Neighborhood Assessment Report

F O R E S T FIEL DS N E I G H B O U R H O O D A S S E S S M E N T

H a o x u a n

T a n g

Investigating walkability and environmental performance in a local and wider urban context.

Forest Fields is located North West of Nottingham City centre. This report will cover the spatial patterns, social factors, and resulting activities of a specific neighbourhood within Forest Fields. The resulting assessment will convey the area’s environmental performance with particular consideration of its ‘walkability’ and identity.

Visual summaries of data and their assessment will outline the defining nature of the neighbourhood, allowing for identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportuni-ties and threats, forming a SWOT analysis. This will inform a successive series of recommendations or potential design interventions to improve the sustainability of the neighbourhood’s existing condition from an urban design perspective.

City councils, such as NCC, are constantly looking for ways to address sustainability which is why it is so important to undertake assessments and establish what is pri-ority. The United Nations stated in the Brundtland report that sustainability is ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. By acknowledging the existing neighbourhood and its requirements, efficient developments can be made to im-prove environmental performance without damaging what is valued.

Improvement in environmental performance includes the generation of a resilient economy, not reliant on long-distance services and benefitted by local ones, where the relationship between economic and social infrastructure is integrated harmoni-ously, encouraging a positive interaction between both local communities and cen-tres of production. A combination of efficient access to needs, market diversity and place attachment, as opposed to alienation, will encourage this resilient economy. The strength of positive influence an urban area holds over human behaviour and perception is essential to a resilient community, since it will impact the productivity of its inhabitants; when only focused on technical solutions, humanity can be left isolated, corrupting their contribution.

Urban planning and its role in creating a functional city is highly dependent on ac-curate surveys and GIS (Geographic Information Systems), which allow designers to truly understand space and patterns. GIS and Google Earth will be used to form the assessments for the Forest Fields neighbourhood.

1 . U R B A N PAT T E R N S : Ty p o l o g i e s

2 . U R B A N PATTER NS: A c c e s s i bility

The first data assessment of the report covers ‘urban patterns’, reiterating urban typologies; plot sizes; built density, and how they may affect one another, and the living experience of the occupants.

It will consider the accessibility of the district and how well integrated it is on a global and local scale; integration outlines the availability of services to the neighbourhood and provides an idea of footfall along the surrounding streets.

3 . U R B A N CO M M U N I T I E S : District

4 . U R B A N CO M M UNITIES: N e i g h b o ur hood

The second assessment covers ‘urban communities. Data will be a gathered from the 2011 Census, from the Office for National Statistics, and will help to develop an idea of the community.

Presented data will visually explore culture, age, and the economic status of the area, as well as the population of the neighbourhood, and resulting living space per person. Once an image is gathered, the activities of people can be inferred and assessed considering their sustainability.

5 . U R B A N AC T I V I T I E S : Pr o duc t i o n

6 . U R B A N AC TIVITIES: Co n s um p tion

The third assessment will consider the activities of the community, considering production and consumption. Data visualizations will highlight typical commutes and how activities may be accessed, with especial focus on alternatives to travel by car.

Both production and consumption activities will be dependent on the community identity and inferences made from the prior assessments.

The fourth assessment will generate an image/ identity for the district. Its image will be summed up considering paths, edges, nodes and landmarks, and also the general make-up of the area; does it have a prominent identity considering its architectural features, environmental layout or local activities, for example?

Identity connotes to the term ‘Genius Loci’. Genius loci refers to the spirit of a place, and how it may own distinctive, prominent characteristics. What defines these characteristics has been often debated in various hypotheses of space production theory. Georg Hegel (1770-1831) believed in practicality and the production of surroundings based on evolving knowledge; Karl Marx (1818-1883) believed in the instinct of survival and its influence over the shaping of the environment; Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) believed in a struggle of identity and the role it plays in forming boundaries of space.

Henri Lefebvre (1901-1990) considered all, concluding that social space was a combination of ‘lived space’, ‘perceived space’ and ‘conceived space’ – all terms which overlap.

Conceived space relates to the conscious, planned aspects of urban environments such as infrastructure (idealism), whereas perceived space results from instinctive consumption/production-driven decisions made within the conceived space (materialism). Lived space is a response to the conceived and perceived environment, and translates more as place of values and needs; an experience reliant on the nature of the surroundings.

