Dr Saira Ali’s Post

Aire Park is a great and comprehensive redevelopment, and The Tetley building is such an important part of that, bringing it all together. "A sensitive and minimalist approach is needed" to proposals say Leeds Civic Trust, and there's a balance needed with this; heritage harm versus public benefit, historic preservation versus feasibility and viability. There's concern about extensions to The Tetley building, but it's interesting that there's equal concern about the treatment of its interior features. It serves as a reminder that heritage is as much about what you can't see from the street as much as what you can. #Leeds #AirePark #Tetleys #Heritage https://lnkd.in/egbpT26B

Here are 5 key traits we're using to revitalise high streets and town centres for a sustainable future.

Among a welter of great insights at this week's Mersey Power Towns event hosted in #IrvineBuilding by Frank Mckenna was this cracker from Chris Lee: "We need to be super-ambitious for Wirral and Birkenhead. The first thing I'd do is rebuild the tower at New Brighton." Now, for those who don't know, it was Wirral's tilt at its own Eiffel Tower, with a ballroom at the foot upon whose stage once strutted four chirpy lads from across the river. They went on to greater things. Chris's point, however, wasn't about recreating past glories, but more about the signal that ambition sends to the market, and how the market invariably responds positively. Funders, developers, end-users and residents buy in to ambition when it's delivered at scale and with the requisite quality. It's why Wirral Council is driving forward a number of significant masterplans and why they signalled their intent with two Grade A office buildings, Mallory + Irvine. Does it work? Well, let's look at another slightly rainy shipbuilding town with a population of 350,000. Most people felt its hey-day was long gone and that a re-scaling of its ambitions and population was in order. The good burghers of Bilbao begged to differ, got the Guggenheim museum built, whilst simultaneously delivering a stunning, Norman Foster-designed underground network. The market responded with gusto. Where once there wasn't a tourist to be had, the place is now bunged with the curious - typically well-heeled explorers keen for an intriguing fix of urbanism. Hotels have sprung up with glorious regularity and the city's unemployment - once a blight on whole communities - has fallen dramatically. And it still rains - a good deal more than Birkenhead, in fact (1,134mm pa compared with 824mm, for the hydrologically-minded). #Birkenhead is in the early stages of its own transformation, but it would take a brave man to bet against it, given what's coming down the tracks (after all, we already have a rather spiffy underground network, with six stations in the town centre). Maybe time for you to take a fresh look. Marcus Shaw MRICS David Wade-Smith Stephen Parry Ben Lavell Chris McKenna Pic caption: Ships Nostalgia

When The Hankin Group developed a high-density mixed-use town center, CVDA was requested to review a plan to enhance placemaking, walkability, and create a landscape character that is in keeping with the Chester County cultural landscape. During the process CVDA revisited the street design system, all walkways, the community center/pool area and developed the trails and related site circulation. The enhanced plan included pedestrian friendly streetscapes that will serve both residents and businesses, more aesthetic parking facilities, and a network of parks and open space enhancing the neighborhood experience. Challenges included meeting ADA requirements given the slopes of the site, developing landscape enhancements that did not interfere with utilities, re-grading the site to meet the challenging cut and fill requirements, and incorporating traffic calming initiatives that provided enhanced value to the overall design of the project. #placemaking #towncenter #trafficcalming #culturallandscape #mixeduse

Big News! 🎉⁠ ⁠ We’ve won Capital & Centric’s competition for St Georges Wolverhampton!⁠ ⁠ Working with our friends Mikhail Riches we’re excited to be co-masterplanning the repair of this historic city district. We’ll also be looking after the design of a glorious new city park, a network of new public spaces and the remaking of several historic streets. While we’re doing that Mikhail Riches will be busy adapting the former Sainsburys building into high performance new homes while other parts of the site will host family housing at a variety of scales. The eponymous church will be re-proposed into community and work spaces surrounded by independent businesses at the heart of the scheme. ⁠ ⁠ Active travel focussed, super green (and blue) infrastructure, extremely high performance, low embodied energy buildings, places to work and play…..you want to see regenerative urban planning at a scale up from our work on The Phoenix, this is it. Watch this space (and our channels)! Roll on pre-app!⁠ ⁠ Capital & Centric (C&C) are a Social Impact developer who retain and operate their sites for the long term. In 2017 C&C co-founded the @regenbrainery, a mentoring programme designed to inspire young people from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds, so the places we create are better, richer and more reflective of the society we live in. ⁠ ⁠ Find out more, link in bio.⁠ ⁠ Capital&Centric RIBA Architects’ Journal ⁠ #periscope_uk⁠ #urbandesign #urbanenvironment #builtenvironment #urbanplanning #placemaking #urbanism #housing #architecture #density #scale #landscapearchitecture #citiesforpeople⁠ #urbanspaces #greenspaces #greeninfrastructure #blueinfrastructure #ecology #biodiversity #water #flood #suds #infrastructure #culturallandscape #citynature #natureinthecity #landscape ⁠#wolverhampton⁠

Wynwood, known for its unique blend of repurposed industrial charm and vibrant urban culture, is now at a critical juncture. The proposed Live Local Act looms large, potentially opening the floodgates to towering developments that defy the carefully crafted regulations that have defined our neighborhood's character. This legislation could pave the way for projects like Bazbaz Development's 48-story tower, a stark departure from the current 12-story limit set by the Wynwood Neighborhood Revitalization District rules. Such changes threaten to overwhelm our narrow streets with increased traffic and infrastructure demands, jeopardizing the very essence of what makes Wynwood a thriving community. #compassrealestate #realestate #luxuryrealestate #agentsofcompass #compass #realestateagent #compasseverywhere #realtor #architecture #luxuryhomes #condo

