Northern Quarter Gabriel Southren-Burns 150125020
Table of Contents Part One -
History and Character . . .
1
Research Methodology . . .
2
Spatial Analysis . . .
3
Public and Green space analysis . . .
4
Land Use . . .
5
Services . . .
6
Road and Transport analysis . . .
7
TraďŹƒc analysis . . .
8
Legibility and WayďŹ nding . . .
9
Pedestrian analysis . . .
10
Safety and Security . . .
11
New and Proposed developments . . .
12
SWOT analysis . . .
13 & 14
Part Two -
15
Site background . . .
16
Port Street Market . . .
17
Port Street Plaza . . .
18
1. History and Character History The area played a key role in Mancheter’s contribution to the industrial revolution. The first cotton mill opened on Miller Street (Shudehill junction) in 1784. However it was the completion of the Rochdale Canal in 1804 marked the beginning of the Northern Quarter’s status as a key part of the city as more industry grew around it. Although now closed, the Smithfield Market has always been a big part of the quarters identity (see figure ...). A result of the booming trade industry, the market grew rapidly. It is estimated that on a single day in 1870 up to 20,000 went to the market (Haslam (2000), p 33) Since the emergence of the Arndale Centre and Market Street in the mid 20th century the quarter has become noticably quieter. The area has since become the focus of residential redevelopment and conversion and is seen as the cultural quarter of Manchester. Character The areas history is demonstrated in it’s architecture. Georgian artisan houses are situated amongst multi storey Edwardian warehouses, Victorian markets, pubs and 20th century department stores and office buildings. This is a common theme throughout much of the city centre. Due to the areas similar appearance to that of Soho in New York it has American films have often filmed here as a double. These include Alfie and Captain America.
Manchester map 1858 (oldmapsonline)
Manchester map 1921 (oldmapsonline)
1. Figure 1 - Afflecks 2. Figure 2 - Smithfield market Hall 3. Figure 3 - Mural, Red Lion Street 4. Figure 4 - Hatters Hostel Graffiti
2 1 3
4
It’s cool, but it’s not Shoreditch... It’s gritty, but it’s not Glasgow... Ben Holden, Northern Quarter resident (BBC News, 2010)
The first map represents Manchester in height of industrial revolution. Here the population was just over 300,000. Much of the cities housing were classed as slums. However at this time the Northern Quarter was mainly factories and workshops. The second map represents the city at its peak at both population, around 700,000 and industrial capacity as after the financial crisis in 1930 it went into steep decline.
Represents the Northern Quarter
All pictures were taken by author unless otherwise stated
2. Methodology Methods
Data
Duration
Examples
Product
Walking interviews with pedestrians
Notes and transcripts
1 hour
A survey was carried out on Port Street around 11 am. Approx. 7 members of the public were asked what their destination was.
See which groups of society used the area. What function they used.
Interviews with local workers
Notes and transcripts
3 hours in total
4 shop owners and one barber was interviewed regarding their opinions on the area.
Different opinions on the areas identity. Highlighted problems within the community.
Spatial analysis
Photo and map annotations.
3 days
Took photos of points of interest while surveying the site.
Helped understand the relationship between people and the space.
Locations like Stevenson Square and the south entrance to Newton Street were chosen to track peoples movements.
Mapped the relations between behaviours and locations.
Stood for 10 minutes at 4 strategic locations, recording the numbers of traffic passing through.
An idea of the average volumes of traffic the area receives.
Behavioural mapping
Counting
Field notes/photos
Figures of the amount of cars and pedestrians passing through an area.
1 hour in total
1 hour in total
List of interviews with local businesses Female owner of Richard Goodall Gallery, Thomas Street 26/12/15
Male owner of Bionic Seven, Port Street 3/12/15 Male barber at the Corner Barber Shop
Deadstock General Store Talking to middle aged male shop owner Shop has been open for: 6 months What do you like about the Northern Quarter? There is a good community within the business owners in the area, we help each other out. Other shops, restaurants and bars in the area help attract customers to the business. What do you think about the lack of open space? Manchester as a whole does not have much green space and it is something that the local people have become used to. It doesn’t really bother me. What would you change about the area? There are many canals in the area that have been neglected in recent years. I would open them up as public space as it reflects the cities character and is a pleasant place to spend time. Other comments? The reason why nothing really changes in the area is because the council are too short sighted. They don’t want to take a risk on investing in an area if there is not going to be an obvious immediate financial return. This is why the Northern Quarter is usually looked over. Example: the proposed pedestrianisation of Stevenson Square that didn’t happen.
