 65 local people was established to work directly with the Town Deal Board

Led by Lewisham Citizens, the campaign for affordable housing began in 2014. Once a site was agreed in 2016, Lewisham Citizens and London CLT engaged the local Sydenham community in transforming their own neighbourhood starting with this small piece of land with actions including design workshops and a community steering group

Spanning nearly 12 acres and encompassing the south side of the high street, The Brentford Project will inject new energy into the locality, reconnect the town centre with the water, and create a social a ‘walkable neighbourhood’, with 11 high-density, low-rise buildings, encompassing residential, retail, employment, community and leisure uses, alongside public realm

Dagenham Green is on the former Ford Dagenham works, and includes 3,502 new homes, over 10 acres of nature-centric landscape and education and commercial uses. The vision is to create a neighbourhood that meets residents needs within a 15min walk, with plans for a secondary school, workspaces, local shops, and attractive public realm

Following tests conducted after the 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster and in consultation with residents, it was found that two buildings at Broadwater Farm would need to be demolished. The council initiated rehousing those affected, and commissioned Karakusevic Carson Architects to work with residents to develop the Urban Design Framework, a programme to build 300 new homes and refurbish 860

In March 2020, St Helens Council and The English Cities Fund (ECF) agreed a 20-year partnership to regenerate St Helens town centre. The masterplan features a new town centre divided into four character zones and includes the development of a new bus station, public and pedestrian-friendly spaces and the reconfiguration of redundant highways and the demolition of shopping centres

Tucked behind government ministries and the Albert Embankment, Graphite Square brings together office space for over a thousand people, 160 apartments of which 35% are affordable, a congregational space for the Methodist Church, a local café, public space, new pedestrian routes and residents' gardens

The Redcliffe Park proposal is a sustainable housing development in the heart of Bristol. It includes 122 new dwellings units, 40% of which are affordable. The project is a contemporary synergy of landscape, architecture, ecological design, and cultural history. The Portwall car park will be transformed to activate the ground floor with commercial units, revitalizing the public realm

Situated in the heart of Lewes, the Phoenix is a 7.9-hectare brownfield site that runs along the river Ouse. The neighbourhood will comprise of 700 new homes that will be constructed primarily in sustainable timber, some of which will come from Sussex woodlands, and provide the town with much-needed homes and jobs, community spaces, a river walk, flood defences and a health centre

To connect Swansea back to the beach, a new pedestrian and cyclist footbridge now spans across Oystermouth Road, seamlessly connecting the city centre with the first phase of Copr Bay - including Swansea Arena and a Coastal Park - and the city’s maritime quarter and seafront. The 49m bridge spans six lanes of traffic

Historically, infrastructure delivery in London has suffered from siloed working practices. The Mayor’s Infrastructure Coordination Service has worked alongside Tower Hamlets on a new and innovative approach to future and resilience planning as well as delivering infrastructure on-street in the Isle of Dogs, including taking a "dig once" approach

Situated 300m apart, a new station, bus stops, cycling infrastructure and pier form a central transport interchange for Barking Riverside and the wider area; infrastructure to support the transformation of the old Barking Power Station site into a new London district, connecting existing communities and future residents with central London

An urban park in the sky, this striking Victorian-era steel viaduct in the heart of historic Manchester has been transformed into an accessible green space. The grade II-listed Castlefield Viaduct was once used to transport goods in and out of Manchester but it has remained idle since the city's central station closed in 1969

Climate change and the cost of living are two of the biggest challenges facing Londoners today. Plan Bee, initiated in 2018, has sought to address these issues together, improving access to shade, enhancing biodiversity and creating new community spaces where residents can grow and harvest their own food

In 2022, Grosvenor developed a strategy with Greengage Environmental that sets evidence-based, measurable targets for the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain across existing assets and future developments that go above and beyond compliance with emerging legislation. The strategy targets biodiversity uplifts on new and existing assets via Green Infrastructure retrofits, which the formal mandate will not cover

Intended as a ‘green lung’ to promote health and wellbeing for new residents, Cults Burn Park sits within the first phase of the new community of Countesswells to the west of Aberdeen. One of four parks, the plantings already include a community orchard, 600 trees, 25,000 plants and 34 species of native wildflower

The Aquifer Partnership (TAP) partnered with Moulsecoomb Primary School to renovate a courtyard space into a beautiful, water-friendly, SuDS garden with emphasis on education and play opportunities. TAP was established to protect and improve the quality of groundwater in the Brighton Chalk Block as a valuable natural resource

