RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN A Response To Community And Economy
Framework by
Studio A Group
Tutoring:
Martin Quiroga Mora Curtis Martyn
Zheng Huang
Jiajia Xu
Ying Chen
"Inevitably, life between buildings is richer, more stimulating, and more rewarding than any combination of architectural ideas". Jahn Gehl
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN A Response To Community And Economy
CONTENTS OVERVIEW: Whitehaven, UK.
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HISTORY Timeline
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RESEARCH & ANALYSIS Mapping Indexing Data: demographic Data: traffic Transport system analysis The C2C Flooding analysis
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DIAGNOSIS Public services Georgian urbanism Georgian architecture Meeting key actors, key concepts Qualitative Quantitative
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MASTERPLAN: FRAMEWORK Problem & solution concepts Whitehaven system I. Landuse & mobility II. Heritage & economics III. Society & economics IV. Fish economy / V. Heritage Whitehaven: solution strategies Masterplan planning process Integrated masterplan: RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN
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MASTERPLAN: DESIGN I. Connectivity & mobility Access complex Marina square and TRAM stop plaza C2C square and local markets area TRAM serial vision TRAM Copeland district line II. Open community Design process Proposal Concept views III. Shared street IV. Fish Economy
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REFERENCES, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & TEAM
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CONTENTS
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
OVERVIEW: WHITEHAVEN, UK. Whitehaven is situated in the North West coast of the United Kingdom, over the Irish Sea shore. It is the main town center in the district of Copeland, which is part of the Cumbria county, along the “Energy Coast” at the North West of the Lake District National Park. Whitehaven used to be the second most important port in the UK from the 17th to the 18th century, and so it was the first planned town under an specific urban canon, which in this case was the one established during the Georgian era. Its fast decline during the second half of the 18th century is the main reason why the original urban grid and architecture has remained mostly untouched. The original structures that comprise its harbor and some of the remaining abandoned mining pits around the shore lead into a sequence of elements that integrate a path way along its surrounding coast line. Whitehaven’s townscape is completed by the surrounding landscape and waterscape, which inspired the creation of a cycle route that goes from the West to the Eastern coast of the UK, choosing this town as the starting point of such route.
However somber this overview may be, this hasn’t prevented investors to look at the potential for development that Whitehaven represents, particularly when the urban expansion along the district of Copeland is taking place as fast and massive new suburbs are dispersely built across its territory. Commuters, authorities and even investors are open to and interested in finding solutions to the dynamics that Whitehaven is facing. As of today, the solutions presented include: protecting and preserving cultural heritage and natural landmarks, enhancing touristic events and festivals, diversifying the economic activities which Whitehaven depends on and bringing new and contemporary investments to the town. It is the goal of this work to analyse Whitehaven, presenting a diagnosis of all its urban actors, elements and dynamics, in order to know what is happening in this town, identifying problems and opportunities to solve or expand on, concluding in a list of strategies that integrate a framework to respond to the town’s community & economy, a masterplan to RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN.
Nowadays, Whitehaven stands in the middle of the “Energy Coast” corridor, a line of nuclear, mining and wind powered energy that goes along the West coast of the county of Cumbria. A considerable percentage of its economy relies on this line, specifically on Sellafield Nuclear Plant. Nevertheless, Whitehaven is experiencing a significant decline, in which its population is decreasing each year 1.5% since 2017, its real estate value per square meter has dropped £100 in less than a decade, thus impulsing the number of abandoned locals and houses. To make things worse, Sellafield has announced and already started its decommissioning process, with 3,000 jobs to be lost in the following two years.
OVERVIEW: Whitehaven, UK
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
HISTORY RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
HISTORY TIMELINE Whitehaven has a rich history of stories such as Geoge Washington's grandmother was buried here, rich coal mine has been fo u n d , r u m , s u g a r have been imported. It was famous in the past but due to the good development of Liverpool and other p o r t s , W h i t e h ave n became depressing.
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Fishing village Whitehaven started as a small fishing village because it is next to the Irish sea.
Coal mine
Fishing village
Ship industry
In 1630 Sir Christopher Lowther bought Whitehaven to export coal from the Cumbrian coalfield. Then coal mine trade became the main export from Whitehaven and the most prominent port in England for shipping of coals except Newcastle and Sunderland. In the 19th century coal mining continued to boom and it leed Whitehaven’s port became larger. Then coal mining ended in the 1980s.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Coal mine
Harbour
Harbour From 1676, 1685 to 1689, the fleet of ships based in the port of Whitehaven increased from 32 ships to 46 ships then to 55 ships. By the late 18th century Whitehaven was the 6th largest port in England which a fleet of 448 ships. The port boomed in the 18th century and Sugar Tongue Quay was built in 1735, Lime Quay was built in 1754. in the late 19th century, Shipbuilding declined. West Pier was built in 1838. North pier built in 1841. Queens Dock was built in 1876. In 1998 a sea lock was built enclosing the harbor.
Railway
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Rum Wine Railway The train on the harbor was built for delivering c o a l m i n e , bu t w h e n W h i t e h ave n ’s c o a l business declined, the train was demolished. In 1847 the railway arrived in Whitehaven.