Henri Lefebvre’s philosophy of space will form an underlying narrative throughout the report, allowing one to consider the extent to which the neighbourhood is defined by strategy and infrastructure, consumption or the demands and values of its inhabitants.

THE NEIGHBOUR HOOD | AER IAL VIEW

Direction of city centre

U R B A N P A T T E R N S | Ty p o l o g i e s a n d

URBAN PATTERNS | Accessibility

built density | Neighbourhood

F igu re 1 | URBAN TY PO LO G IE S | 200X 200m | 1 : 2 0 0 0

TOTAL PLOT SIZE:

TOTAL GFA:

BUILDING COVERAGE:

CITY BLOCK GFA:

CITY BLOCK COVERAGE:

RIBBON GFA:

RIBBON COVERAGE:

ROW GFA:

ROW COVERAGE:

BUILDING DENSITY:

15326.23 m² 58% 23% 10% 67%

D FOR

RAD

RIBBON PLOT

N

ROW PLOT

D FOR RAD RD

3 FLOORS = 72% OF GFA

1 FLOOR = 3% OF GFA

2 FLOORS = 25% OF GFA

GREEN SPACE

N

Integration value: HIGH

4%

68%

MEDIUM LOW NEIGHBOURHOOD

6998.6m 68% of roads

145%

Medium integration:

2732.8m 26% of roads Low integration:

Figure 4 | GLOBAL ACCESSIBIL ITY | 8 0 0 X 8 0 0 m Glob al In tegration map | 1 :1 0 0 0 0

610m 6% of roads

GLOBAL SCALE: High integration:

7337.6m 71% of roads

Figures 1 and 2 show the urban typologies and building heights present in the neighbourhood. The buildings cover 58% of the plot area, emphasising 42% of pri-vate outside land.

The ribbon typology occupies the least amount of space within the neighbourhood and is defined by its pedestrian access, perpendicular to the street, making it semi-private and set off from the main roads. Prior to the 1950s, these buildings were formerly row typologies and only changed following the development of the car-parks. The recent buildings are residential, and are essentially utilising areas of lit-tle movement for private space; they appear to have much larger outside spaces than the majority of the row typologies; almost 2/3 of the ribbon plots are outside private space. Although some of the row houses are set off from the main roads, they are still accessed from the street, and so are not considered to be ribbons.

LOCAL SCALE: High integration:

(22293.02 / 15326.23) X 100 =

Building density is 145%, reflecting how GFA is larger than plot size due to multi-storey buildings on minimal plots of land. 67% of the plot area fits the row typology; they are built parallel to each other and are accessed from the street, open at one or two ends. They generally back on to another row of buildings and are between 2-5 stories high. They are practical due to their street access and flexibility in use. One of the dwellings has a corner shop on the bottom floor called ‘Khan’s store’, empha-sising the multi-functionality of a 3-storey row house. The remaining buildings are residential with the majority having 3 floors. The 3-storey heights and prominence of the row typology within the neighbourhood explains why it represents the majori-ty of Ground Floor Area (GFA).

The City Block typology is the second-most prominent typology, making up 23% of the total plot area. It can be identified by its commercial/residential mix, ability to be accessed from all sides, and entrances via the street. Its level of access is not obvious. The sides facing Radford road form part of the high-street on the ground floor, with residential dwellings above. The majority of the city block plots are cov-ered by buildings, offering very little outside space; the two-storey residential dwellings on the north side have a lot of outside space compared to others.

F i gur e 2 | BUILD IN G H E IG HTS | 200X 200m | 1 : 2 0 0 0

Figure 3 | LOCAL ACCESSIBIL ITY | 8 0 0 X 8 0 0 m R 8 0 0 In tegration map | 1 :1 0 , 0 0 0

28%

In the late 1900s, ‘greater respect for the uniqueness of places and their history, and for the continuity of local patterns and typologies’ occurred. As a result, the uniformity of modernist urban patterns was viewed as inferior to the potential of learning from precedent, and understanding how differences in urban configuration can dictate flow of movement and future intervention for an area. Different configu-rations are known as ‘Urban typologies’ and include 7 core types. A combination of different typologies within an area can assist in the creation of a multi-functional space, utilising the disparity of assets for the benefit of the community; production, consumption and recreation may be established in one area, increasing its resili-ence.