In recent years, New York City’s urban landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation, with developer-owned parks emerging as catalysts for change in the outer boroughs. These green spaces, born from significant private investments, are not merely beautifying neglected areas but are also serving as cornerstones for vibrant new neighbourhoods. This trend marks a shift from the traditional notion of parkside living being exclusive to Manhattan’s Central Park, as innovative developers bring the luxury of green spaces to Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. https://lnkd.in/ee2Js9BQ #NYC #UrbanDevelopment #GreenSpace #RealEstate #CityLife #Architecture #Sustainability #Community #Waterfront #Brooklyn #Bronx #Queens #ParksAndRec #UrbanPlanning #NYCLife #CityParks #Gentrification #NeighborhoodRevival #PublicSpaces #NYCDevelopment

Tactical urbanism, also called Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper, is a "try before you buy" approach to improving public spaces, streets or parks. Social Life Project says: "Short-term, low-cost improvements can act as stepping stones to larger more substantial investments while achieving immediate results. These “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” interventions also enable experimentation with design changes before they are permanently constructed." An excellent example of this approach was the transformation of on-street parking and road space into the Mary Street Piazza in Highgate, Western Australia. The piazza was designed by PLACE Lab, led and delivered by the City of Vincent, and built by Le Grove Landscaping. The project was also championed by the local #TownTeam - the Beaufort Street Network. The 2 week public space trial showed: 💲 local businesses that the loss of car #parking would not adversely affect them. In fact, the creation of a new public space significantly improved a number of surrounding businesses. The critics became supporters. 🙂 local residents that a new public space would not attract "anti-social behaviour" or create other imagined issues 🌳 the need for and popularity of a new, free public space on a thriving, busy street. Intuitively placemakers know that more high quality public spaces are needed. Rather than talking about it or trying to convince the sceptics, a trial demonstrates it. Thanks to Dion Robeson for some amazing 'after' photos. Learn more about the mindset, process and tactics for creating better #place and #community outcomes in the Creating Great Places for Professionals online course - https://lnkd.in/gHWGb5Qt Town Team Movement PlacemakingX David MacLennan Alison Xamon Sarah Maraglio Kirsten Romany David Doy Anna Chauvel Georgia Lawrence Bessie Lemann John Carey MLA Emma D. Dean Cracknell Jimmy Murphy Simone Robeson Pam Herron Karen Hinds Joshua O'Keefe Christina Harmsen Planning Institute of Australia Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Ben Perry Future Village Germain Briand Emma Snow Patrycja Rosinska Kendell Terrell Rae Hoff Cate Baker Nic Brunsdon Michelle Prior Ian Thompson Dahna Stead

#Tacticalurbanism is a #blessing for making #responsive streets/places. #Anything that we had #bought after we are allowed to #try has higher probability of meeting our needs, so does #tacticalurbanism in making our #streets/ #places for us. Placemaking Education

New York City has long been a symbol of evolution, constantly reinventing itself to stay ahead of global trends. Now, one of its most iconic streets, Park Avenue, is on the cusp of a significant transformation, offering the chance to create an open space that will benefit residents, workers, and visitors alike. This is not merely a beautification project; it’s a visionary plan that will cement New York’s status as a world-class city for decades to come. Over the years, NYC has consistently met the challenges posed by other global cities through innovation and resilience. Projects like the High Line, Domino Park, and Governors Island have successfully transformed neighborhoods, creating green spaces that foster community, boost tourism, and drive local economies. Park Avenue’s future redevelopment, spearheaded by Mayor Adams and Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, aims to follow this path by revitalizing Midtown East with an inspiring public park between 46th and 57th Streets. The new park will replace the existing “malls”—enclosed flower beds along the avenue that, while visually appealing, don’t serve the area’s needs. Historically, these malls were once pedestrian-friendly promenades, but over the decades they shrunk in favor of car access. Today, as New York's urban landscape evolves, it’s clear that the time has come to reimagine this stretch of Park Avenue. In 2018, Fisher Brothers launched the “Beyond the Centerline” competition, calling on designers to envision a new future for Park Avenue. Hundreds of ideas poured in, evolving into a proposal supported by stakeholders from the design, preservation, and open space communities. Now, the city is offering landscape architects and urban designers the opportunity to submit their boldest ideas, with up to $1.5 million in potential awards for the winning vision. A revitalized Park Avenue will not only add two acres of vibrant green space but will also serve as a catalyst for economic growth. A recent study by HR&A Advisors projects that this transformation could generate up to $1 billion in incremental property tax revenue. Moreover, a Gensler report found that 35% of New Yorkers want more green space in Midtown and Lower Manhattan, underscoring the public demand for such projects. This project showcases New York's bold vision and commitment to its residents. Transforming underused space into a vibrant landscape will strengthen community ties, boost local businesses, and keep the city globally competitive. We’re excited to see how the city's top urban designers will reimagine Park Avenue's future. #ParkAvenueRevitalization #NYCOpenSpace #UrbanDesign #MidtownEast #GlobalCity #LandscapeArchitecture #InnovativeDesign #SustainableUrbanism #GreenSpaces #EconomicGrowth #MayorAdams #TransformNYC #DesignCompetition