Nuclear station Rum Wine From the 1670s tobacco from Virginia was imported. In 1740s just London imported more tobacco than Whitehaven. In 1730 Large amounts of rum and sugar are impor ted in Whitehaven. In 2000 Rum Story opens.
Nuclear station 17 October 1956, the world’s first nuclear power station Calder Hall which located at west Cumbria was opened on, and the exhibition is showed at the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven. Furthermore, Sellafield which is close to Whitehaven has been built and attracted a lot of people worked there. In the 1980s and 1990s, Sellafield built a new facility. Now Sellafield is planning to be cleaned up. Source: "A Brief History of Whitehaven, Cumbria" by Tim Lambert
HISTORY: timeline
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
INITIAL DESCRIPTIVE DATA + LOCATION + MAPPING Mapping is the process of collecting specific data in the territory, while indexing is the analysis and interpretation of such mapped data, thus becoming fundamental methods of description and interpretation. Preliminary analysis of the site was generated with information available at the DIGImap National database and at the existing framework documents about Cumbria county and Copeland district available over the web. Three different scale contexts (from global to local) were used to explore and define both outside and inside conditions and factors that may be behind the existing economic and population declines of Whitehaven. The arrangement of the different scale schemes allow to sort a matrix to compare researched elements. In this section, starting from location and general urban centers distribution, to urban grain form, pattern and footprint of built masses. The final set shows green elements, from large scale landmarks to local parks. From this, it can be concluded that as the urban centers of the county of Cumbria are distributed around the Lake district, specifically the district of Copeland is isolated due to its closeness to the coast and its geographical location. Also it’s important to observe the urban suburbs dispersed outside Whitehaven, taking the most important urban equipment and services away from the original town settlement.
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS: mapping & indexing
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
a. Copeland’s indexed code section of urban activities/uses.
b. Whitehaven’s indexed code section of urban activities/uses.
INITIAL DESCRIPTIVE DATA + LOCATION + INDEXING Keeping the three-scale approach for preliminary analysis, existing infrastructure elements were mapped and traced to later on hint on their dynamics and behaviour across the different zoomings. The interpretation of the traced data lead to define concepts such as urban voids, heritage points and corridors, related to specific urban areas and systems. Along with other indexing exercises which include approaches towards mobility and everyday uses along the regional and local scopes, various layers of key projected actions started to show up opportunity areas to develop and enhance in this work. Observed as plans, there are patrons of spatial distribution and urban activities that repeat themselves across the scales, particularly the west-eastern sequence of urban settlementinfrastructure - landscape. The translation of this relationships into a basic crossed section along the territory paved the way in which the urban architectural approach will be further on developed as a response to Whitehaven’s community and economy.
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS: mapping and indexing
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DATA-DEMOGRAPHY GENDER
AGE GROUP
PLACES OF BIRTH Population estimates for all persons by 5-year age group for 2018
ETHNICITY 09
Population estimates for males and females for 2018 MAIN LANGUAGE
RELIGION
Date:2018 Source: ONS
According to the population structure, Whitehaven has a obvious population aging trend. In addition, the town has a small immigrant population, and the portraits of the crowd are relatively uniform.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
DATA-TRAFFIC FLOW
From traffic flow analysis, there are great differences in the traffic flow at different times. But the Lowther Street and the Duke Street have always been the busiest streets.
Friday 6:00
Friday 9:00
Friday 12:00
Friday 15:00
Fast
Friday 18:00
Slow
Friday 21:00
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Saturday 6:00
Saturday 9:00
Saturday 12:00
Saturday 15:00
Saturday 18:00
Saturday 21:00
Sunday 6:00
Sunday 9:00
Sunday 12:00
Sunday 15:00
Sunday 18:00
Sunday 21:00
Monday 6:00 Monday 9:00 Date:2018 Source: Google Map
Monday 12:00
Monday 15:00
Monday 18:00
Monday 21:00
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS: demographic & traffic data
Transport system Analysis
Transportation Problems KING STREET
LOWTHER STREET
Many vehicles
Few people
WORKINGTON Whitehaven station Strand Street King Street
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ST BEES
Lowther Street
The main street EGREMONT
There is a circular main route for cars in the town center connected to the railway station producing a lot of traffic every day. The local streets are also crowded with motor vehicles. Roads are becoming physical borders that limit pedestrian movement. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Lane
C2C LINE
C2C start point
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C2C line
The starting point of C2C Cycle is at the port of Whitehaven, along Preston Street to the ending town, Tynemounth.
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS: transport systems analysis
FLOODING ANALYSIS Coastal erosion in Whitehaven has become worse because of the sea level rise. Local people use rocks to defend against flooding along the coast. Local people built lock to control the water around the harbor. The town has flooded on occasions especially Swingpump Ln road.
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Data from: Flood Warning Area Information for Cumbria Flood assist insurance
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Data from: Whitehaven Flood Map GetTheData, 2019
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS: flooding analysis
DIAGNOSIS RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Tesco&Pharmacy
Alphega Pharmacy
Fare Pharmacy
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St James C or E Infant School
Tesco&Pharmacy
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Bupa Dental Care
Copeland Borough Council Reception
Boots&pharmacy
PUBLIC SERVICES & FACILITIES Through the investigation of the current public services, it was discovered that there is only one dental clinic in the centre of Whitehaven, and the nearest clinic is 7 minutes driving away. As part of the West Cumbria tour, there are only two hotels and a small number of Airbnb. Students can finish junior high school in Whitehaven, but there is no high school nearby. The public facilities here are scarce and neither convenient for tourists or locals.