This research project is a provocation that reimagines and retrofits the ubiquitous London terraced house, retaining the front elevations, insulating, double glazing and adding an upper extension made of cork as a ‘warm hat’. The Sustainable Terrace House also includes communal gardens, pedestrianised zones and new planting schemes to enhance community

The Going Green report aims to reshape and reimagine Birmingham's business district and reclaim it from the motor car, creating an environment that puts pedestrians and cyclists first and sustainability at its heart.
A key aim of this project is to tackle air and noise pollution, climate change, inactivity, diet and lack of access to green spaces

In 2019, the Arts Council England awarded Basildon funding to deliver the BasildON Creative People and Places programme. As part of the programme, the street art activation project ‘Our Towns’ created over 530 sqm of vibrant artwork. Led by a commissioning group of local residents, eight world class artists partnered with local groups to design, commission and create works installed on major buildings

“Let’s Go Circular” showcased some of the best circular economy initiatives from across Cambridgeshire through different types of activations inside the Grand Arcade, from a Repair Café to sewing lessons, including recipes to cook a meal out of food that would have gone to waste, tips about how to recycle in Cambridgeshire and science activities about the importance of regenerating our wildlife

In March 2022, Way of Life founded Community Life, a long-term strategic commitment, working collaboratively with grassroots initiatives to deliver a positive social impact. Inspired by the idea of ‘offsetting’ (like your flight, or car journey) residents are encouraged to donate to grassroot initiatives on a monthly basis alongside their rent

A weekend-long activation of The Bottle Factory during London Design Festival showcased work from over 100 different local artists and creators, including fine art, furniture, design and photography. Interactive installations, art and sculpture, workshops and craft stalls took over the two-storey warehouse building and ancillary Bottle House, with food trucks, stalls and seating spilling out into the cobbled yard

To create an interesting street that would serve the community of King’s Cross, we reduced the cost and risk for new community tenants by developing a turnkey system for independent shops on short licenses which included interchangeable furniture designs and a simple, relatively low cost, flexible lease and license structure based on a turnover model

Copeland park’s new green pocket park launch coincided with the 2022 Peckham Festival. During the festival the space hosted workshops and has since been used for different events. A modular system of movable structures are animated by a colour palette developed with the planting scheme for year-round interest and biodiversity

With the ambition to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour in the Gascoigne Neighbourhood, Phoenix Park was created with a residents forum to provide a temporary space for arts and social activities maintained by a volunteer workforce. Materials were salvaged from nearby demolition sites and will continue to be reused after the park’s lifespan

Five districts and 11 town centres have hosted Makespace’s regenerative interventions to refurbish 27 vacant buildings, housing 56 organisations at affordable rents in former retail and offices spaces. Five mixed-use spaces serve as multi-occupier hubs in Oxford City, Didcot, Abingdon, Wantage and Chipping Norton

Affordable creative work spaces for 7 businesses and community organisations are arranged across two adjacent sites in this development of a disused retail space. After the end of the Spark Lab tenure, a legacy project will continue to green Ilford’s centre with plans to plant 80 trees

A former Methodist church has been transformed to serve a vibrant but underfunded arts community in Ilkeston. The project has re-addressed the space and its surroundings, allowing the lawn to grow and planting new trees among several external sculptures. The building also includes an apartment for a resident artist

St Christopher Square proposes 100 new homes for older people in an £85 million project that aims to be Bristol’s first net zero integrated retirement community. Meanwhile use has been arranged to support urgent needs with the refurbished Hampton lodge, converted into 15 apartments for refugees requiring interim housing

Berliner Union Film Ateliers (BUFA) has expanded its programme to include change-makers beyond cinema. To facilitate this, MVRDV’s masterplan opens up the dense studio campus, improving the environmental status of the buildings and greening the in-between spaces with innovative planting techniques that reduce waste

Located next to the Sørenga this former closed harbour quay is being developed as Oslo’s new fjord district. 1,500 homes and up to 4,000 jobs are provided as well as a kilometre of new sea front. A mix of residential types hopes to ensure a diverse community to meet in the street level public functions

Ireland’s most historic waterway is being celebrated with 57 individual cluster and regional projects identified as locations for investment and consultation. The project intends to change the Boyne Valley from a driving route to a destination for people on foot and cycling

Twelve Trees Park is a 26 acre site which brings 3,800 new homes to West Ham along with 13 acres of landscape and public realm. Two new footbridges and a new station entrance to West Ham station will connect the existing communities to the wider area and to the River Lee

