POPLAR SUSTAINABLE VISION
W in g S z e Cat he rine C HAO M S c U r b a n D e s ign and Cit y P l a nnin g 2017-18 B E N V G P D 4 S us t ainabel Fut ur e b y Desig n
B AC K GROUN D
Issu es: U nd e r-use | w a te r p o llutio n | l o w a cce s s i b i l i t y | l a ck o f a ct i v i t i e s Them e s: C ity & Nature | C ha rac te r & He r i t a g e
L ime h o u s e C ut i s the ol d est ca n al in London. It was fir st opened in 1 7 6 6 a s a s h or t c u t f or t r a d er s . How ever t h i s 250- yea ro ld w a t e r w a y ha s l ost i ts form er glor y. Over the year s, weeds, vandalism, a n t i - s oc i a l r u b b i s h d u m p i n g, a n d t h i c k l a yer s of f lo at in g a lga e ca n b e fo und on Limehouse Cut and the towpath next to i t . A c c or d i n g t o t h e Ca n a l Tr u s t , Li m eh ou s e Cu t i s c u r r e n t ly o n e o f the m o st und erused c anal in London (Br ook e, 2 0 1 6 ). This c ou l d b e d u e t o i t s l a c k of a c c es s f r om b ot h s i d es o f t h e c a n a l to the wa terfro nt, l ac k of maintenanc e, and lac k of ac tivities a n d u s es .
CU E US O H E LIM
D e s pit e t h e a b ov e i ssues, L i m ehouse Cut pr esents huge oppor tunity to b e s u s t a i n a b l y r ed evel op ed a n d r ef u r b i s h ed i n t o a g r e e n , mu lti use wa terwa y. It p rovides a link age between the south of the ca n a l ( Pop l a r ) a n d t h e n or t h of t h e c a n a l ( Mi l e E n d a n d t h e r e st o f L B TH). I t i s a l so an impor tant natur al r esour c e that pr ovi d es h a b i t a t t o w i l d l i f e, a n d g r een a n d b l u e s p a c e f o r h u ma n hea l th a nd wel l - b ei ng. A well- designed and multiuse c anal c ou l d a l s o d r a w p eop l e t o vi s i t Pop l a r a n d s t i m u l a t e ec o n o mic and soci a l g ro wth.
T
Th e fo llo w i ng d eta i l ed the a na l ysis, vision, c onc eptualisation, and the fina l p r op os a l f or Li m eh ou s e Cu t Reg en er a t i on Pr oj ec t .
S IT E A N A LY S I S G RE E N SPAC E
Figure 1. L i m eho use C ut (Joly, 2 0 0 7 )
Figur e 2 . Pol l u t i on a n d l a c k maintainen c e ( G eog r a p h , 2016)
LAND USE
of
Re s i de n ti al I n s ti tuti on al Re tai l & com m e r ci al Mi x e d- us e War e h ous e
SUSTAIN ABLE VIS ION B y 2028, L i m ehouse C ut wi l l bec ome Poplar ’s unique sight of inter est fo r n ot on l y l oc a l r es i d en t s b u t als o p e o p l e from el sewhere. It is hoped to ac hieve a balanc e of loc al r etai l a n d c om m er c i a l b u s i n es s es , h ig h - q u a l i ty m i xed - use ho usi n g with ac tive fr ontage opening up to the c a n a l , s t i m u l a t i n g s oc i a l a n d r e c r e at io n a l fa ci l i ti es, a nd welc oming public r ealm that c an ac c ommoda t e w i d es t r a n g e of u s er s t o c r e at e a s usta i na b l e co m m uni ty. In the loc al c ontext, Limehouse Cut wil l p r ovi d e a w h ol e n ew p u b l i c r e alm an d o p p o rtuni ti es fo r soc ial ac tivities along the c anal. In wider c on t ex t , t h e s t r on g l i n k a g e be t w e e n Pop l a r, Mi l e End a nd the r est of the London Bor ough of Towe r Ha m l et w i l l b e es t a b l i s h ed t h r o u g h b etter a nd m ore user-fr iendly ac c ess.
AC C E SS
P O L LU T IO N & VA N DA L IS M
E n tr y to w ate r f r on t Dock Tow path Br i dge
A l gae G r af f i ti
CO N CE P T UA L I S AT I O N
VISION
I nt ens i fy green s pac e + m ai nt ai n a c l ean c anal
I nc reas e poi nt s o f a cce ss + w i d e n t o w p a t h
PROPOS AL
De si g n f o r m u l t i u se + su p p o r t m i x e d - u se building development
CROSS SECTI ON Wi d e t ow p a t h a n d n a t u r a l s l op e t o i n c r ea s e a c c es s i b i l i t y a n d en c ou r a g e w i d e r a n g e of s oc i a l a c t i vi t i es
M ix e d u se d ev el op m ent wi th gr o u n d fl o o r reta i l uni ts for ac t iv e fr onta g es
BEFORE REGENERATION
U s e of n a t u r a l a q ua ti c p l a n ts to p u r i f y w a t er a l o n g wi th r e g ul a r m a i n t en a n c e b y th e C o un c i l
Night time innovative lightings to inc r ease sense of safety and enc our age evening ac tivities
G en t l e a n d w i d e s t a i r s to i n c r ea s e a c c es s i b i l i t y and p r ovi d e f l ex i b l e u s e a s o p e n space
AFTER REGENERATION
Reference Brooke, M. (2016) East London Advertiser – Limehouse Cut gets a ‘makeover’ by canal volunteers and scouts after 250 years. Retrieved from http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/features/limehouse-cut-gets-a-makeover-by-canal-volunteers-and-scouts-after-250-years-1-4758187 [accessed 22 March 2018] Geograph (2016) Tramps Retreat, narrowboat on the Limehouse Cut – Approaching under the scaffolding is a group of Boy Scouts, picking up litter. Retrieved from http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4696095 [accessed 22 March 2018] Joly, G (2007) Limehouse Cut. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ALimehouse_Cut_at_Cotall_Street.jpg [accessed 22 March 2018]