LDA Design has been appointed by Liverpool City Council to develop a Public Realm Strategy that will shape the look and feel of the city for the next 50 years.
LDA Design is currently working for Liverpool City Council on a Spatial Regeneration Framework to guide the future development of the Baltic Triangle area, to the south of the city centre.
The draft Public Realm Strategy will go out to public consultation next year. It will provide a detailed planning framework to ensure a coordinated approach to the design and management of streets and open spaces. Its implementation will also support the city’s continuing economic and social regeneration. It will be designed to meet the needs of all users, including children, older people and people living with disabilities.
The Strategy will underpin Liverpool’s renaissance, with £14 billion of development schemes either underway or in the pipeline over the coming decade. The Strategy aims to:
- deliver high-quality public realm which supports the city centre as a destination
- create a better connected city centre that is easier to reach and move around, in line with the City’s Connectivity Scheme
- help the City to adapt to the Climate Change Emergency and reduce carbon emissions eg through more walking and cycling
- reinforce the city centre as a great place to live, work, play and visit
- support the city centre as a cultural hub, dovetailing with Liverpool’s upcoming Public Art Strategy
The Public Realm Strategy will also reflect the aims of the current Strategic Regeneration Frameworks/ Supplementary Planning Documents planned for the city centre at:
- Cavern Quarter/ Williamson Square
- Commercial Business District
- Upper Central
- The Baltic Triangle
The Strategy will be used as a Supplementary Planning Document once Liverpool’s 15 year Local Plan is adopted, late 2020. It will guide future regeneration and support and promote the Council’s declared Climate Change Emergency and environmentally friendly policies.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “Liverpool is undergoing an unprecedented renaissance with billions of pounds reshaping the city’s economy – but we need an overarching vision to glue all this regeneration activity together.
“How a city looks and feels at a human level is vital to its success – as the Liverpool ONE development has proved. We now have a number of masterplans all looking to foster growth across the city centre but the quality of our public spaces and streets needs to be consistent and complementary.”
Mark Graham, Director, LDA Design, said: “Liverpool is renowned as one of the most creative cities in the UK. The Strategy matters because we all meet in the public realm so it needs to be healthy, welcoming, green and sociable. As Liverpool continues to grow, its people deserve a city centre that reflects their ambitions. We’re honoured to be part of such a nationally significant project.”