The Solway Hall
DIAGNOSIS: public services
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The design of the harbour was ordered by Sir John Lowther. The main street connects Sir Lowther’s castle to the harbour of Whitehaven and still functions as the main corridor.
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Lowther castle. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Matthias Read 1736’s birds’ eye town painting
Harbour planned in 1630
GEORGIAN URBANISM
a. Urban plan in 1815.
Whitehaven is the first planned harbour and town in the UK, with plots built upon a 15 ft (5 m) grid. It had its urban boom in 1788, but at the end of the century it met its decline due to the USA Independence War. This ensured the conservation of the original urban grid, which allowed for densified blocks 17 and in between gardens. However, nowadays, the mass of buildings and street conditions make it difficult to observe clearly any of the physical and visual corridors of the urban grid the town sits on.
b. Urban grid in 1815.
c. Georgian town planning concept
I. Elements of Georgian architecture diagram. DIAGNOSIS: historic elements
St Nicholas’ square.
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St Jame’s church. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Harbour from Candlestick.
GEORGIAN ARCHITECTURE Whitehaven is 1 out of 51 Gem Towns declared in 1965 for its heritage on Georgian Architecture. However, the town lacks any policies regarding preservation of the listed buildings. Efforts by the Planning Management Council are focused on observing the Georgian canons described in the diagrams shown on the left column.
Listed Georgian buildings by the Council for British Archaelogy
II. Elements of Georgian architecture diagram. DIAGNOSIS: historic elements
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
KEY ACTORS, KEY CONCEPTS A research trip to Whitehaven took place from 17-19 October 2019, in order to gain a deep insight on information available at local archives and museums, while experiencing the town itself by walking it and talking to commuters. A fundamental step in this research was a day-long sitting session with investors, company representatives and authorities, who were consulted on their views about the town’s actual situation and how their work tackles the existing problems. 21 From all the interviews, is clear that there are two visions for Whitehaven’s future: the investors who are interested in bringing in trend industry and fancy large scale construction investments to restructure Whitehaven’s physical conditions, and the people’s representatives who are worried about Whitehaven’s decline and are working to strenghten the town’s heritage value, although closing chances for radical actions.
I. Bridging visions diagram.
Although these visions seem to extremely oppose one another, their planned actions are overlapping each other, but communication between sides has been complicated. However, there is a shared good will to improve the town’s existing conditions to guarantee its better future. In this sense, it is the aim of this project to bridge both visions through a clear urban planning proposal that integrates all the key concepts that were individually shared and are expressed in the graphics of this section. The diagram on the left illustrates this project’s aim.
DIAGNOSIS: meeting key actors
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
THE SITE QUALITATIVE The site visit and the interviews conducted during research, revealed that Whitehaven’s economic decrease has impacted its commuters, producing in them a sense of loss and detachment from any historic identity, despite the Gem Town title. This psychological scheme of a “depressed society” is reflecting as a mirror over the town. However, the opposite attitude is observed over the hill areas, particularly over the harbour and the C2C-Walking + Biking path. The diagram on the left illustrates the 23 connection between the community as a “depressed society” and the most important tangible elements in Whitehaven.
I.Elements of Whitehaven as a depressed society diagram.
Based on the experience of moving through Whitehaven’s spatial transitions along narrowed streets and open corridors, related to open public space (or the lack of it) and the sequence of scenarios through them that take from inside the town to the outside harbour, marina and coast line, and the way backwards, a conceptual thermometer was created to measure the quality of the experiences, ranging from the lowest grey points into the best green points of experience:
To support such concepts, sequences of the transited paths across and outside the town were registered via photographs, the most important ones being included and referenced in this section.
DIAGNOSIS: qualitative
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
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THE SITE QUANTITATIVE Demographic and economic data explain the diagnosis of the qualitative index. People of productive age is leaving town as only one industry (Sellafield nuclear plant) holds all primary economical activities. This affects the demand of services, so local commerce is thriving and closing as people is moving out to live in the surrounding suburbs in which they afford such services, needing not to come back. The lack of diverse economical activities along with population dynamics has impacted real state value, showing a significant devaluation of property, and the general
conditions of the town. Finally, a quick exercise of research in social media confirms both qualitative and quantitative diagnosis: mobility disconnection, heritage dettachment, isolation from the rest of the county and inaction, but also the opportunity for natural landmark surroundings and communal activities to connect and empower people. The diagnosis concludes that Whitehaven has become a fragile, vulnerable community out of all the quantitative, qualittative and physical factors that influence it. The framework that this project proposes stands for social urbanism. DIAGNOSIS: quantitative
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
MASTERPLAN: FRAMEWORK RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
WHITEHAVEN Vulnerable / fragile community
Problematic The existent fragility of Whitehaven as a community, caused by a series of disconnections from inside and outside factors, urges to work on a healing process to boost and empower its social infrastructure through the improvement of its urban spaces.
