PRD, alongside Augarde & Partners, were commissioned by LB Hackney to report on the social impact delivered to date at Trowbridge Gardens. Trowbridge Gardens was an underused council asset in Hackney Wick, transformed in 2019 into an affordable workspace and community space operated by Arbeit Studios. The purpose of the study was to understand the social and economic impact of the project, exploring how investment by the council in the form of discounted rent has unlocked wide-ranging impact for the local business and residential communities.

We undertook a needs assessment of the area and used this, alongside findings from engagement with Arbeit and site tenants and users, to inform a bespoke social impact framework for Trowbridge Gardens. The research uncovered that the site was having a much wider impact than was originally conceived, with impact themes ranging from local business resilience, supporting employment and skills, community cohesion and improving access to nature. The final report reported a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data to tell the impact story, and can be read on Arbeit’s website.