<p>Over the past two decades, the tall building boom has changed the cityscape of the City of London (CoL). This paper provides insight into the mandatory pre-application consultation process for tall buildings in the City of London. It examines how stake-holders’ participation influences the outcome of these projects, with implications for architectural design. This study is structured in three parts using three commercial projects with planning applications approved in 2011 for comparison: First, a quantitative analysis of stakeholder based on Dente’s definition of stakeholder type and their resources, then using an multivariate ordinal scale to measure influence of stakeholder based on: the number of consultation meetings, when the meeting was held, raised concerns, and the number of attributed design changes. Second, a qualitative analysis of design changes is conducted based on elements representative of the design stages: site planning, massing, and façade design. Lastly, a comparison and contrast study of consultation impact across the three projects. Informal interviews were conducted with representatives from the City of London, CABE, and local residents to complement the document analysis. The study reveals three key findings: 1. The proportion of influential stakeholders varies significantly due to site context. 2. A greater number of influential stakeholders adds to the heteronomy of the design process. 3. The key influential stakeholders were: The City of London planning department, the Barbican Resident Association, and CABE. The general public was the least influential, with concerns primarily focused on disruptions caused by construction, rather than the design of the building.</p>