RD

CITY BLOCK PLOT

22293.02m²

Medium integration:

Both figures 3 and 4 are very similar, suggesting that the neighbourhood is just as well integrated globally as it is locally. The only difference is that the area is slight-ly more integrated on a global scale since R800 analysis doesn’t consider beyond the 800 metric radius.

The high level of integration for the district accentuates the ease of access to reach streets, and thus walkability of the area. The close proximity of the district to the city centre is a major aspect of its connectivity as it is an extension of a highly ur-banised zone and thus forms part of its connected grid.

The most integrated, red roads are long and straight, meaning they are constantly intersecting with other roads. They generally have a commercial function, since they are easier to reach and thus should have a higher footfall than a potentially less in-tegrated, residential street.

The highly integrated orange roads are slightly shorter than the red, often connect-ing between them. Yellow roads represent medium integration and are shorter, con-necting to orange roads and forming dead ends. Roads of low integration are un-common, making up only 6% of the district on a global and local scale.

Within the neighbourhood (labelled), yellow roads are prominent due to the dead-ends, emphasising more of an introverted community, despite the 100% highly inte-grated roads used to reach it.

2393.8m 23% of roads Low integration:

610m 6% of roads

TOTAL ROAD ACCESS:

10341.4m

Accessibility relates to the integration of an area. Various urban grid structures af-fect levels of integration based on their defining characteristics. There exist ver-nacular structures which are highly connected without central planning; they rely on markets and diagonal connections connecting small individual plots. Then there are ancient and modern grid structures, more focused on asserting control or density and integration. Hierarchal grids relate to that of Los Angeles, with a system deter-mined by roads and ultimately car access. Nottingham forms a discontinuous grid, consisting of private residential sites with compromised access. The tool used to assess the integration of the neighbourhood is called ‘Space syntax’, and provides spatial analysis determined by a particular radius. It measures the complexity of reaching a street; streets that require the fewest turns to reach other streets have a high integration value. Figure 3 shows the spatial integration within a radius of 800m (district scale), whereas figure 4 looks at the global integration.

Sherwood

Carrington

NOTTINGHAM CITY

Forest Fields Hyson Green

Radford

NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY

OLD MARKET SQUARE THE PARK ESTATE

The Lace Market

Sneinton

Wollaton park

UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

BEESTON

Meadows

WEST BRIDGEFORD

URBAN COMMUNITIES | District

F igu re 5 | D IFFERENC E S IN AG E MAJ O RITIE S 800 X 80 0m | 1:10,00 0 T he m ajority of peop le w ith in th e d istrict a re a ges Map highlighting differences in age majorities within the district. The majority of people are ages 15-24 or 2 4-4 4 15-24 or 24-44.

3

12

OVERALL: 7%

0-4

11%

5-14

30%

15-24

35%

7

8 RY EGO

GR

ARD LEV

BOU

F i g ur e 6 | D I F F E R E N CE S I N E T H N I C M A J O R ITIES 8 0 0 X 8 0 0 m | 1 : 1 0 ,0 0 0 T h e m a j o r i t y o f p e o p l e wi t h i n t h e di s t r i c t a r e of w h ite OVERALL: eMap t hhighlighting n i c i t y differences in ethnic majorities within the district. The majority of people are of white ethnicity.

45-64

3%

65-89

2

12

8 ORY 2

G GRE

90+

ARD LEV

BOU

Map highlighting differences in religious majorities within the district. The majority of people are either Christians, Muslims, or follow no religion.

47%

WHITE

9%

MIXED ETHNICITY

6%

INDIAN

14%

7

25-44

14%

0%

3

Figure 7 | DIFFER ENCES IN R EL IGIOUS M AJOR ITIES 8 0 0 X 8 0 0 m | 1 :1 0 , 0 0 0 Th e maj ority of p eop le w ith in th e district are Ch ristian s, M uslims, or follow n o religion

3 7

PAKISTANI

2%

BANGLADESHI

5%

CHINESE AND OTHER

14% 3%

8

YB

GOR

GRE

BL BLACK, AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN, BLACK BRITISH ARAB OR OTHER