George Street First New Town is part of Edinburgh’s plan for greater pedestrianised spaces and a greener, more accessible urban experience of the world heritage site. Careful attention to materials has been possible through partnerships with Edinburgh World Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland and the Cockburn Association

The relocation of a Gold Medal-winning Chelsea Flower Show garden to Price’s street will create a ‘pocket park’ on Southwark’s paved and pedestrianised Price Street. Flanked by hotels and apartments, Roots in the Sky Garden aims to revitalise a ‘grey’ corner of the city with 55m² new planting introduced to the 700m² area

The 23 mile stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from Blackburn to Pendle will be regenerated as the Super Slow Way Linear Park, an arts project to increase creative activity in East Lancashire. New crossing points and bridges work toward a ‘twenty minute neighbourhood’ to promote sustainable access and movement

Previously used as a footpath to reach the Tesco supermarket, the Water Meadow has been given new life as an environmentally conscious and accessible public space with shelters and viewpoints. The design uses nature-based strategies that allow for the field to flood and drain naturally, and a timber boardwalk to enable access on wet days

Historically the 150-year old Victorian viaducts through Bankside, London Bridge and Bermondsey, which form the Low Line route, have been left underused at street level. The strategic masterplan celebrates the area’s diverse neighbourhood and renowned heritage while making a feature of this physical barrier between central and south London

The 1930s Hornsey Town Hall hosted Queen’s first London gig in 1971. Throughout its history it has played an important social and cultural role in Hornsey as a civic space. This new development introduces 146 new apartments over three buildings, an integrated arts centre, a hotel and a space for gatherings and community engagement such as The Hornsey Sounds project

Greenwich Peninsula reimagines 150-acres of former industrial land. Now home to thousands of residents, a community of creatives working in the unique Design District and with more than 3 million visitors a year, Knight Dragon’s revised masterplan created in 2022 will fast-track development of more affordable housing. More than 17,000 new homes, 12,000 new jobs and 48 acres of open public space will be created over the coming years

Since 2013 Haringey’s placemaking regeneration programme has been shaping a new Tottenham Hale, with over 3,200 new homes consented, over 2,500 on-site or completed, on target to reach 40% affordable housing, over half of which is affordable rent (including over 550 new Council homes). Major capital programmes include new streets, green space, walking and cycling infrastructure and better connections to the Lea Valley

The Grand Central Leisure complex and surface car parking have been reimagined as a welcoming entrance from Stockport train station into the town centre. Stockport Exchange comprises public space and greenery, new highways and pedestrian routes, two high quality offices, a Holiday Inn Express and multi-story car park. With the latest phase introducing a 64,000 sq ft Grade A workspace

The £8 billion, 180-acre Brent Cross Town (BXT) development is one of the largest regeneration projects in Europe. In 2022, BXT delivered local amenities and social infrastructure first, including a visitor pavilion, a cluster of new shops and restaurants and Claremont Park. Initiatives such as ‘Project Play’ and ‘Flourishing index’ to measure wellbeing support a commitment to community

The sustainable developments Little Kelham and Kelham Central offer long-leaseholds owned and controlled by the non-profit Community Interests Company (CIC). The CIC will also have a Utilities Cooperative to provide electricity, water, and data to offer better prices to residents than for-profit energy. The sustainable development has removed cars from its green network into an undercroft podium, to encourage the use of the tram and cycling into town

A £140m revitalisation fund for 1,000 mixed tenure homes, flexible commercial space, community facilities, open space and recreation areas hopes to change perceptions of Glasgow’s Gorbals for good. A five-year arts strategy has been created by WAVE, 166 Gorbals events space and Linear Park support social enterprise and wellbeing alongside out-reach schemes through different partnerships in Laurieston Living’s masterplan

This community-owned space services locals in various ways such as the drop-in cafe, events and learning opportunities - as well as conferences, sports classes, cultural events, and bustling community meals twice a week. Mobility and access have informed the new designs to champion inclusivity. “What-if” conversations and “baggy” spaces hope to ensure flexibility for the future as the community continues to evolve

Born out of meanwhile activation spaces due to the pandemic and the Build-the-Change initiative, the retrofit for The Dugdale Arts Centre is designed to be adaptable and welcoming. Home to the Museum of Enfield, the Black Box theatre and a new cafe, the space is culturally valuable and inclusive, with work spaces and a number of clubs running activities

Funded by the Greater London Authority's Good Growth Fund, the library and a disused garage yard have been transformed into a Living Room, affordable workspaces, public realm improvements and a school street. Elevated reading nooks and heavy curtains for privacy encourage a stronger relationship with reading. Increased opening hours and an events programme intend to bring local groups together