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Solution concepts I.Key issues All of the observed issues that are making of Whitehaven a fragile community are classified in four groups or themes: town connections from a regional infrastructural perspective, town connections from local economical and social scopes, local activities (including leisure, economics, culture, natural resources), and natural habitat conditions. All of them listed on this page.
II.Key actions The concept that drives solutions to be proposed is that of a REACTION against the identified issues, conforming a list of key immediate reactive actions to face them. Thus, four main reactions are conceived as specific general themes to solve Whitehaven’s vulnerability: regional connectivity, local mobility, reactive interactions and a place (an habitat) to discover. All of their specific actions are listed on the next page.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
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By reconnecting Whitehaven to its outside and inside, its community becomes a strong social infrastructure ready to embrace any future planning. MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: problem & solution concepts
WHITEHAVEN SYSTEM The key four main reactions or themes from the solution concept are translated into a system of listed strategies that, placed on the town, shape the masterplan proposal. These strategies tackle specific issues with specific actions, thus becoming axis that integrate the description of all the design proposals of this project’s framework. Two general strategic moves are considered: mobility connection and circular economy activation. The mobility connection proposes turning Whitehaven into a pedestrian and biking town, strategically moving all motorized traffic out of the historic grid through an already existing circuit, connecting town and district through a TRAM system. This move creates the opportunity to create public space and activities that open up the opportunity to activate and diversify local economy.
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
a. Mobility connection Mobility infrastructures considered: -TRAM line connects Copeland district and coast line into the harbour and train station. -Turn Strand St into a mobility shared corridor. Turn Whitehaven into a biking-pedestrian town. -Bypass motorized fluxes through existing circuit.
b. Circular economy activation Corridors of investment and economic activities to be enhanced: -Coast line landscape route walking, biking and TRAM route. -Access to Whitehaven complex + Fishing marina. -Heritage route from St. Nichola’s to Candlestick and Harbour, deviated by squares and alleys. -Activities and services on Lowther St. -Local open market area over Strand St. -Offices and industries complex area along Swingpump Ln.
The strategies that integrate this framework system are explained in the following pages.
MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: solution strategies
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WHITEHAVEN SYSTEM
I. Landuse & Mobility
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The first of the proposed strategies of this framework is related to the traffic connection of Whitehaven to the rest of the Copeland district and the Cumbria county. The preliminary analysis data evidences the isolated place in which Whitehaven stands in relation to the rest of the Lake District, the infrastructural key projects of the Cumbria county and the urban expansion of the surrounding urban centers. This condition can only be confirmed by a trip visit, where only one main road connects directly into the town. Nowadays, private motorized mobility is the ordinary way to get in and out, as coach and train services offer restricted schedules to do so. Even if the town’s profile is not that of a motorized city, private car defines streets and public areas, even using large space areas as parking spaces. Even if Whitehaven is the starting point of the C2C Coast to Coast bikeway that connects the west coast with the east coast of the country, there is no visible infrastructure for biking in the streets. On the other hand, sidewalks offer a good space for transit and remain in good conditions, even if there are no urban elements to articulate such movements, except for the harbor. In this sense, when getting into the harbor line and then move to the coast path, it becomes clear why people walks and bikes in these areas, as these are the most opened spaces and the best spots in town, in which life takes place. But there again there are interrupted by vehicular roads. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
This strategy recognizes not only the great opportunity that the landscape and marina offers, but the chance to extend the characteristics of walkability and bikeability of the coast path way and harbor into the town itself, by pedestrianizing the area of the heritage grid of Whitehaven. To complete the strategy, a public transport line is proposed, materialized through a TRAM line that connects Whitehaven’s harbor front with the suburbs spreaded along the Copeland district, while also boosting the coast path way as an important landmark destination. It runs parallel to the existing path along the coast, beginning at the harbor front and ending in St. Bee’s shrine for C2C. The urban composition axis character of the TRAM line defines, opens up and links all of the corridors and public spaces that are generated from the town’s centre into the harbor. By connecting people inside the urban grid and to the rest of the territory, the commuters of Copeland are able to get another options to move into Whitehaven. This dynamic is expected to enhance the demand of services that results from the non motorized and public transport movements.
I. Strategies tabulator
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II. Strategies related to plan MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: solution strategies
WHITEHAVEN SYSTEM
II. Heritage & Economics
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The second of the proposed strategies of this framework is related to the spaces in which traditional and common activities take place in the historic area of Whitehaven, specially once this area is connected to the rest of Copeland (and Cumbria) once the first strategy is applied. Since its foundation, Whitehaven has had a long history of losing and generating different economical activities as it adapts to time changes. It went from being a fishing village, to be the second most important port in the UK by trading rum, sugar and coal, to later decline but regenerate through coal mining and chemistry industries. But once these two industries fell and local economical activities began to go down alongside, the opening of Sellafield nuclear plant solved the inminent fall of local economy. Nevertheless, by doing so it completed the breakdown of the remaining striving industries of the area. The last phase of this process of industrial adaptations created a centralized economy, totally dependant of one sole company which nowadays is already in the process of decommissioning. The operation not only extermined past industries, but also produced a collective neglect from its built spaces, ending up in dettachment, lost of identity of even the Georgian heritage culture of the town. Further on, the lack of a connection to the cultural heritage and its resulting lost of identity has boosted the necessity of commuters to look outside Whitehaven for this missing elements. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
This strategy uses the TRAM line and the pedestrinizing process as an opportunity to reconnect people to the existing remaining corridors of activities, museums and public space spots. By doing so, it becomes evident the urgency to empower the existing squares and alleys as articulators for mobility and communal life, alongside new spots of public space to be created in the identified urban voids, abandoned or underused buildings, and car parks. The mobility corridors are reinforced by the town’s two main axis of economical activities: Lowther St and Duke St, both having a clear path crossing from Castle Park to the harbor, and viceversa. Between these four elements, a cultural mat of active citizen life is created as a result of the dynamics of people moving between them. By opening up the community of Whitehaven its identity will be restored, whereas is based on past or future, the attachment to the townscape and its surroundings will allow the recognising of new activities and town centers, ready to be profitable to commuters.