RD EVA OUL

2

9

9

CHRISTIAN

9%

MIXED ETHNICITY

1%

BUDDHIST

15-24

6%

INDIAN

4%

HINDU

35%

25-44

14%

PAKISTANI

0%

JEWISH

14%

45-64

2%

BANGLADESHI

25%

MUSLIM

3%

65-89

5%

CHINESE AND OTHER

2%

SIKH

0%

90+

14%

BLACK, AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN, BLACK BRITISH

28%

NO RELIGION

3%

ARAB OR OTHER

8%

OTHER

11%

5-14

30%

Mary Douglas argues that ‘societies are tied together by modes of thought’. She correlates social structure with MBTI-brain functions, relating certain personality traits to cities. England falls under the egalitarian category, including ENTP, ESTP, ENTJ and ESTJ personality types; it has a more flexible law system, is more open to debate, and is diverse culturally.

It could also be argued that the Forest Fields district (figures 5-8) is egalitarian due to its diversity in ethnicity, religion and the fact it falls under the social structure of England. Understanding the ‘personality’ of a district is essential when understand-ing the types of activities, a population may take part in.

Figure 5 displays how >60% of the district population are ages 15-44, with 11% be-ing 5-14 and 14% being 45-64.

The large percentage of people aged 15-44 correlates to the distribution of economic activity whereby over 60% are either employed or students. The high percentage of students and employees is understandable con-sidering the availability of residential plots and their high spatial integration with centres of production and consumption, such as university and the city centre.

JEWISH

25%

MUSLIM

2%

SIKH

28%

NO RELIGION

8%

OTHER

Despite the high percentage of students and employees, 10% of the district still re-main unemployed, suggesting the disparity of income and opportunity within the district.

More of the population are unemployed than retired, which reflects the age demographic.

Despite Figure 6 highlighting a majority of white ethnicity across the district, the remaining 53% still reflects a diverse mixture of other ethnicities with 14% repre-sentation by Pakistani and 14% by Black, African, Caribbean, and Black British. The diversity amongst the region is well known and is represented by high street shops selling produce of various cultures.

The diversity of culture is also represented by religion. Figure 7 displays a marginal percentage difference between the religious majorities of Christianity, Islam and ‘no religion’, with a smaller percentage of the population represented by Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism.

“If you look at a school like Forest Fields Primary School, there are 52 languages spoken there. It’s incredibly diverse.”

“Nottingham was one of the original destinations for the Windrush generation. It’s the place of the first black business and the first Caribbean carnival, so it’s got a really important multi-cultural legacy. It’s a very cosmopolitan place.”

5%

12

10%

7

11% 8 GRE

3%

RD

EVA

OUL

YB GOR

19%

2

6% 8% 6%

1

4 9

11 6

10

32%

47%

0%

3

10

WHITE

0-4

HINDU

6

10

7%

4%

11% 21%

11

6

10

BUDDHIST

OVERALL:

5

11

6

1%

4

4

4 11

CHRISTIAN

5

5

5

32%

1

1

1

9

12

OVERALL:

Figure 8 | DIFFER ENCES IN EC ON OMIC AC T IVIT Y 8 0 0 X 8 0 0 m | 1 :1 0 , 0 0 0 Th e maj ority of p eop le within the dis tric t are in Map highlighting differences in economic majorities within theic district. majority of full-time emp loymen t activity or are ec onom allyTheinac tive people are either in full-time employment or are economically inactive students. studen ts

11%

PART-TIME EMPLOYEE

21%

FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE

5%

SELF-EMPLOYED

10%

UNEMPLOYED

11%

STUDENT (ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE)

3%

RETIRED

19%

STUDENT

6%

CARER

8%

LONG-TERM SICK/DISABLED

6%

OTHER

HISTOR Y Medieval times: 1689: 18th Century: 1869: 19th and Early 20th Century: 1845 1960: 1877: 1883: 1890:

1895: 1928: 1960: 2013: Today:

Forest Recreation Ground was part of the Sherwood Forest, a Royal hunting ground 1689 - Race Course went through what is now ‘Forest Fields’ 18th Century - People used the forest recreationally: foot racing, ballooning, circuses, bear baiting , circuses, cricket 1869 - Nottingham looking to expand medieval boundaries Late 19th and Early 20th Century - Nottingham’s urban expansion for housing and transport connections 1845 - Inclosure Act alloted a total of 122 acres of land for public recreation, including the Forest and Arboretum The forest’s 13 windmills were removed, cricket, football and bowls became a part of the park, and brass bands played regularly An Oak tree called “Inclosure Oak” was planted and can still be seen today 1860: Formation of Notts County Football Club through St Andrews Church 1877: Extension Act - ensured that open spaces were left in crowded parts of the city for children.

