Planning approval granted for HS2 Curzon Street Station public realm in Birmingham

Grant Associates acts as landscape architect as part of wider design team

Planning approval has recently been granted for the public realm surrounding HS2’s Curzon Street Station in Birmingham.

Grant Associates worked as landscape architect within the wider design team led by AWJV (a joint venture between Arcadis and WSP), alongside Grimshaw as architect and Mace Dragados as main works contractor, supporting the public realm design.

The proposals establish a network of new civic spaces, green infrastructure and pedestrian routes around the station, designed to connect the city centre with Digbeth, Eastside and the wider transport network.

At the heart of the scheme is a series of new public spaces, including Station Square at the main western entrance, Curzon Promenade running along the station frontage, and the combined Curzon Square and New Canal Street Square at the eastern concourse.

Together, these spaces create a sequence of arrival, movement and dwell, balancing the operational demands of a major transport hub with the qualities of a welcoming city landscape.

A key driver of the design is connectivity – creating clear and intuitive routes for walking, wheeling and cycling, and strengthening transport links across this part of Birmingham to help support regeneration and economic growth.

The project is also intended to act as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of Birmingham’s Eastside, helping to support new development and establish a strong civic framework for future growth.

The landscape is designed to support both movement and pause. Large civic spaces allow for events and gatherings, while smaller gardens, terraces and shaded seating areas provide more intimate places to rest and spend time.

Curzon Promenade forms a central green spine, connecting Eastside City Park to the wider city. Defined by tree planting, lawns and rain gardens, it integrates sustainable drainage and creates a continuous pedestrian environment along the station frontage.

Across the site, planting plays a key role in enhancing biodiversity and urban resilience, with a diverse mix of species and habitats, alongside features such as rain gardens, woodland areas and integrated ecological measures.

The design also responds strongly to the site’s heritage context, particularly the historic Old Curzon Street Station and surrounding railway structures, using landscape to frame views, reveal historic alignments and create a distinctive sense of place.

Inclusive design has been embedded throughout, ensuring the public realm is accessible, legible and welcoming for all users, with step-free routes, clear wayfinding and a strong emphasis on comfort and a sense of safety.

The scheme reflects a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach, bringing together architecture, engineering and landscape to deliver a coherent and high-quality public realm for one of the UK’s most significant new transport hubs.

Danny Nagle, Associate Director at Grant Associates, said:

“This is about creating more than a station – it’s about shaping a new piece of city. The landscape is designed to connect people and places, while also creating moments to pause, gather and experience nature within a major transport environment. Just as importantly, it establishes a framework that can help support the wider regeneration of Eastside – creating the conditions for future development and a strong, legible and welcoming part of Birmingham. It’s a collaborative project at a significant scale, and this approval is an important step forward.”

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Editors notes

About Grant Associates Grant Associates is a pioneering international landscape architecture practice, whose work reconnects people with nature in insightful, delightful and distinctive ways whilst addressing the global challenges of urbanisation, the climate crisis and biodiversity extinction. Grant Associates’ design process is underpinned by a knowledge of human behaviour, nature and ecological science combined with innovative design technology. The practice combines original thinking, creative collaboration and regenerative design to breathe new life into our cities and landscapes.