Cultivating Urbanism: A spatial strategy @ Fallowfield Loop

ALLOTMENT: A LOT MEANS A LOT HOW WE WILL LIVE TOGETHER?: REIMAGINING THE URBAN AGRICULTURE

CATEGORY: ACADEMIC TYPE: URBAN DESIGN INTERVENTION SITE: FALLOWFIELD, MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM TEAM: ANDREA, SNEHA, VASILIKI, CHEN, DIAN, YAN, HANQIN SUPERVISOR: CLAUDIO CAMACHO

ALLOTMENT IN THE UK: AN INTRODUCTION

Allotment timeline

1649

1940

Today

Today

What is an allotment?

The issue

Since the Industrial Revolution, we might say allotments, which are land plots, were implemented for the use of the community. It gave a new way of social interaction and the production of goods in a needed working class society.

Today, owning an allotment is quite simple, people just have to apply to the city council. However, the amount of people trying to get one is larger every year. It’s competitive. It creates waiting lists that can last to 3 years.

During WWI and WWII, allotments were used as means to address different social political events in order to respond the necessities of people during difficult times. Although, it was very much land for the poor.

It has been mentioned before, most of the official allotments are situated alongside the loop, however, most of the space inside is abandoned. After the conversion of Fallowfield Loop to an off-road cycle path; pedestrian; and horse riding route, the area has became one of the most dangerous place for cyclist in Manchester. Despite its title as the National Cycle Network, there are many cycle crime, incidents, and antisocial behaviour on the Loop. This is due to the overgrown tress and foliages that hinder the visual permeability, absence of sufficient street light, and the path is too narrow for those 3 functions to exist.

Today, allotments are associated more for the middle class. Many own allotments to grow their own food and promote local growers. In Greater Manchester, from the early 20th century till our days, allotments are situated in a diverse extend of territories.

However, they are mostly in close proximity with the Fallowfield Loop which was used to transport goods by train during industrial revolution and Manchester was the heart of it. In conclusion, allotments are part of the UK cultural heritage.

Nonetheless, we see the loop as a potential space to help people in Manchester with their urban agriculture.

Map of allotments (green area) along the Fallowfield Loop (black dashed line) with access to nearby neighbourhood (orange line)

ANALYSIS & COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY: HOW MIGHT WE REIMAGINE THE FALLOWFIELD LOOP FOR MANCHESTER? 1. Types

ANALYSIS & COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY: HOW MIGHT WE REIMAGINE THE FALLOWFIELD LOOP FOR MANCHESTER? 2. Social aspects: Manchester vs Bristol Learning from the country’s successful urban farm & allotments

3. Safety

STRATEGIES & PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH

DESIGN PROPOSAL

Masterplan

DESIGN PROPOSAL

Masterplan

DESIGN PROPOSAL

Masterplan

DESIGN PROPOSAL

Masterplan

CONCLUSION