1883: North of the Forest: Gregory Boulevard was constructed, and 65 acres of Land were sold to Thomas Isaac Birkin, son of Richard Birkin - a successful figure in Nottingham’s lace industry which shaped much of the city’s form.

1890: Housing was developed on the Northern side for residential purposes, becoming ‘Forest Fields’ There were strict rules regarding the appearance of the buildings 500ft north of Gregory Boulevard e.g. walls adjacent to the Boulevard had to be of Bulwell stone, 2ft high and with a ‘neat iron palisade’ - some walls remain.

Many houses were designed by Thomas Chambers Hine, who designed the Lace Market’s Adams Building 1895: Introduction of High Pavement Grammar School 1928: The annual Goosefair was moved from the Old Market Square to the Forest, attracting a wide network of people 1960: The Apollo cinema closed down, and has since been replaced by a Mosque 2013: Completion of the Forest restoration project; improvements in footpaths, benches, railings, refurbished lodge and pavilion for a cafe, toilets and office space.

Area is really good for Asian shopping

URBAN COMMUNITIES | Neighbourhood

Figure 1 0 | DIFFER ENCES IN HOUSING TYPOLOGIES GREEN ZONE ACCOMODATION

ORANGE ZONE ACCOMODATION

BLUE ZONE ACCOMODATION

DETACHED

F igu re 9 | PO PULATIO N DE NS ITY

FLAT SEMI-DETACHED P E R S O N S P E R H E C TA R E WITHIN NEIGHBOURHOOD 200 X 200m | 1:2000

TERRACED SHARED

NEIGHBOURHOOD RADFORD ROAD

82.6 PERSONS/HECTARE 82.6 people: 10000m² = 0.00826 people/m²

GREEN ZONE:

203.37 PERSONS/HECTARE

Total Area:

203.37 people: 10000m²

20224.2m²

= 0.020337 people/m²

Area within neighbourhood:

Figure 1 2 : Zoomed in aerial view of n eigh b ourh ood

Terraced row housing

93.27 PERSONS/HECTARE

3469.32m²

93.27 people: 10000m²

= 17% of total area

= 0.009327 people/m²

3469.32 x 0.00826 = 29 people ORANGE ZONE

Flats above the shops

Area within neighbourhood:

13774.81m² = 100% of total area

13774.81 x 0.020337 = 280 people BLUE ZONE: Total Area:

17660.84m² Area within neighbourhood:

710.125m² = 4% of total area

710.125 x 0.009327 = 7 people

Figu r e 1 1 | N OT T I N G H A M CO ST C O M PA R I S O N O F H O U S E S A ND FL ATS De cem b e r 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0 https://www.plumplot.co.uk/Nottingham-house-prices.html £300,000

TOTAL NEIGHBOURHOOD: 29+280+7

= 316 PEOPLE RESIDENTIAL GFA:

£250,000

£200,000

Considering that the green, orange and blue zones are occupied by a majority of ei-ther flats or terraced houses, it is presumable that the level of income in the neigh-bourhood is not too high since Figure 11 reveals them to be significantly more af-fordable than detached and semi-detached houses.

£150,000

(Calculated in ‘Urban patterns’ assessment) =

22293.02m²

LIVING SPACE / PERSON: Residential GFA - 20% / no. of people (22293.02 - (22293.02 x 0.2)) / 316

= 56.44m² / person

To further understand the neighbourhood, it is important to consider the population. Figure 9 displays persons per hectare, represented by different zones, according to the 2011 census. The green zone has the smallest number of persons per hectare, potentially as a result of its smaller residential GFA; a significant portion of the green zone forms part of the high street and is occupied by semi-detached housing which occupies more space for less people. Almost 45% of the green zone is flats (Figure 10). The orange zone is the most populated since it is covered by mainly three-storey terraced houses.

£100,000

£50,000

£0 DETACHED

FLAT

SEMI-DETACHED

TERRACED

The total population of the neighbourhood has been calculated by multiplying the ratio of persons per m² by the plot areas within the neighbourhood, and so is an as-sumption. The resulting living space per person worked out to be 56.44 m² per person. Compared to Figure 12, this number is higher than average. However, consider-ing that “living space” relates to GFA, it is necessary to still consider the lack of outside private space available; the majority of the terraced houses have very little.

