From blue to green – why water means so much to us at Muse

Waterways have long shaped our cities, but they haven’t always been easy to work with when it comes to redevelopment.

Often post-industrial with deep ties to heavy industry, these spaces can feel immovable and inflexible. In many urban areas, they were once seen as barriers to progress, cutting off communities, complicating infrastructure and stalling regeneration. From a development perspective, they’ve often been overlooked because of the added complexity and cost. After all, it’s easier to build on a flat open site than to work around a waterway.

But when approached with care and the right expertise, they can become catalysts for change. From London’s Docklands to Salford Quays, we’ve seen how water can anchor new communities and breathe life back into forgotten places. At Muse, we’ve been at the heart of many of these transformations, but for me, it’s also personal.

There’s something about living by the water that changes how you experience a place. For me, it’s the early morning paddleboard sessions, the quiet moments watching the tide shift, and the sense of calm that comes with being close to the sea. It’s part of my everyday life, living near the coast, and at Muse that personal connection to water influences how we approach placemaking: thoughtfully, sustainably, and with deep respect for the natural environment.

It’s also why we’re introducing the theme of “Blue to Green” in our work across the South West. This idea looks to connect city waterways to greener, more sustainable spaces in the heart of cities like Bristol as they offer natural green corridors in highly developed environments. Water isn’t a boundary but an opportunity to connect people with nature, to each other, and with the heritage of a place.

We’ve seen the power of this approach in Millbay, Plymouth, where we are helping to transform a historic dockland into a vibrant waterfront community. Working through ECF (our joint venture with Homes England and L&G) the scheme has delivered over 600 homes, a 171-berth marina, shops, workspaces, and a 1,000-pupil school for creative arts. It’s a place that’s reconnected Plymouth’s city centre to the sea, both physically and emotionally. Hosting the SailGP there for three years was a proud moment, not just for the spectacle, but for what it represented in Millbay’s evolution into a world-class destination. It’s distinctly Plymouth, shaped by its maritime heritage and designed to support a thriving community.

In Bristol, Wapping Wharf is another example of what’s possible when you build with water in mind. Sitting proudly on the city’s historic harbourside, the development has reconnected people with water physically, socially, and emotionally. What was once a disused shipbuilding yard is now a thriving neighbourhood, home to over 1,000 residents and a hub for more than 45 independent businesses. Alongside our partners at Umberslade, we’ve tried to honour the site’s maritime heritage by restoring the Grade II listed City Gaol Gate and using materials that echo the dockside character, while creating spaces that invite people to linger and explore.

At Hale Wharf, in the Mayor of London’s Tottenham Housing Zone, water has been the starting point for transformation. Sitting on a strip of land between the River Lea and the Lee Navigation, the site was once underused and disconnected. Now, through our partnership with the Canal & River Trust via Waterside Places, it’s becoming a vibrant waterside neighbourhood that embraces the river rather than turning its back on it. We’ve delivered hundreds of new homes, including affordable housing, and created new pedestrian bridges that link the community to the Paddock Community Nature Reserve. Floating reed beds, improved access for barges and green walkways have brought biodiversity and movement back to the river for a peaceful and restorative environment people can enjoy. Thoughtful design around water can unlock not just land but opportunity for the wider community.

Really these projects are about restoration just as much regeneration. Muse values bringing places back to life in a way that’s sensitive, sustainable, and deeply resonate with the people who live there. That’s why we’re exploring joining Swimmable Cities, a movement that champions clean, accessible urban waterways. And it’s also why we’re proud to be part of the Coastal Industry Taskforce through Morgan Sindall Group, helping to improve coastal health, create jobs, and enhance connectivity in towns that need it most.

For many of us at Muse, water is personal. It’s where we swim, paddle, and find peace, whether socially or on our own. This connection to water drives how we build at Muse – with care and curiosity, as well as the belief that places shaped around water can offer something deeper than housing. From Bristol to Tottenham, we’ve seen how thoughtful design around waterways can create places people genuinely want to be, and as we continue to shape areas across the UK, we’ll continue putting water at the heart of our work.