Location of methods Pedestrian and vehicle count
Male owner of Deadstock General Store, Edge Street 26/12/15 Female owner of Chocolate Ape, Afflecks 26/12/15
Interview example
Traffic count Business interviews
Walking interviews with pedestrians
3. Spatial Analysis 1. 3. Edge Street
The grain throughout much of the site is quite fine (see map 1) The eastern side of Port Street is rather distorted due to large amounts of open land. The original grid pattern remains dominant in the area however new developments have disrupted this with Tib Street NPC and Smithfield Gardens estate as the biggest contributors as they cut diagonally down the centre of the site, fragmenting it partially creating a deformed Cadastral pattern (see map 2).
2.
All buildings are of a similar height, forming a coherent shop frontage facing Piccadilly Gardens, creating a sense of familiarity and comformity amongst pedestrians. The architecure is a mix between Edwardian and Victorian.
2. Port Street
Southern Elevation
Northern Elevation The whole street is very much fragmented with the building height varying for every building. This to do with a number of new, more high rise developments such as Travel Lodge and Smithfield. The eastern area (Brownsfield Mill) is sparse as much 1. Tib Street
3.
Southern Elevation
Oldham Street
These pictures demonstrate the areas layout and sense of spatial awareness through the clear grid layout.
Lever Street
Map 1: Grain Map 2: Grid
Northern Elevation
Brownsfield Mill
Map 3: Figure ground
Newton Street
Lever Street
Oldham Street
Shudehill All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated
4. Public and Green space analysis The densley packed Victorian style grid of the Northern Quarter leaves little room for public space or greenery. This is also the case for the rest of Manchester as it has always been known as industrial city where people had little time to rest. The dull climate of Manchester also contributes to this substantially. Reflecting this, when ask about his opinion of the lack of public space one shop owner said . . . “It’s Manchester, what do you expect?” owner of Deadstock Genral Store Thus giving the impression that most Mancunians have come to terms with the lack of public space and therefore do not care. However there are some different opinions on the issue, local DJ Dave Haslam said that the area lacks a neighbourhood feel and to achieve this it needs“a park for old people to sit and watch the world go by” (BBC News, 2010).
Rochdale Canal
Bluu (bar) Nearly all of the street furniture in the quarter is owned by bars and restaurants like this one.
The canals are open for public use with street furniture etc. however they are hard to notice as they are cut off from public view.
Dale Street Thomas Street This currently serves as one of the areas only public space where the pedestrians can come and enjoy street furniture for free. Some local shop owners see this as problematic as it tends to be occupied by homeless people who cause social issues and tension in the area.
The majority of greenery in the area is not a part of a wider context and is rather stand alone. There is no street furniture to accompany making it purley for decoration
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated
5. Land Use Land use in the wider context
In comparison to the adjacent large commercial mega block of Arndale, the Northern Quarter more small scale commercial development. Therefore at present they are not competing with one another however, the completion of the Arndale Centre in the 1970’s was one of the main reasons for the quarters commercial demise. Urban Exchange, a mixed use retail development to the east located next to the ringroad, relies on traffic from out of town. This is clear through the American vehicle priority design, car parking and poor pedestrian access. Abundent car parking in the area provides the service to wider areas, increasing pedestrian flow to and and from the areas
Institutional (Google maps) The area has a distinct lack of institutional buildings. Despite being known as the cultural quarter of Manchester there is only one museum, The Greater Manchester Police. This is only open one day a week and for school visits. There are no educational buildings on site to the dismay of some locals (see quote below).
Vacant There is a scattering of vacant buildings located throughout the site. Towards the east these mainly include old factory buildings and workshops. In the centre these are mainly the result of independent businesses closing to high rents.
