Northstowe - shaping a new town centre from the ground up

Northstowe, located on the edge of Cambridge, is one of the UK’s most ambitious new town developments - and the largest since Milton Keynes. With thousands of homes already delivered, the challenge now lies in creating a town centre that not only serves its growing population but gives the place its own identity, heart, and soul.

Early media coverage painted Northstowe as “soulless” and “lacking character”, a view at odds with the pride and determination shown by its pioneering residents. This disconnect highlights the complex task of creating a true sense of place in a town that is still emerging.

Appointed by Homes England, CBRE and Next Phase have been leading work on a strategic vision for the town centre and its key components,  including a vibrant market hall and a series of meanwhile uses that will activate the area in the short term and build community engagement from day one.

Our role in Phase 2 has been to help define what that market hall could be, not just in design terms, but as a social and economic anchor. We’ve undertaken extensive feasibility work, catchment analysis, and community engagement, helping to shape a concept that delivers long-term returns while offering near-term relevance for the current community.

The proposed market hall is envisioned as a dynamic and flexible space, bringing together fresh food, street food, independent retail, and space for events and community use. More than just a building, it’s the beating heart of the new town centre - a place for interaction, culture, enterprise, and shared experience.

Meanwhile, we’ve been developing ideas for short-term uses that will bring activity to the site before the permanent town centre is built. From pop-up events to creative activations, these meanwhile initiatives are designed to build awareness, habit, and belonging, inviting residents to engage with their town centre even while it’s still taking shape.

This work sits at the intersection of placemaking, economic strategy, and community development, providing a real-world model for how future new towns can avoid the pitfalls of soulless design and instead create places that feel alive, welcoming, and rooted in their community.

With development partner Capital & Centric now appointed to take the town centre plans forward, we’re excited to see how the next stage evolves, and how the ideas and strategies we’ve helped shape continue to guide Northstowe’s transformation into a truly great place to live.