After completing an initial refurbishment phase, HTA Design LLP has taken over a 19th Century heritage building as their new studio space in Hackney Wick. The project provides creative workspace for 200 people and has a focus on lightness throughout, to connect each space in the two-storey building across its 60m length

The Lakeside Centre saw initial success as a community hub in the late 1990s but quickly fell into disrepair and was closed by the early-2000s. This retrofit creates 40 artists studios, a nursery, cafe, community kitchen and gardens. Refurbishment of the iconic sports court The Cage alongside and other immediate spaces seek to upgrade health, wellbeing and the arts in Thamesmead

Originally built in the late 1840s, Crusader was one of the earliest and largest purpose-built textile machinery works in Manchester. Retrofitted for a residential community, the project aimed to preserve historical features where possible and minimise interventions to the existing fabric, restoring the courtyard enclosure and masonry façade

After the dramatic removal of traffic and pedestrianisation of the Strand in 2021, a safer and calmer space has emerged. Multi-coloured seating lines a large performance space with programming commissioned by the surrounding arts institutions. Communal dining, flowerbeds, new trees and cycle stands have increased dwell time in a previously busy and dense section of the city

Transformed from a rat-run into a gathering place, Alfred Place Gardens is an example of ‘grey to green’ conversion, created as part of Camden’s wider ​​West End Project. The project has displaced cars in the previously heavily parked street with pedestrian-friendly space, a forest-inspired walkway, play spaces, lawns and an event space

In the middle of the King’s Cross regeneration area and on the bank of Regent’s canal, Camley Street Natural Park offers a wildlife oasis for those that work in the city. Improvements to pond access and paths, a floating viewpoint and a number of volunteering programmes and educational opportunities contribute to the London Wildlife Trust’s commitment to urban outdoor learning

Claremont Park is part of the wider Brent Cross Town development. A natural amphitheatre and stage, the Water Meadows play park, nature trails including 300 new trees and a new community-run ice-cream parlour bring new amenities and leisure space to the rejuvenated space

Located in the Linen Quarter of Belfast, this masterplan has reactivated the street frontage of Adelaide Street by creating a new half-kilometre linear public park. A lane of vehicular traffic was removed and replaced with incidental play, planting and age-friendly accessible public space including various structures and arts installations

Part of Manchester’s largest regeneration scheme, Mayfield Park is the city’s first new public park in over 100 years. What was industrial land is now home to diverse range of 120 mature and semi-mature trees of 43 different species, 120,000 plants and shrubs, wildflower and public lawns, tranquil riverside walkways and the city’s largest play area

Featuring 16 distinct buildings designed by eight different architects arranged to service a community of 1800 creatives, the amenities of the Design District include specialist workshops, meeting rooms, purpose-designed workspaces, alongside leisure and cultural venues, to help enrich the current and future creative community in South-East London

Dean Clough has undergone a 40-year transformation from one of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers to a 22-acre complex for commercial rent and cultural projects. Sixteen Grade II-listed Victorian mills have been carefully repurposed for contemporary demands and cultural interests, with 150 businesses employing around 4,000 people, plus amenity space and new public realm

Combining commercially driven developments with residential and leisure, the 20-acre NOMA masterplan has evolved out of the former Co-operative estate in Manchester. As well as developing the sustainable and smart-enabled office space in Manchester alongside high-quality inner city living, NOMA created New Century – a restored listed 60’s music hall and a celebrated addition to the city’s diverse cultural and entertainment scene

Wellington Place has been transformed from a low-grade retail park in Leeds to the largest office development in central Leeds in the last 20 years, creating over 1m sq ft of office and leisure space, including bars, restaurants, shops and other amenities. Thirty-four prominent companies call Wellington Place home, including HMRC, NHS Digital, Ward Hadaway, Willis Towers Watson, Equifax and the MOJ

On the site of a derelict former municipal market, the partnership has delivered a new 2.4-acre mixed-use neighbourhood. The £130m development provides 450 student bedrooms, 142 new homes, 30,000 sq ft of office space, 10 independent shops, cafes and restaurants, a 14,000 sq ft dance space and two public squares

Altrincham has transformed itself from a ‘ghost town’ to ‘best place to live in the UK’ in 2020. Established in 2016, BID is expanding commercial space, as a hub for businesses engaging with Altrincham’s community, and with an aim for a greener and cleaner town. The catalyst for the town’s recovery was undoubtedly the regeneration of Altrincham’s award-winning market, initiated by Trafford Council and curated by the innovative Market Operations.