Figure 12

“The average urban floor space per person (UK) now stands at 393.4 ft2 (36.6sqm), compared to 464.8 ft2 (43.1sqm) outside urban areas” https://www.centreforcities. org/press/revealed-cities-offering-the-most-and-least-living-space-per-person/#:~:text=The%20average%20urban%20 floor%20space,43.1sqm)%20 outside%20urban%20areas.

URBAN ACTIVITIES | Production F I GU RE 1 5 | TRAVEL TO WOR K WITH IN TH E NE IG H BOURH O O D :

FIG U RE 13 | MAI N T R A N S I T RO U T E S F RO M T H E H I G H L I G H T E D N E I G H B O UR HOOD ( FIGUR E 1 4 ) TO NOTTINGHAM ’ S M AIN CENTR ES OF PRODUCTION N OT TO S C A L E

FIGUR E 1 4 | FOR EST FIEL DS NEGHBOURHOOD | 200X200m | 1 :2 0 0 0

WORK FROM HOME PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRIVATE TRANSPORT WALK/CYCLE/OTHER UNEMPLOYED GREEN ZONE TRANSIT

ORANGE ZONE TRANSIT

BLUE ZONE TRANSIT

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: (AVG. = 13%) - TRAM - TRAIN - BUS

FIGURE 16 | AVERAGE TIME (MINUTES) TO TRAVEL BETWEEN THE HIGHLIGHTED

CENTRES OF PRODUCTION:

FOREST FIELDS NEIGHBOURHOOD AND MAIN CENTRES OF PRODUCTION

PRIVATE TRANSPORT: (AVG. = 13%)

1

RETAIL CORE - OLD MARKET SQUARE

2

CANAL QUARTER - NOTTINGHAM STATION

OTHER: (AVG. = 13%)

3

CREATIVE QUARTER - MOTORPOINT ARENA

- WALK - CYCLE - OTHER

4

ROYAL QUARTER - NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY

5

QUEEN’S MEDICAL CENTRE

6

UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

WORK FROM HOME: (AVG. = 2%) UNEMPLOYED: (AVG. = 59%)

TIME

- CAR - VAN - TAXI - MOTORBIKE/MOPED

TRANSPORT METHODS:

60

CYCLE

50

WALK

40

PRIVATE TRANSPORT

30

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

20

TRAIN

10

TRAM

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Communities are a product of culture and lifestyle.

The assessment revealed that the majority of the district was mainly between 15-44 years old, either employed or at university. Owing to this, it is assumed that the majority of commutes would be to main centres of production such as the city centre and canal district, which offer work for retail and office industries, as well as a train station for work further afield. The University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre and Nottingham Trent have been included since they offer a wide array of jobs and student courses. Com-mutes to these centres have been mapped in Figure 13. On average, Public transport, private transport and other methods of transport, including walking and cycling are used equally. Figure 16 highlights that cycling is generally faster than using public transport, and often similar to forms of private transport, sometimes with a difference of roughly 10 minutes. Walking to any of the centres also takes under 40 minutes for approximately 80% of production centres. The remaining 20% is the University of Nottingham which is accessible by various forms of public transport.

Owing to the wide variety of travel methods and feasibility of walking and cycling along various routes, the neighbourhood could be argued to be sustainably integrat-ed with production centres.

However, it would be ideal to reduce use of private transport even more.

URBAN ACTIVITIES | Consumption FIGUR E 1 8 | WAL K ING DISTANCES AND SPATIAL INTEGR ATION | 1 6 0 0 X 1 6 0 0 M | 1:10,000

F I GU RE 1 7 | PLACES O F C O NS U MPTIO N W ITHIN T H E D I ST R I C T | 1 6 0 0 X1 6 0 0 M | 1 : 1 0 ,0 0 0 SHOPS

NEIGHBOURHOOD TO ST MARY’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL = 11 Minutes walk

COMMUNITY CENTRE EDUCATION GREEN SPACE /PARK SUPERMARKET / STORE STUDENT ACCOMODATION CARPARK High Street roads are highly integrated