I. Strategies tabulator
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II. Strategies related to plan MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: solution strategies
WHITEHAVEN SYSTEM
III. Society & Economics
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The third of the proposed strategies of this framework is developed parallel to the first and second ones, as both mobility and public space of heritage areas are meant to improve the economical and social conditions of Whitehaven. If any, this third strategy defines projects as real profitable investments, necessary to execute the visions previously described. The proposed public transport TRAM line connects locals, visitors and tourists, but also restructures the existing arrival area. The access complex is conceived as a platform of transference for mobility, as it is characterized as a welcome point into Whitehaven while distributing people to the programs of town life that this access point connects to: train-TRAM station, existing supermarket, Buzz station, workshops and playgrounds, fishing farms, harbor and marina, public squares on Strand St, pedestrianized streets of the urban grid, C2C shrine and the coast line pathway. As mentioned in the first two strategies, pedestrinazing Whitehaven gives the opportunity to open public spaces in previously deprived sites. The reclaimed spaces are programmed with modules for local activities: commerce, culture, leisure, sports, job trainning hubs and workshops. In its concept, these areas and modules are conceived as multi-use elements, however, specific main uses are assessed depending on its location and its relation to the rest of the town, specially when aimed to enhance and improve local economy and community. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
The strategy also recalls past industries, especially the recovery of the fishing activities, but also branding the experience of fish and rum in Whitehaven as a touristic attractor, alongside the promotion of Georgian cultural heritage. All this to be explored in the fourth and fifth strategies. The TRAM line, Lowther St, Duke St and Castle Park are working as axis of uses and activities, defining a network of mobility and economy, but also stablishing a zoning for the town itself in which other areas are recognized such as the housing area at the east side of the cutlural mat zone, and a local industry corridor to the west over Swingpump Ln. Although the aim of this framework is to stablish the essential basic urban conditions for the people of Whitehaven to become an empowered recognizable and self-sustainable society, the mentioned zoning of the town comes as a logic sequence of the improvement process, as this framework stablishes its architectural spaces and urban programs over the remaining strategies.
I. Strategies tabulator
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II. Strategies related to plan MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: solution strategies
WHITEHAVEN SYSTEM
IV. Waterscape & fish economy V. Heritage & identity 36
Finally, the fourth and fifth strategies come together as actions to diversify economic and community activities, being the consequence of the executed physical infrastructure accomplishments of the first three ones. The waterscape & biosystem strategy stablishes the recovery of the lost sea life habitat as an opportunity not only to balance nature’s processes but to restore and update a profitable activity in the area. It is ironic that nowadays Whitehaven lacks fishing sources and imports almost all of these marine assets. The required infrastructure for this action goes from training town folks to services areas to offer the fishing products as trade or as food commodities. This activity also stablishes a new zoning for the marina, proposing a re-design of the existing piers to follow the axis conformed by Lowther St and Duke St. The location of the fishing farms and biodiversity recovery areas is proposed as a continuous zone that expands into the northern shore, recovering the existing harbor path next to the access to Whitehaven complex. This reinforces the experience of visiting Whitehaven as a reference destination for seafood and other local products such as beer, or imports such as rum. At the same time, the already stablished biking and walking coast paths and heritage activities are benefitted.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
At this phase of the program and parallel to these actions, the heritage & identity strategy implies not only temporal activities such as the Georgian Architecture Festival or the recovery of Whitehaven’s Marina Festival, but works on a re-evaluation of the trascendence of the listed buildings of Whitehaven as a Gem Town. The previous four strategies are set to review Whitehaven as an important historical place, for which a consistent, clear and applicable criteria towards technical policies of intervention of its catalogued buildings is fundamental. It is proposed that all these are contained and published in a guidebook to be developed as a future phase by concerning institutes to serve to investors, planners and authorities. The aim is to tackle dettachment and neglect of Whitehaven as a Gem Town, as all of the described strategies are linking the heritage spaces to the planned public space and connectivity actions. The designed proposals contained in this framework stablish various composition axis to achieve this junction between old and new in a proper way.
