Work starts on new community-focused Belvedere Park at East Village, Stratford

Construction has begun on the transformation of Belvedere Park at East Village in Stratford, with landscape architecture practice Grant Associates leading the redesign of the new community-focused public space for client Get Living - a leading Build to Rent operator and developer focused on creating large-scale, thriving neighbourhoods across the UK.

Part of the final phase of East Village’s long-term evolution, Get Living’s first and flagship neighbourhood, the revitalised Belvedere Park will introduce a more welcoming, biodiverse and socially-connected landscape at the heart of the neighbourhood, strengthening the public realm and enhancing connections across the wider masterplan.

Designed by Grant Associates, the 0.62-hectare park has been conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the English garden. Belvedere Park unfolds as a sequence of evocative, immersive spaces. Trellis arches wrapped in climbing plants frame the main entrances, reimagining the traditional threshold into the garden. Within the space, Belvedere Park becomes a richly layered landscape a place of discovery where vibrant planting, play spaces, and areas for rest come together.

Works are now underway on the project, with landscape contractor Maylim leading delivery on site and completion expected in late summer.

The proposals build on the wider East Village regeneration vision while responding directly to the site’s specific character and challenges. Previously open and exposed, the redesigned park introduces a stronger sense of enclosure, identity and community through a more intimate spatial arrangement, layered planting and the series of striking planted archway structures framing key entrances and routes through the space.

At the centre of the new landscape will be a vibrant play area for children aged four to ten. The play spaces are arranged in a circular configuration with inclusive and varied equipment, alongside informal lawn play areas and carefully positioned seating that enables parents and carers to comfortably oversee activity throughout the park.

A new community garden will form another key feature of the park, encouraging local participation and everyday interaction. Raised planters have been designed to support accessibility for disabled users, while nitrogen-fixing clover planting and pollinator-friendly perennial species will help strengthen biodiversity and seasonal interest throughout the year.

The planting strategy is both resilient and ecologically rich, but what truly sets it apart is the underlying concept. Drawing on the full chromatic spectrum of the colour wheel, the design establishes a clear, directional flow that subtly guides movement and perception through the space.

An orchestrated progression of colour themes ranging from warm reds and yellows to deep greens, vibrant fresh greens, and cooler purples and blue hues creates a dynamic sensory experience, shaped by the psychology of colour to evoke emotion, enhance spatial awareness, and enrich the visitor’s journey.

Ibrahim Diaz, Associate Director at Grant Associates, said:

“Belvedere Park transforms what was once an exposed, predominantly lawned space into a landscape that offers a strong sense of refuge and discovery for the community. The design is defined by a distinctive green armature, enclosing a series of playful, intimate spaces where rich planting is interwoven with community areas, seating, play spaces, and trellised structures.

Underpinned by a broad interpretation of biophilic design, the scheme embraces generous, flowing forms and a planting palette selected not only for resilience but also for its colour, texture, and foliage character. Colour is used deliberately as a tool to shape experience and evoke emotion, creating a place that feels both unique and deeply connected to the wider East Village masterplan.”

Chris Nulty, Land & Development Director, at Get Living, said:

“Belvedere Park represents an important next chapter in the evolution of East Village and our continued investment in creating places where communities can thrive. Working with Grant Associates, we are transforming the park into a more welcoming and dynamic space that encourages everyday connection, play and wellbeing, while strengthening biodiversity and enhancing the wider neighbourhood experience.

As Get Living’s first and flagship neighbourhood, East Village has always been shaped around the needs of residents and the local community, so this renewed public space reflects that long-term commitment to creating vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time.”

Belvedere Park forms part of the continuing evolution of East Village as one of London’s most successful mixed-use neighbourhoods, reinforcing the role of landscape in creating healthier, greener and more connected urban communities.

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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.