Parking Apart from the the purpose built NPC car park on Tib Street, much of the parking on site is loacted on brownfield land with the majority loacted along Port Street.
Commercial The area is highly mixed use. The commercial services on offer range from bars and cafe’s to estate agents. Urban Exchange offers two supermarkets and clothing stores.
Religious (Google maps) The only two religious buildings on site are the Methodist Church on Oldham Street and the Muslim Youth Foundation on Turner Street. Both provide additional services like providing help to the homless in the area.
Office Like residential, the majority of offices are located above commercial units. There are a number of purpose built developments throughout.
Residential The majority of residential is located on the second floor or higher, above commercial units. There are a few purpose built developments located throughout.
“I wouldn’t call this much of a community. I’d expect a community to have schools and emergency services, you’ll find non of that around here” Barber at the Corner Barber Shop 3/12/15
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated
6. Services In regards to the rest of Manchester, the Northern Quarter is very different in the services that it offers. During the day the area is most well known for its independent shops and boutiques, art galleries and coffee shops. At night it transforms, with over 30 bars, nightclubs and live music venues it is the main area for night life in the city. There are also many independent restaurants, numbering around 30.
Night and Day (bar)
A pedestrian survey (see pedestrian analysis) found that the services were used by nearly all groups in society apart from children. However it is clear to see that the intended target for the area is for the younger generation.
"The fact is you never see children in the Northern Quarter - or old people”. Dj Dave Haslam (BBC, 2010)
Evuna (restaurant)
As a result one could say the area lacks a real community and sense of neighbourhood. Many of the record stores have recieved national recognition such as Piccadilly and Vox Pop records. Former department store turned bazaar Afflecks offers a wide range of quirky individual units including clothing, music memorabilia and tattoo artists. It currently has a footfall of up to 24,000 a week, with every one of its 73 units let (ManchesterEveningNews,2013). It is the only on of it’s kind in Manchester making it a cultural icon, Lady Gaga visited the store in 2013. NOTE (independent store)
After interviewing some local shop owners it was found that in the last 20 years many independent businesses in the have been forced to close or have failed to open due to high rents. The owner of Richard Goodall’s Art Gallerly blamed the local governments “short sightedness” for the reason for lack of investment. They also voiced their concern about the amount of bars and restaurants in the area saying that the litter left behind after nights out and the noise really take away from the character.
Piccadilly Records (independent)
The monthly Makers market in Stevenson Square offers local traders a chance to show off their wares. However they are only given a 5 hour window from 11:00 - 16:00 to do this and as the square is an important bus route and transport intersection the cost to do this is high. Apart from a few supermarkets located on the eastern and western periphery, the only store that serves the area is the mini market on Oldham Street and a couple of newsagents only stocking basic supplies. As result many local residents will choose to do their grocery shopping elsewhere.
“There is a good community amongst shop owners in the area, we all help eachother out” Owner of Deadstock General Store All imahges were taken by author unless otherwise stated
7. Road and Transport The quarter is well connected by transport being located inbetween the two biggest train stations in Manchester, Victoria and Piccadilly. For buses, metroshuttle routes 1 & 2 run through the site and the tram runs along the western side of site via Market Street and Shudehill Interchange.
Shudehill Interchange
Piccadilly station
The site is well accessed on all sides, however as the roads are apart of the city centre network and shared with the bus routes it can get congested (see traďŹƒc analysis). The majority of the quarter is one way traďŹƒc with the exception of the major bus routes and other main roads besides Lever Street. This is due to the roads for the most part being very narrow. Newton and Lever Street are the two main roads on site acting as tributaries feeding into Great Ancoats Street (A665), apart of the ring road connecting to other parts of Greater Manchester and beyond. Located to the north west, the Shudehill Interchange acts a major transport hub for both trams and buses, serving areas as far as Rochdale and Bury.
Victoria station
Deansgate station
Oxford Road station
(Google earth)
As a result of the connectivity the area attracts many people which helps support local business and improves atmosphere in the area.
Tib Street
Example of a one way street
Newton Street Entrance
One of the main bus and vehicle routes into the site
Stevenson Square
A number of bus routes and main roads converge here.
