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Objective

Project

City Park

Results

Successful community and stakeholder engagement

City Park was the centrepiece of the Alsop Masterplan — a major regeneration project for the heart of Bradford. Designed to transform the city centre into a destination public space, the park featured one of the UK’s largest urban water features and was constructed over a two-year period in a high-traffic, highly visible location.

Karenna led stakeholder management, promotion and media relations for the project, acting as the essential link between the technical project team and the wider community. With roads closed and access to neighbouring cafés and businesses disrupted for extended periods, this role required careful negotiation, clear communication and consistent visibility.

Her work included:

  • Stakeholder coordination: managing ongoing engagement with businesses, council departments, funders and the broader construction team, translating construction timelines into clear and actionable updates
  • Media and community relations: overseeing media messaging, press engagement, and community-facing information channels, ensuring transparency and continued support for the vision during disruptive phases
  • Community engagement tools: creating drop-in sessions for residents and businesses, as well as installing a real-time camera and live feed to allow the public to track progress
  • Schools engagement: delivering a tailored programme to educate and involve students across Bradford in the project
  • Signage and communications: installing bold and informative public signage around the construction zone to explain the development and manage expectations

With a build period of over 24 months in the city’s civic core, Karenna’s role was central in maintaining public confidence, responding to shifting timelines and ensuring the community remained connected to the project’s ultimate purpose.

City Park opened to strong public approval and national recognition. The public square and mirror pool have since become a signature space for Bradford — a legacy project that redefined how the city sees itself.

'Karenna was instrumental in developing the communications plan for a major public realm scheme. She worked well across a range of organisations and was always professional and capable. Karenna works tirelessly to maintain relationships and provide information to stakeholders at a time and in a format which works for them. I would personally recommend Karenna for any role as she is confident, enthusiastic and works well under pressure. Karenna possesses a diverse range of skills which would benefit any organisation fortunate enough to employ her.'

Shelagh O’Neil, City Park Project Director

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