# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 2 # ( )("# .ORTH 7EST BRANCH CONFERENCE 'REAT SPACES HISTORIC PLACES IMPROVING THE PUBLIC REALM 4HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN URBAN DESIGN CHARACTER AND IDENTITY AND CONSERVATION WAS THE SUBJECT OF THE )("# .ORTH 7EST "RANCH #ONFERENCE AT ,IVERPOOL S !NGLICAN #ATHEDRAL IN .OVEMBER 4HE FIRST SPEAKER WAS *ERRY 3PENCER THE THEN SENIOR PHYSICAL REGENERATION MANAGER AT THE .ORTH 7EST $EVELOPMENT !GENCY .7$! (E HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING THE .7$! S ACTIVITIES AIMED AT RAISING THE STANDARDS OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN IN THE REGION 3PENCER ASKED PEOPLE TO THINK OF THE PUBLIC REALM AS A LIVING THING WITH SOUL 0HYSICAL REGENERATION WAS THE NEXUS OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REGENERATION HE SAID FOR WITHOUT SOUL REGENERATION DID NOT LAST 4HE TONE OF HIS PRESENTATION WAS TIMELY AND APT 1UITE RIGHTLY THERE HAS BEEN CRITICISM OF PROPERTY LED PHYSICAL REGENERATION FOR IGNORING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS 5NFORTUNATELY THIS HAS LED SOME COMMENTATORS TO FORGET THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION THAT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAKES TO REGENERATION AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE 3PENCER OFFERED A @CRADLE TO MATURITY MODEL WHICH STARTED WITH CONCEPTION AND PROGRESSED THROUGH STAGES OF NAMING NURTURING CLOTHING AND NATURAL GROWTH #ONCEPTION REFERRED TO THE ANALYSIS STAGE )T WAS ABOUT MAKING CONNECTIONS AND @AIMING HIGHER IN TERMS OF ASPIRATION AND IMAGE .AMING WAS ABOUT IDENTIFYING PURPOSES FOR ROUTES AND SPACES AND DISTINGUISHING THE USES OF DIFFERENT SPACES (E EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS NOT JUST ABOUT QUALITY BUT ABOUT PURPOSE BECAUSE PLACES WITHOUT ANY PURPOSE DIED .URTURING WAS ABOUT THE DETAIL OF ENSURING SAFETY ENCOURAGING ACTIVITY AND ESTABLISHING IDENTITY #LOTHING REFERRED TO MIXED ARCHITECTURE SCALE THE QUALITY OF THE PUBLIC REALM SIGNAGE AND PUBLIC ART THAT RESONATED 4HE PRESENTATION WAS ILLUSTRATED WITH EXAMPLES FROM 'LOUCESTER $OCKS AND THE CANAL AREA IN .OTTINGHAM WHERE 3PENCER HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED SHOWING HOW THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT COULD PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR A DISTINCTIVE PUBLIC REALM OF REAL QUALITY THAT WORKED (E ENDED WITH A PERSONAL VIEW OF TWO CONTRASTING RETAIL PROPOSALS IN THE NORTH WEST THE .ORTHGATE DEVELOPMENT IN #HESTER AND THE 4YTHEBARN DEVELOPMENT IN 0RESTON 3PENCER SAW PLUS AND MINUS POINTS IN BOTH SCHEMES 4HE ANSWER WAS PERHAPS TO COMBINE 0RESTON S ASPIRATION FOR DIFFERENT ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTURAL STYLES WITH THE @PUBLICNESS OF THE #HESTER PROPOSAL 4HERE IS NO @ONE SIZE FITS ALL BUT QUALITY DOES BEGET QUALITY IT MAKES FOR A MORE MARKETABLE IMAGE AND PROVIDES GREATER RETURNS 4HE PRESENTATION SET THE CONTEXT FOR THE DAY )N SOME WAYS IT WAS MORE ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE OF REGENERATION THAN CONSERVATION AND URBAN DESIGN BUT THE EXAMPLES REMINDED THE AUDIENCE HOW