I. Strategies tabulator
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II. Strategies related to plan MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: solution strategies
WHITEHAVEN SYSTEM
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
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The listed strategies and actions, described in previous pages, inform this frameworks’ proposal of spaces and infrastructures, integrating a masterplan which is the urban and architectural translation of all the research, diagnosis and the reviewed strategies themselves, aiming to solve the problem of Whitehaven’s fragile community by reconnect it within its surroundings and itself. MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: solution strategies
INTEGRATED MASTERPLAN WHITEHAVEN SYSTEM PLANNING PROCESS 1: Whitehaven
2:New Mobility System (pedestrianized - cycling town)
3:Strenghten the connection (between harbour and castle)
2
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1
The current transportation system
Rebuild the mobility system by implementing new transportation with a TRAM to communicate Whitehaven to the Copeland district, create a car-free town center, and build a green and friendly pedestrinized and cycling town.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
To strengthen the connection between harbor and castle park, two measures are taken. 1: Extend Duke Street to Castle Park 2: Change the piers of the harbor to enhance the sense of extension of the two streets(Lowther Street and Duke Street) to the sea.
4: Connect to generated harbor´s squares and corridors
5: Open up local communities
6: FIshing economy
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Develop further the idea of the pedestrianized town. From the implemented actions, town completes its transformation process: 1: generates new public squares by getting rid of abandoned not listed building and car parks on harbor. 2:programs different urban activities along the paths, enhancing corridors across the town.
Create open communities and add appropriate activities and cultural elements to each block.
In response to increasing activities to local people, the fish economy could be one of the potential economies options in Whitehaven.
1:the reactivation of urban car parking space 2:add building group entrance to create open community 3:create local cultural events
MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: integrated masterplan
INTEGRATED MASTERPLAN TRANSPORT SYSTEM ANALYSIS
LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN A Response To Community And Economy
CULTURE BUILDING AND SQUARE
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
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MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK: integrated masterplan
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
MASTERPLAN: DESIGN RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
I. CONNECTIVITY & MOBILITY CONSTRUCT DESIGN PROCESS
It began with the idea of pedestrianizing the area nearby the marina (harbour - Strand St - King St, and the necessity to connect with public transport to the rest of the Copeland district. This key action, based on Whitehaven’s dynamics, gave the opportunity to take more radical approaches: pedestrinize the town center, get rid of abandoned not listed buildings and car parks on harbour, create public squares and program different urban activities along the path.
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a. Harbour nowadays Existing blocks and buildings create a strong physical barrier from town into marina. As these masses repeat themselves along the harbor, there are no urban main points except by the harbor corridor itself. Likewise, there’s no clear access into town.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
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b. Axis of mobility A connecting axis is conceived to link the access area of the town to the coast line pathway. This axis of public transport and non-motorized mobility is adressed considering the old forgotten coal train path over Strand St and the path into C2C line.
MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
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c. Removable objects The relation between Strand St and the harbor encourages actions to permeate the rigid masses of built blocks, open up public space and corridors. Large car parks and deteriorated / abandoned not listed buildings are the opportunity to permeate the existing blocks.
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d. Axis of heritage Open space turns the voids left by the removed built masses into large areas that form sequences of corridors and squares to be arranged by composition grids and axis. Criteria is for main axis to be traced from inside the town into the reclaimed areas and into the harbor. Roper St, E Strand, Lowther St, Duke St, Tangier St and Bransty Row are the main perpendicular axis. MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
I. Diagram of visual axis through Whitehaven.
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IV. Formal concept for “spyglass to Whitehaven”.
III. Existing frames.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
*Spyglass The junction of axis and squares aimes to enhance the observations documented in-situ. The line of public and touristic transport gives the opportunity to work with vertical and horizontal lines that frame moments along the route, simple architectonical elements enhancing the strong lines of the landscape and the rigidness of the Georgian language. A route for sight, framed with spyglasses.
II. Mental map. Whitehaven´s landscape. 49
V. Concept of “spyglass” multi-use module.
VI. Interactions of a place to be discovered axis. MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
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e. Microcosmos The assembled elements define space and integrate a series of moments for activities and experiences over the harbor. Informed by their surroundings, each square and corridor is able to be treated now with specific architectural program.
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f. Programs of planned strategy In compliance with the Whitehaven System strategies that integrate this masterplan, architecture defines uses and designs spaces making use of the composition criteria of axis and grid. Each square is equipped with the modules and elements previously conceptualized, programmed with specific activities.
In the following pages the most meaningful proposals are described.
MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
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Aerial view of access complex.
Concept view. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
TRAM line location.
Connectivity & mobility ACCESS COMPLEX The existing infrastructure axis of the train line is strenghten by the TRAM line, thus keeping its role as spatial distributor, from which perpendicular lines of various angles are traced to structure the various programs of workshops, playgrounds, sports courts, open squares and train + TRAM station, while integrating the existing supermarket into the masterplan. The complex is then tridimensionally developed as three platforms: the access gate of arrival (including diversified types of mobility for the way in and out of the station, administrative, maintenance, services and waiting areas), the commercial platform (which includes a possible underground parking area and maintains yard of services), and the multi-use platform (projected at street level, thus making use of the roof of the underground parking as a public park that includes multi-use modules and courts). The access gate is marked by a “Welcome to Whitehaven” lettering, as its platform plaza extends into the Buxx station, bridging that building to the rest of the complex and becoming a reductor for the crossing traffic speed velocity.
Program in compliance with Whitehaven’s Reconnect framework
Peripherical axis of mobility connects the complex to the harbour and extends into the fishing farms and to an existing playground area behind the supermarket, proposing a connecting bridge to allow people from the surrounding neighborhoods to get to the facilities of the complex.