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated
8. Traffic Analysis Traffic between 12:30 - 13:30
It is clear to see that the most used roads in the development are Lever Street and Newton street with the majority of the traffic from the south side via Piccadilly road (see maps) During lunchtime hours on Lever Street the majority of traffic were buses as this the main route. However there is a noticeable change around 5pm as there are more cars entering the area. This is to do with people leaving from work. It can also seen that the higher volumes of traffic tends to concentrate around the areas with the most important land uses for instance the offices loacted on and around Dale Street and Stevenson’s Square. The difference in traffic on Newton Street at both entrances between mid day and rush hour is relatively small with only slightly more in during rush hour (see traffic count right)
Traffic between 17:00 - 18:00
Despite Great Ancoats Street being the ring road, relatively little traffic comes into the quarter, this most likely due to most people leaving the Northern Quarter on their way home from the city centre.
TRAFFIC COUNT LEVER STREET ENTRANCE (SOUTH) 10 MINUTES @ 12:30 BUS
24
CARS
18
10 MINUTES @ 17:10 BUS
15
CARS
30
NEWTON STREET NORTH SIDE ENTRANCE 10 MINUTES @ 13:00
51
CARS
10 MINUTES @ 17:35
62
CARS
NEWTON STREET SOUTH SIDE ENTRANCE 10 MINUTES @ 12:40
72
CARS
10 MINUTES @ 17:20
77
CARS
Newton Street south
Traffic during lunch time
Newton Street north
Traffic during 5pm rush hour
High Street/Thomas Street
T-Junction and one way traffic
Church Street
Traffic to the Ardale Centre and Shudehill Interchange
All images were taken by author unless otherwise states
9. Legibility and Wayfindning Wayfinding The areas grid layout pattern offers a very legible guide for pedestrians. The width and commercial presence of Dale Street and Oldham Street (see figure 5 and 6) provide clear avenues for pedestrians. This is coupled with clear landmarks and nodes provide clear reference points directing footflow through these areas.
Figure 5: Southern view up Oldham Street (left) and Lever Street
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The northern and eastern parts of the site are less developed than the rest of the site with few nodes and landmarks making it a lot less legible. Smithfield Gardens Estate and Port Street Citi Park are good examples of this (see figures 7 and 8)
Old fish market
Tib Street Horn
Stevenson Square
Edges
Great Ancoats Street
The site has 4 distinct edges on all sides. Although not the site boundary, the eastern side is distinctly marked by the Rochdale Canal. The Arndale Centre marks a clear western edge separating the two areas. The shops of the southern side along Piccadilly Street is more of a percieved edge as they do not physically seperate the two sites but instead visual via land use and public space (Piccadilly Gardens). Great Ancoats Street to the north provides probably the most clear boundary with the road spanning 5 lanes in places.
Paths
Nodes
The entrance to Newton Street, Smithfield Square, Stevenson Square, the Tib Street Horn and the public space onThomas Street all act as nodes as they are located on the convergence of main paths. They are also places that have unique charcter.
Landmarks
The majority of paths on site follow the major roads as most of the businesses and areas of interest are located along them.
Afflecks and the Old Fish Market offer historical landmarks that visually stand out in comparison to surrounding buildings. Tib Street NPC, although not historical it is a huge block located almost centrally in the site. It can be seen from all major streets such as Thomas Street, Dale Street and Church Street.
Stevenson Square offers a wide space in the centre of the site which is distinct compared to any other due to it’s size. These landmarks allow pedestrians to better understand the built environment.
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated
Figure 6 Eastern view along Stevenson Square (right) and Dale Street
Figure 7: Port Street car park
Figure 8: Smithfield Gardens Estate
10. Pedestrian Flow Analysis Pedestrian flow The majority of footfall into the Northern Quarter comes from Piccadilly Street through pedestrians going to and from the Arndale centre/retail quarter and Piccadilly train station on the southern side of the site. This can be from people intending to use the functions or just out of pure curiosity. Consequently the southern and western sections of the quarter tend to be relatively busy with the majority of businesses based around these areas rather than the northern and eastern sections which are quiet and usually only accessed for car parks on Port Street or people going elsewhere. Bus stops on Lever Street, Oldham Street and Church Street are responsible for much of the pedestrian congregation and dispersal. Tib Street NPC also aides this. Conicts with vehicles Great Ancoats Street to the north of the site creates a large barrier, hindering pedestrian movement to the adjacent Ancoats area.