HISTORIC PLACES COULD BE GREAT SPACES !ND CONSERVATION DOES NEED TO BE PART OF THE MAINSTREAM IF THE GAINS OF THE PAST FEW DECADES ARE NOT TO BE LOST 4HE NEXT SPEAKER NEEDED NO INTRODUCTION %DDIE "OOTH WAS WEARING HIS #ONSERVATION 0RACTICE HAT AS OPPOSED TO HIS )("# CHAIR S HAT FOR HIS PRESENTATION ON @3TREETS FOR !LL (E REMINDED HIS AUDIENCE OF VARIOUS PREVIOUS INITIATIVES INCLUDING @3TREET )MPROVEMENTS IN WHICH HAD THE SLOGAN @DO LESS BETTER "OOTH CAUTIONED THAT IN THE PURSUIT OF CREATING GREAT SPACES THE URGE TO INJECT THE NEW ICONIC AND @THRUSTING NEEDED TO BE TEMPERED BY CONTINUITY (E QUESTIONED APPROACHES THAT SAW THINGS IN TERMS OF EITHER OR CHOICES ARCHITECTURAL OR HISTORIC FOR EXAMPLE OR PRESERVATION OR ENHANCEMENT 7ERE ENHANCEMENT SCHEMES ALWAYS ABOUT @MAKING THE INTERESTING BETTER OR WERE THEY OFTEN @THE MASS APPLICATION OF MISUNDERSTOOD PRINCIPLES 0ROBLEMS IN THE PUBLIC REALM OFTEN ARISE FROM TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES WHICH ARE NOT INCLUDED IN CONSERVATION AREA PROPOSALS "OOTH REMINDED THE AUDIENCE OF THE #IVIC 4RUST S WORK ON TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN HISTORIC TOWNS WHICH LED TO THE "RIXTON STREETSCAPE MANUAL AND THE ORIGINAL %NGLISH (ERITAGE @3TREETS FOR !LL PROJECT IN ,ONDON 4HE AIM OF SUCH INITIATIVES HAD BEEN TO HELP OVERCOME RESISTANCE AND ENTRENCHED IDEAS REGARDING PUBLIC REALM PROCUREMENT 4HE CURRENT @3TREETS FOR !LL PROGRAMME INCLUDES EIGHT REGIONAL VOLUMES DUE TO BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY 4HEY WILL ALL HAVE THE SAME STRUCTURE AND DEAL WITH BASIC PRINCIPLES SURFACES MATERIALS LOCAL DETAILS AND THE NEED TO COORDINATE 4HEY WILL MAKE THE POINT THAT DESIGN CAN BE ICONIC BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT "OOTH DESCRIBED HOW VISUAL CLUTTER SUCH AS STREET FURNITURE n INCLUDING SIGNAGE ##46 CAMERAS SWITCH GEAR AND TRAFFIC BARRIERS n ACCUMULATES DESPITE MUCH OF IT BEING REDUNDANT 4HERE WAS A NEED TO GIVE PRIORITY TO PEDESTRIANS AND ALLEVIATE @URBAN DESOLATION @3TREETS FOR !LL IS INTENDED TO BE A PROCESS RATHER A PRODUCT "OOTH URGED PEOPLE TO USE IT TO @MAYBE DO MORE BETTER 4HE FIRST CASE STUDY IN THE SECOND SESSION WAS THE 3HEFFIELD 0EACE 'ARDEN PRESENTED BY 3IMON /GDEN MAJOR PROJECTS MANAGER FOR 3HEFFIELD #ITY #OUNCIL )N THE S 3HEFFIELD SUFFERED FROM A @TRIPLE WHAMMY IN THE FORM THE -EADOW (ALL OUT OF TOWN SHOPPING DEVELOPMENT CONSTRUCTION WORKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRAMWAY AND RECESSION ! RE EVALUATION OF THE CITY IDENTIFIED A RETAIL AXIS INTERSECTING A @UNIVERSITY AXIS WITH THE 0EACE 'ARDENS AT THE INTERSECTION /GDEN GAVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SITE EXPLAINED HOW IT HAD BECOME A VIRTUAL NO GO AREA AND OUTLINED THE FIRST PLAN FOR A @%URO STYLE SQUARE WHICH THE PUBLIC REJECTED 4HE REVISED SCHEME STILL FACED PRESS CRITICISM AND PROTESTS BY GREEN ACTIVISTS SO THE COUNCIL S DEVELOPMENT UNIT EMBARKED ON A PROGRAMME OF PUBLIC RELATIONS ROADSHOWS !RTWORK WAS INCORPORATED COMMEMORATING PEACE FIGURES ALONG WITH PLANTING IN THE MANNER OF 'ERTRUDE *EKYLL 4HE SCHEME INCLUDED OPEN ACCESS FOUNTAINS n AGAINST THE
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