From Strategy to Delivery
In a world of competing priorities and fragmented plans, Shape works with public and private sector organisations to bring clarity, alignment and momentum.
We take what already exists and turn it into something that can be delivered, shaping strategies, programmes and places that work in practice, not just on paper.
Our work spans strategic alignment, operating models, engagement and activation, from urban rooms and cultural programming to stakeholder consultations and delivery frameworks. We combine strategic clarity, cultural intelligence and hands-on delivery expertise to move ideas forward and make them real.
Founded by Benjamin O’Connor, Shape brings together bespoke project teams to respond to each challenge, working across public realm, culture, infrastructure and development to create joined-up, holistic outcomes.
About Us
Our Focus
Why It Works
How We Work
At Shape, we work with public and private sector organisations to shape better places by aligning fragmented strategies and turning them into clear, deliverable outcomes. Our work spans culture, public realm, regeneration, infrastructure and beyond. Through a human-centred and collaborative approach, we bring clarity, cohesion and momentum to complex challenges.
How We Work
Why It Works
How We Work
We combine what already exists with what is needed to move forward, creating focused and deliverable plans that include engagement and activation, from stakeholder consultations and internal workshops to operating models and real-world testing. The result is clear priorities, aligned teams and a practical roadmap that turns vision into action.
Why It Works
Why It Works
Why It Works
Our approach reduces duplication, builds internal capability and supports delivery over the long term. By connecting strategy with implementation, we help organisations unlock value, strengthen partnerships and create outcomes that are both ambitious and achievable. The result is better use of resources and more meaningful impact.
Why Us
We bring together leading specialists to deliver tailored, real-world outcomes. Having worked from the inside, we understand what it takes to move from strategy to delivery and make ideas stick. We bridge disciplines across planning, culture, infrastructure, development, policy and community, connecting people and priorities to create joined-up solutions. Our focus is on turning ambition into action and helping others do the same.
Benjamin O’Connor is a respected voice in London’s cultural and built environment sectors, known for his ability to connect strategic thinking with real-world delivery. Over two decades, he has led high-profile initiatives at the intersection of architecture, placemaking, culture and public life. As Director at New London Architecture, he shaped city-wide programmes, convened influential conversations, and worked across sectors to drive meaningful change.
At Shape, this experience is applied to deliver practical outcomes, from strategic alignment and engagement to operating models, activation and implementation. Drawing on deep expertise in strategy, stakeholder engagement and narrative development, Shape helps organisations create places, programmes and partnerships that work in practice and deliver long-term impact.
Our Services
Strategic Review & Integration
We bring clarity to complexity by aligning what already exists. Through a structured review of strategies, plans and priorities, we identify gaps, overlaps and opportunities to create a single, coherent direction. Our approach connects disciplines across planning, culture, infrastructure and development, ensuring strategies are not just aligned, but ready to be delivered.
Action Planning & Roadmapping
We turn strategy into clear, deliverable plans. This includes practical roadmaps, delivery frameworks, governance structures and partnership models that support implementation. We create tools and narratives that align teams, engage stakeholders and provide a shared direction, ensuring momentum from day one.
Activation & Engagement
We bring strategies to life through people. From stakeholder consultations, public engagement and programming to internal workshops and hackathons, we create spaces for collaboration, testing and alignment. This builds ownership, surfaces new ideas and ensures strategies are grounded in real-world insight and support.
Places, Platforms & Operating Models
We design how ideas work in practice. This includes developing operating models, cultural strategies and delivery approaches for places, programmes and spaces such as urban rooms. Working with our network of specialists, we shape sustainable, deliverable models that bring together people, purpose and place.
Our Associates
Rumi Bose
Adam Nathaniel Furman
Adam Nathaniel Furman
Rumi is an award-winning urban designer and place-shaping consultant with 16 years of regeneration expertise. She combines strategic insight, community-centred design and creative leadership to create inclusive, hopeful places that address today’s social, cultural and environmental challenges.
Adam Nathaniel Furman
Adam Nathaniel Furman
Adam Nathaniel Furman
Adam is an internationally recognised artist, designer and writer whose work redefines how we experience architecture, design and public space. Known for fearless colour and cultural clarity, his projects blend scholarship, craft and emotion to create places of meaning and joy.
Priya Aggarwal-Shah
Adam Nathaniel Furman
Priya Aggarwal-Shah
Priya is Founder and Director of PREACH Inclusion and a leading national voice for intersectional inclusion in the built environment. With over eight years’ experience, she combines communication, strategy and empathy to turn bold ideas into meaningful, people-centred change.
Zoe Allen
Caroline Dyer
Priya Aggarwal-Shah
Zoë is the founder of Artistic Statements, a London-based art consultancy creating bold, site-specific commissions. Her curatorial approach unites emerging artists, specialist makers and designers to deliver conceptually rich installations rooted in place and creative collaboration.
Caroline Dyer
Caroline Dyer
Caroline Dyer
Caroline founded Heard Storytelling to create space for unheard voices and real conversations. Blending experience in placemaking, events and marketing, she uses lived experience storytelling to bring communities closer, strengthen organisations and foster authentic engagement .
Our Partners