Tib Street NPC
Church Street Bus stop
Oldham Street entrance
Great Ancoats Street
The area gives full priority to vehicles with only one road being partially pedestrianised (part of High Street) meaning pedestrians are confined to small paths. Many of the crossings are poorly marked and slow to react while some traffic lights simply do not work. As a result daily routines are interupted and the area somewhat loses it’s social function. Pedestrian Survey In a survey, a range of pedestrians were asked their destinations.
Car parks are very much at the centre of pedestrian congregation and dispersal.
Bus stops like this bring many people to and from the area.
Clear canyon like roads with distinctive buildings either side like this provide pedestrians with clear way points to guide them through the site.
This road creates a problem for pedestrians trying to get in or out of the site.
1. Middle aged female: Hairdressers 2. Group of middle aged males: Going to a local gig 3. Young male: Work 4. Young female: Work 5. Elderly female: Coffee with friend From this it can be seen that the area is used for a variety of reasons with all age groups catered for. However, based on pure observation it is clear that the primary target audience is young, ages 18-30.
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated
11. Safety and Security Analyisis Appearance
Figure ..: Active frontages during daytime
The area is generally in good condition with a few exceptions. Mainly being vacant buildings on the periphery but some even in the centre of the quarter giving the area an appearance of being run down creating the assumption that it is unsafe. As a result people may want to avoid going here, especially after dark. Not all buildings are clearly demarcated i.e. some vacant looking buildings are in fact residential properties or oďŹƒces. This is mainly found outside the quarters centre. This is partly due to the areas Victorian architecture with high set, darkened windows it is hard to deďŹ ne spaces.
Thomas Street
Oldham Street
Port Street
Figure ..: Active frontages after 21:00
Safety at Night
Although not a common site, more buidings are becoming like this
The lack of active This whole wide open area frontages and ven is poorly lit at night creating main streets like this a large sense of unease. at night look deserted and feel unsafe.
Figure ..: Faraday Street Figure ..: Soap Street
Interviews of local business owners found that the area is high in crime with street robberies and assaults being the most common. The latter is usually after night clubs shut. As a result of the age of the site and the past uses (industry) the passive surveillance of the area has been overlooked. Many access streets and alleyways in between buildings, open to the public, are very enclosed meaning limited visibility. An article in 2013 found that the many of the alleyways and car parks are frequently visited by drug users, this is a problem that has continued to be ignored by the council according to locals (mancunianmatters, 2013)
This map shoes that there is a noticeable correlation between areas with few active frontages and areas that are poorly lit. For the area as whole it would be wise to install more eďŹƒcient lighting in these areas to compensate for this.
All image were taken by author unless otherwise stated
12. New and Proposed Developments B: Bradley House easyHotel Information - It will cost £6 million to buy and convert the building. - 114 rooms. (Manchesteveningnews, 2015)
C
Will it benefit Manchester? - easyHotel provides budget accomodation meaning it will attract a larger target audience, feeding the tourism industry and local businesses.
A
Will it benefit the Northern Quarter? - The quarters target audience i.e. young people will be attracted to this hotel due to it’s cheap prices thus boosting the footfall to the area. - It is also strategically located at the southern entrance to Newton Street.
B
C: Smithfield Quarter
Will it benefit Manchester? - The Core strategy highlights the Northern Quarter as one of the key areas for residential development. - The development will help support Manchester’s growing population and expanding city centre. - The style of the apartments will accomodate Manchester’s growing white collar worker sector.
Information - A substantial mixed use development located on the Shudehill corner of the area. Completed over six phases including: - Refurbishment of former fish market and creating of large public courtyard (2003) - Two hotels - a 230 bedroom Crowne Plaza (2008) and a 192 bedroom Holiday Inn Express (Sept 2011) - One Smithfield Square, comprising of 77 new apartments and over 6,000 sq ft of ground floor commercial space. Total cost: £120 million (Muse, 2015) Does it benefit Manchester? - The economic benefits will have a knock on effect, affecting the whole of Manchester.