CHURCH MOSQUE ASDA = 8min walk

GYM / LEISURE CENTRE HEALTH CENTRE POLICE STATION TRAM RIVER LEEN Skate Park

FOREST RECREATION GROUND

ALDI =12min walk

CAR CHARGING POINTS

NEIGHBOURHOOD TO FOREST RECREATION GROUND = 5 Minutes walk

NEIGHBOURHOOD TO CREATIVE QUARTER = 35 Minutes walk NEIGHBOURHOOD TO RETAIL CORE = 25 Minutes walk

FIGU R E 2 1 | We e k l y Pa r k R u n - Fo r e s t Re c r e a t i o n G r o u n d https://www.parkrun.org.uk/forestrec/news/ page/48/

NEIGHBOURHOOD TO JUBILEE SPORTS CENTRE = 30 Minutes walk NEIGHBOURHOOD TO DAVID ROSS SPORTS VILLAGE = 1 hour walk

Consumption differs to production since it relies on a resource input as opposed to an energy output; people consume goods and services for survival and lifestyle hab-its. Often, in the western world, over-consumption occurs due to higher demand for global services.

Figure 17 highlights services on a district level for the Forest Fields neighbourhood. In general, the area offers most services the community might require within a walkable distance: education for nursery-secondary school level; a definite high street (blue); various supermarkets; places of worship for religious communities, including mosques and churches; leisure centres and green spaces.

Forest Recreation ground is a significant place of consumption, offering a cafe, pub-lic toilets, football pitches, cricket zones, a community garden and room, park runs and an outdoor gym. Various events such as the famous annual Goose fair and Eid also occur there.

Remaining demands, such as bars, clubs and mainstream fashion retail are not pre-sent in the district. They can be accessed in under 15 minutes via cycling or public transport in Nottingham’s.

F I G U R E 1 9 | P i r a t e p l a y g o r u n d i n Fo r e s t Re c r e a t i o n G r o u n d https://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/news/Restoration-work-starts-at-Nottinghams-Forest-Recreation-Ground/301969

F I G U R E 2 0 | A n n u a l G o o s e Fa i r C a r n i v a l https://www.kinchbus.co.uk/news-and-media/our-news/article/goosefair2017

URBAN IMAGES

This assessment represents the typical images of the district based on how people may experience the area. Dominant identities have been highlighted. Other features highlighted will include the components Kevin Lynch believes a district may be mapped into: Nodes: a centre of orientation

Paths: connections that manipulate movement between spaces

Edges: boundaries

Landmarks: memorable points of reference

SWOT ANALYSIS Now the district has been assessed considering the spatial patterns, social factors and resulting activities, the overall sustainability can be evaluated. Generally, green cities aim for a polycentric approach – decentralizing the centre and creating small-er self-sufficient districts, with increased walking rates. Increasing the quality of the environment and place attachment is an important part of creating these self-sufficient districts and will be addressed in the following SWOT analysis.

STRENGTHS:

WEAKNESSES:

Although the city blocks are accessible from all sides, the paths which lead behind the blocks to the carparks are dull and not obvious to the public.

Maple street Skate park is a public hub for recreation yet is situated in an unexposed corner of the neighbourhood, set back from the high street. It has been known to encourage anti-social behaviour.

The park side closest to the neighbourhood is an uninspiring carpark.

The combination of typologies within the neighbourhood generates interest and multi-functional spaces. The neighbourhood is very well integrated on a global and local level, suggesting its walkability. The area is very diverse which is reflected by the cultural retail along the high street. Celebrations of culture are also experienced in facilities around the district such as Forest Recreation Ground and Community centres such as: The New Art Ex-change, Led by African, Caribbean and South Asian artists, and Sri Nadanaanjali dance cen-tre, which teaches Barathanatyam and Indian Folk Dance. Diversity is important as it can contribute new knowledge to an area and allow people to understand and accept different lifestyles.

Ribbon typologies create more set-back, pedestrianised zones

The New Art Exchange

Easy access to centres of production via public transport such as The Forest tram stop.

City blocks contribute to the Highstreet whilst creating space for cars to park and people to walk around the perimeter.

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Easy access to places of consumption such as the park, gym, Highstreet.

The Forest Recreation ground has a car charging point.

The row houses create a barrier between public and private space and maintain the classic red brick Victorian terraced house identity of Nottingham.

