Projects...
Alton Renewal Plan Estate: Community Space Needs Assessment
TbD delivered a two-phase community assessment and co-design process as part of the Alton Renewal Plan, helping local residents, organisations and the council to shape inclusive, sustainable community spaces.
Assets
Transformation by Design was commissioned by Wandsworth Borough Council, in partnership with Our Roehampton, to deliver a two-phase Community Space Needs Assessment for the Alton Renewal Plan in Roehampton. The project forms a key part of the Alton Renewal Plan, shaping how new and existing community spaces can better serve residents as part of this ambitious renewal project.
At its very essence, this work asked a simple but vital question: how do we first build trust between everyone to include residents, local organisations, and the council as we begin to design the spaces that will define the community’s future?
Phase 1 from February – May 2025 mapped the current landscape of community infrastructure across the Estate, identifying how local organisations, faith groups, and anchor institutions sustain essential services. Through 30 interviews, site visits, and operational analysis, the assessment provided an evidence base for community-led renewal and highlighted opportunities for co-location, shared governance, and investment in local capacity.
Phase 2 which was completed July 2025 built on this foundation through a series of co-design workshops, community dinners, and visioning sessions that brought together residents, community groups, council officers, and the design team. These sessions explored how a hub-and-spoke model could be realised through two anchor sites namely Block A (Community Hub) and Portswood Place (Family Hub). We discussed shared principles for accessibility, inclusion, operational realities, and viability.
Our workshops outlined what is to co-create a framework for governance and partnership, establishing the groundwork for a sustainable, community-owned model of stewardship. This ongoing collaboration has inspired an ambition to continue developing a partnership model with the community to deliver social value through these new community assets, ensuring that impact investment creates lasting local benefit.
This project exemplifies Transformation by Design’s mission to align spatial design, policy, and social innovation turning regeneration into a participatory process that builds trust and strengthens belonging, equity, and local resilience.