Learning from UK Urban Regeneration

In March I visited a number of urban regeneration projects in the UK and prepared several talks about them, drawing out ideas and lessons for Auckland. The images in this posting include a few slides from these illustrated talks which are based on photographs, local planning documents, discussions with local planning staff, and other critiques that can be researched.....

The City marketing image in this slide is how the urban waterfront area of Gateshead and Newcastle portrays itself. The image features three iconic structures - the Millenium Bridge, The Baltic Art Gallery (which was a flour mill), and Sage - which is a music venue - somewhat derived from the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

The reality is rather different. This image captures that reality. The urban form is largely empty space. The local street network and fabric is not repeated on the waterfront. The planning for the three iconic structures was to attract private development. But this is not happening. And the bleak open spaces do not attract locals - though the iconic structures do attract some international visitors.

This image is drawn from a presentation about waterfront regeneration on the Thames in London which examines the different types of housing provision as experiences have changed. Examples include Isle of Dogs, Greenwich and Greenwich Peninsula. This example illustrates the retention of lanes in street networks - into and through the new development shown in top left.

The sequencing of regeneration - what works best in terms of value uplift - and what works best in transition is illustrated here. Leisure is first,  then education (schools), office, retail, residential, and only then hotel. Hotel development comes last - which is when the greatest value uplift is returned for the site. Infrastructure is built throughout.

Dublin was an enlightening example. Waterfront regeneration began almost 20 years ago - and then got caught up in Ireland's boom and bust cycle. This image shows Custom Docks - rather like Auckland's Viaduct before development for the America's Cup. Some of the sheds you can see here were redeveloped...

You can see here - for example The CHQ Building. This area was the destination for Dublin's Financial Quarter. Development that was planned down to the bricks and streetscape. New development paid for community gain projects...

This photographic buildup shows the types of housing  and offices that were built, and in the foreground is the Light Rail or European Tram system that was used to lead private investment into the heart of the dockland project. Planners were clear about the need to provide transport infrastructure to lead development investment, and to model and demonstrate the plan for more "sustainable" transport mode share. This emphasised cycling and pedestrian modes.

Kings Cross Station might not be on the Thames - but it is on a set of canals. It is an enormous urban regeneration project of land that was used for railway sidings and other industrial activities. What is extraordinary about the handling of the project is the depth of planning, and the creative ways that have been employed to involve the public and expose them to the evolving nature of regeneration.

The use of active displays and walkways through the heart of the development gradually establishes new roads, new pavements, new cycleways - and familiarises the public with the new piece of city that is emerging.

The Dublin Dockland project has a number of quarters. This one is the Grand Canal Docks area - not unlike Auckland's Wynyard Quarter. Implementation planning began in 2000. Various existing and discontinued uses are shown in this map - which also shows the old blocks and streetscape of the docks and gas works industrial site.

Described as "key structuring elements" the old streetscape is overlaid with a number of new streets. The object being to establish a fine grained city scape reflective of indigenous urban Dublin, and also to create a "permeable" urban area. This is planning speak for the creation of an urban form which is conducive to walking and cycling. Something which will be essential if Wynyard Quarter is to achieve its goal of just 30% of trips being by motor vehicle. 

(There's much more in these presentations and talks for those who want more. This is a taste.)