Many of the gardens back onto streets and public spaces with little privacy;

The Forest Recreation Ground is a major part of Forest Fields’ history and recreation yet from many streets, it’s hard to know of its existence due to the heights and density of the buildings.

OPPORTUNITIES: Define the circulation paths around the city blocks more clearly as private or make them into a social circulation zone, potentially making part of the carpark pedestrianised with a seating area for the residential community and high street community to integrate. Since the high street is so well integrated, creating more social places along it would prove beneficial to the community and encourage people to properly settle and absorb an area. Place at-tachment, as well as access to diverse needs is essential to a resilient economy.

Most mosques in the area have the facade of a local house and could be renovated to become more of a landmark to represent the Muslim community.

Provide a link between the park, the skate park and the high street to encourage people to explore the area and make use of the sustainable activities on offer.

Reducing the size of the carpark or improving its appearance through vegetation or attrac-tive paths connecting Noel Street to the green areas may encourage people to use it more.

Make the gardens more private by re-orienting the houses and bringing them closer to the road, taking away space from the front garden to add to the back garden. Add privacy barriers along the sides.

Make paths which manoeuvre through the houses more desirable and accessible in order to create a sense of unity within the neighbourhood.

Widen the sidewalks Social Pedestrianised zone set back from high street Privacy barrier

The potential of cycling is very significant; implementing more bike storage facilities and creating an attractive experience along the high street may encourage people to cycle and walk more.

Make more of main road junctions, and turn them into points of reference to encourage a sense of place attachment and legibility within the district.

THREATS: -

People may resist developments due to attachment to existing urban forms Utilising car parks for other developments may be impractical due to the lost space Widening the pavements may prove expensive and impractical for vehicles on the road Creating pathways through the neighbourhood and a communal garden may impeach the privacy of certain houses Increasing awareness of the skatepark may attract attention into the community and affect the living quality of the inhabitants

APPENDIX

REFERENCES

Forest Recreation Ground. Nottingham City Council. Available at: https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/forestrec. Accessed: 19 Jan 2021.

Lefebvre. H. (1991). The Production of Space. Oxford: Blackwell Phenomenology online. Available at: https://www.phenomenologyonline.com/inquiry/ methods-procedures/reflective-methods/guided-existential-reflection/spatial-reflection/.

Accessed: 19 Jan. 2021.

MAPLES STREET SKATEPARK IMAGE: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/residents-feel-intimidated-youths-setting-638934 NEW ART EXCHANGE IMAGE: https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/whats-on/new-art-exchange-at-nottingham-poetry-festival-2018-p738411 Sri Nadanaanjali. Available at: https://sri-nadanaanjali.ueniweb.com/?utm_campaign=gmb#header. Accessed: 19 Jan. 2021.

Smart, A. (2018). Looking back to the early days of Gregory Boulevard - one of Nottingham’s most sought-after addresses. NottinghamshireLive, [online]. Available at: https:// www.nottinghampost.com/news/history/looking-back-early-days-gregory-1632039. Accessed: 19 Jan. 2021.

Spickard, James V. A Guide to Mary Douglas’s Three Versions of Grid/Group Theory. Sociological Analysis, vol. 50, no. 2, 1989, pp. 151–170. JSTOR, Available at: www.jstor.org/ stable/3710986. Accessed: 19 Jan. 2021.

The Forest from Waste to Alloted Recreation Ground. (2012). The Mapperly and Sherwood History Group. Available at: http://mapperleyandsherwoodhistorygroup.co.uk/theforest-from-waste-to-allotted-recreation-ground. Accessed: 19 Jan 2021.

WBWire. (2018). Nottingham is one of the most ‘ethnically diverse and tolerant cities’, says councillor. West Bridgford Wire. [online] Available at: https://westbridgfordwire. com/nottingham-is-one-of-the-most-ethnically-diverse-and-tolerant-cities-says-councillor/. Accessed: 19 Jan 2021.

Weir. C. Forest Fields, Nottingham. The Nottinghamshire Heritage Gateway. Available at: http://www.nottsheritagegateway.org.uk/places/forestfields.htm. Accessed: 19 Jan 2021.

Software: https://datashine.org.uk/#table=QS601EW&col=QS601EW0002&ramp=RdYlGn&layers=BTTT&zoom=14&lon=-1.1619&lat=52.9632 https://digimap.edina.ac.uk/