Nowadays view. MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
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Aerial view of access complex.
Concept view. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
TRAM line location.
Connectivity & mobility MARINA SQUARE AND TRAM STOP PLAZA
The square is the result of removing abandoned buildings and a large car park from the area which used to block the fantastic view into the marina. Here, TRAM line is also used as a composite axis, from which one perpendicular oblique axis goes into the harbor to create a sensitive space based on composition grids that ensemble different elements of urban furniture, lighting and trees. The mobility corridor over Strand St becomes a path of sequences of narrow to open scenarios as squares, buildings and corridors appear along the line, a rythm of experiences overlooking at the marina and at the town. Architectural units of multi-use modules and TRAM stops are meant to keep up the spyglass concept of their design, in which their vertical elements create progressive rythms into specific spaces and frame different views, enhancing a sense of place and experience to which people can relate to.
Program in compliance with Whitehaven’s Reconnect framework
The use of materials is fundamental to complete the architectural vision of frames and sequences, thus indicating directions of movement and views, zoning squares and areas, and giving continuity to the built project.
Proposed material palette.
Nowadays view. MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
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Aerial view of access complex.
Concept view. RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
TRAM line location.
Connectivity & mobility C2C SQUARE AND LOCAL MARKET AREAS
This area is firstly approached by recognizing the existing activities in-between the built masses: the temporal market corridor in Roper St (Market Pl) and the C2C starting point over the harbour. From them on, the criteria of removing underused spaces (specially closing the parking lot of Quay St) cleared large open areas that ultimately integrated a continuous plaza formed by the triangle between the harbor (E and W Strand, Marlborough St), Roper St (Market Pl), and Quay St. 57
Following the sequence of scenarios enhanced by the TRAM line and the mobility corridor of Strand St, architectural elements for TRAM stop, a new C2C starting point shrine and markets are placed following the axis and grid traced principles. At the market squares areas of Roper and Quay, the gardens are mixed with urban furniture to create various individual open hubs for leisure, meeting, eating, etc. Market modules are disposed strategically facing those, as permanence is expected. Material is used to create a dark stone flooring around important existing buildings in the area: the chapel in Quay St and the Copeland Borough Council Reception building, becoming points in the plaza arrangement to be re-valued as part of the proposed composition. This dark flooring is also used to indicate relations between the TRAM stop, Roper market area and the C2C shrine.
Program in compliance with Whitehaven’s Reconnect framework
Proposed material palette.
Nowadays view. MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
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Connectivity & mobility TRAM SERIAL VISION RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
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Sequences of views along the mobility infrastructure and the microcosmos of activities and experiences. Finally, mobility architecture meets the coast line landmark path. MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Connectivity & mobility TRAM - COPELAND DISTRICT LINE
As the most important town centre in the district, Whitehaven becomes the articulating element of the public transport infrastructure, alongside its new access complex: TRAM line inter-connects Copeland district and turns Whitehaven into a prototype for public space generation strategies across the district’s suburbs.
MASTERPLAN: connectivity & mobility
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II. OPEN COMMUNITY
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Question: What will happen to the community without cars?
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
The current situation of courtyard
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At present, many courtyards are used for car parking. After the creation of a cycling town, these passive urban spaces could be utilized for more meaningful purpose.
MASTERPLAN: open community
Open community DESIGN PROCESS
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RK A P LE
T CAS 1: Protective building
2: Connection
These buildings require careful consideration in new development and should be used to inspire imaginative and creative responses in terms of contemporary architecture and urban design.(Copeland Local Development Framework Whitehaven Town Centre and Harborside )
Two culture corridors will be added to strengthen the connection between harbor and castle park.
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New entrance Alley in building group
3: Open community
4: Activity
The addition of building block entrance will open up the previous closed community.
Appropriate increase of corresponding activities around community center and cultural center
Gated community Open community
MASTERPLAN: open community
Open community AXONOMETRIC
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Public Central Marina Square
Open community PLAN
Tourist Attraction
Commercial Area
King Street
Commercial courtyard
St Nicholas Centre 67
Activity Center
Back yard Public Square Basketball Court Activity center Children Park
Cultural Center
Green lawn Library Water courtyard Cultural sculpture
MASTERPLAN: open community
Open community CONCEPT VIEWS
Activity Center Back yard
Public square
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The car parking will be converted into activity center. Basketball field, public square, and children park will set up to enrich the leisure activities for residents and tourists.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Children playground
Culture Center Green lawn
Water courtyard
Library
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The area will be transformed into a community cultural center with a water courtyard as the core, while green lawns, cultural sculptures and a library, which make this area full of culture.
MASTERPLAN: open community
III. SHARED STREET a. Redefine the edge Our Design employs three phases to turn roads into streets. Firstly, when roads were removed, streets were redefine via the boundary of buildings to form a variable street space. Second, Regarding the whole street as a platform, street users generally negotiate right of way cooperatively rather than relying on traffic controls, allowing pedestrians to dominate the street.
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
b. Transfer to shared streets
Unlike roads, which efficiently move traffic from one point to another, streets are platforms for capturing value. A well-designed street provides non-traffic social functions related to gathering, assembly, recreation, ecology, and aesthetics.
