We are working across London to provide ambitious improvements to the network of public spaces, from the doorstep to the street, parks and landscapes.

Parliament Square could be one of central London's great public spaces. However the Square is currently underused, serving primarily as a traffic island. Plans prepared by an interdisciplinary design team are aiming to realise the potential of this great space.

The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Church attract very high numbers of visitors. There are currently 34 million pedestrian trips every year on the footways surrounding the Parliament Square, however less than half a million of these cross from the crowded pavements onto the Square itself.

To improve these connections, the design team has proposed pedestrianising the south side to link the Square with Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church, and improving crossings to the Palace of Westminster.

Design for London is part of the client team for the project, and is advising the project partners on design quality. Construction will start late 2009 and be completed by autumn 2010.

Design team: Hawkins/Brown, DHDSA Architects, Vogt Landscape Architects, Colin Buchanan Engineers, Hyder, Intelligent Space, Jason Bruges Studio, David Bonnett Associates and Montague Evans.

Partners: Transport for London and the Greater London Authority are leading the project, and are working closely with Westminster City Council as the planning and highways authority for the area.