Our work in the public realm work is shaped by a simple belief: when streets and spaces feel welcoming, safe and uplifting, people feel more connected to the city and to each other.
Through our Colmore Placemaking Working Group, we deliver with partners across Birmingham to create places with character; places where workers, residents and visitors feel proud to spend time.
Below you’ll find an overview of our recent and past public realm projects, with links to news stories and updates where available.
Looking ahead, projects such as Steelhouse Square (part of the Snow Hill Interchange Plan public realm programme) will further strengthen pedestrian routes, add green space and improve the everyday experience of being in the city centre. More detail on this ambition will be added soon.
Our ambition for Colmore Row is to transform one of Birmingham’s most famous streets into a greener, calmer and more people‑focused boulevard. We want Colmore Row to feel like a natural place to walk, pause and enjoy – a space shaped around people, rather than traffic.
The long-term vision is for Colmore Row to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, creating a safer and more welcoming route through our District. While buses and essential service vehicles will continue to access the street (with servicing times potentially managed), reducing general vehicle dominance will help bring more life to the street, support local businesses and create an environment that feels open, accessible and confidently urban.
Delivered in partnership with Birmingham Colmore, Birmingham City Council, and Transport for West Midlands, with additional support from the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, the Cornwall Street transformation programme introduced high‑quality paving, clearer loading and parking arrangements, improved landscaping and new seating.
These changes create a more welcoming, pedestrian‑friendly environment and give local hospitality businesses the opportunity to extend their presence outdoors with the appropriate licences.
The Cornwall Street works form part of the wider Snow Hill Public Realm Programme.
Colmore Square completed the transformation of the former 1960s Colmore Circus gyratory into a more people‑focused route linking Steelhouse Lane and Colmore Row. The space includes new planting, soft landscaping, seating and feature lighting, along with a small ‘chess garden’ pocket park.
This was the first civil engineering public realm project in Birmingham to be delivered solely by a Business Improvement District. Designed by Capita’s land planning team, with construction by The Landscape Group and project management from Mace, the scheme represents a milestone in how BIDs can shape city spaces.
Completed in 2012, Church Street Square was our first major public realm improvement scheme. It transformed a wide, car‑dominated street into a greener, more welcoming space with planting, trees, benches and enhanced lighting. The square also features Umbra, a piece of public art by Wolfgang Buttress.
The redesign shifted the balance from vehicles to people, creating a comfortable spot to pause, meet or spend time. The space has since hosted small events, including live music during the Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival and the Magnum Sport photographic exhibition.