Lightening Street Swale
Street Furniture Plazas
Furnishings
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MASTERPLAN: shared street
c. Create two corridors History gallery
Cultural mark
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Street parklets
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Street furniture
Third, the Lowther Street and the Duke Street are the link between the harbour and the Castle park. The Corridors retrofit a seven-block segment of an endangered historic downtown Main Street through aggregation of the cultural arts rather than Main Street’s traditional retail base
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Entrance Infopoints
Opencast Theatre Canopy
MASTERPLAN: shared street
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RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
Materials Porous Asphalt
Description
Benifits
Standard asphaltic concrete Allows stormwater to drain mixed without fine particles through, reducing runoff into the and with low binder content, sewer system; leaving space for water to Reduces likelihood of ponding drain through to an openand slick or icy road condition. graded stone bed.
thermoplastic imprinting
Thermoplastics applied into grooves created by heating and imprinting the asphalt.
Visually enhances crosswalk; Preserves existing.
Decorative Gravel
Small size decorative gravel or aggregate spread on top of a sturdy earthen or cementitious base.
Add visual enhancement; Stones convey connection to natural environment ; Highly slip-resistant. 75
Granite Block
Historic Smooth-finish Granite block unite paver often referred to as"cobblestones".
Reniforces historic character; Calms traffic; Easy to remove and reset, eapecially for utility access.
Hexagonal Asphhalt Pavers
Asphalt Pre-cast into hexagonally-shapd Pavers
Interlock hexagonal shape fits tightly together and resists shifting and buckling; This material is widely available and cost effective.
MASTERPLAN: shared street
IV. FISH ECONOMY Fish Industry and Harbor Platform The fish economy could be one of the potential economies options in Whitehaven. And in response to increasing activities to local people, furthermore, make the harbor more actively, the platform alongside the harbor wall will be added.
Whitehaven has a history of fishing and now it still has fishing activities due to its proximity to the Irish sea.
Fish farms and industry are to be built.
But if the economy of fishing increases, it may lead to overfishing.
Habitats
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Alongside the water breaks wall of the harbor we propose to add a platform to let people enjoy activities and touch the sea. At the bottom, it will be artificial marine habitats.
Many birds that migrate from northern Europe pass through Whitehaven, but because of coastal erosion, the birds have less land to rest.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
The artificial marine habitat will help fish and other marine life to leave their spawn and protect them from dangers. In this way, it will help to increase the amount of marine life.
On the platform we propose to create holes and as the tide rises, some fish could be collected in the holes, birds could eat them.
The platform offers land to birds, to rest and local people and visitors can also feed them.
Fish Industry Master Plan and Analysis The fish industry would be the site of North Shore Car Park and Quality Cleaning&Contracting Ltd. in the middle of the fish industry it will be a fish farm, base on the estimate of 450kg/ha annual year, this farm will produce 80kg fish average. the buildings surrounding the fish farm are fish industry lines. from distribution fish to deal with fish meat and deliver to market&retail and fish restaurants, this industry can feed the demand of the town of people. there also got a fishing school to educate local people to learn how to fish or how to deal with fish meat, to give more job opportunities.
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MASTERPLAN: fish economy
Harbor Platform Analysis The existing situation of Whitehaven is there are fewer activities and communications. The platform and birds habitats can attract more people to the harbor.
The harbor will be added to some benches and sculptures to make here walkable and fun.
The grey color is a representative platform that has the bird’s habitats on it.
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Fish Market The fish market may have different kinds of fish such as fresh slides fish, fried fish, and other fish products, those can support local people’s daily life, even can support surrounding towns.
MASTERPLAN: fish economy
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Birds Habitats Birds will find food and freshwater here, some of them fly away to the southern country, the weak may stay here in winter.
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Platform
MASTERPLAN: fish economy
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN A Response To Community And Economy
REFERENCES
Flood Assist Insurance(2019), Flood Warning Area Information for Cumbria, [Online] [Accessed on 20, Oct, 2019], URL: https://floodassist.co.uk/floodwarnings/flood-area-info/cumbria GetTheData Publishing Limited(2019), Whitehaven Flood Map, [Online] [Accessed on 20, Oct, 2019], URL: https://www.getthedata.com/flood-map/ whitehaven ONS(2018), Population Estimates, Whitehaven, [Online] [Accessed on 29, Oct, 2019], URL: https://www.cumbriaobservatory.org.uk/population/report/vi ew/2bfda899c00c469ca07218a9cb9aac35/C02/
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Planning Policy Team(2012), Copeland Local Development Framework Whitehaven Town Centre and Harbourside, [Online] [Accessed on 25, Oct, 2019], URL: https://www.copeland.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/ ldfwhaven_tcandh_spdfinal_sept12.pdf Tim Lambert, A Brief History of Whitehaven, Cumbria, [Online] [Accessed on 20, Oct, 2019], URL: http://www.localhistories.org/whitehaven.html
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks to Andrea Winders (Disruptieve) and her Project Lead Luke Robertson and Jon Flowerdew (WhiteCircle) who have supported the development of the work.
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN a response to community & economy
RECONNECT WHITEHAVEN A Response To Community And Economy
Martin Quiroga Mora
Zheng Huang
Framework by
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Studio A Group
Jiajia Xu
Ying Chen