Will it benefit the Northern Quarter? - Some locals have expressed their views about the quarter having too much residential development already. - It will no doubt increase the areas population thus more footfall and passing trade. - The target demographic of the developments is for single professionals rather than families meaning it will not help enhance the quarters lacking neighbourhood community.
Does it benefit the Northern Quarter? - The refurbishment of the Fish Market walls and other buildings helps retain the areas historic character and identity. - The scheme's mixed-use approach has attracted many new businesses and residents to the Northern Quarter and continues to act as a catalyst for further investment (Muse, 2015) - The development does very little to address the concerns and opinions raised by local shop owners.
A: Great Ancoats Street Apartments Information - £30 million scheme whcih will have 134 apartments spread over 14 floors. - Will offer quality living within the private rented sector. (Manchestereveningnews, 2015)
Manchesterconfidential, 2015
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated
13. SWOT Analysis - Part One Strenghths 10 minute walk to Victoria Station
Well connected to rest of Manchester and beyond via proximity to train stations, bus routes Located at the edge of city centre in close proximity to all services i.e. Arndale Shopping Centre.
Landmarks
The areas distinct identity in regards to unique vintage clothing shops, record stores, art galleries and other boutiques. Strong historic industrial identity. Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian architecture. Wide selection of bars, restaurants and cafe’s.
6 minute walk to Piccadilly Station
Nodes and landmarks in the central and southern parts of the site make it easy to navigate. Area very legible with nodes and landmarks
Weaknesses Lack of public and green space. Too many bars and restaurants and associated problems i.e. antisocial behaviour.
The only area that can be considered partially pedestrianised
Business rates and rents are too high leading to closure of many independent shops. Unlit, narrow streets can be percieved as dangerous, particularly at night. Fragmented, unlegible area
Lack of pedestrianised areas. Lack of a platform for young artists and business people to display their wears. Lack of public investment Northern and eastern area of the site fragmented and unlegible, lacking nodes and landmarks.
14. SWOT Analysis - Part Two Opportunities Lots of vacant land available to build on Increased footfall from Ancoats
Development of Ancoats area will bring increased footfall through the area. Many vacant buildings to be re-occupied. Growing market for young, alternative individuals. Shops working together to strengthen community cohesion.
Symbolising community cohesion and togetherness
Potential development sites
Threats Represents money going out of the area as well as no money going in trying to get in.
Other, more commercially appealing areas of the city competing for public funding and appearing more attractive to private investors. Short sightedness of local government only investing money if they can see an immediate ďŹ nancial return. The closure of more independent businesses if rates continue to be so high.
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Part Two: Port Street Redevelopment
16. Site background The grain in is very fragmented as it is undeveloped and currently been used as a car park. The area to the north east is also fragmented due to new developments and undeveloped land. The grain to the south and the east is quite fine with many of the original buildings still standing, feeding into the wider grid pattern of the Northern Quarter. The architecture of the area surrounding the site is a mixture of Victiorian, Georgian and modern. The modern buildings have been built in a way that reflects surrounding character thus visually pleasing (see figure 10). Listed buildings in the area include the Georgian terraces (see figure 12) and Brownsfield Mill. Despite the area being largely void of commercial activity it is still relatively well used through the use of the car park and as an access route to other parts of Manchester. The PTC below shows that there is nearly double the amount of pedestrians during the evening rush hour than lunch time and that more pedestrians use the area as an access route. In an interview, the owner of Bionic Seven (independent clothing store, Port Street) keeps his store open until 8 pm as he relies on passing trade during rush hour. This area currently has some of the lowest rents in the Northern quarter and as a result a coulle of independent stores and bars have opened up. The proposals for the area are going to address three identified issues: Lack of public Space Safety and security Platform for young independent businesses A - 45 B - 15 C -6 D -13
Figure 9: Port Street Citi Park
13:15 A - 70 B - 41 C -8 D - 25
Port Street pedestrian and traffic count (PTC)
Figure 10: Brewer Street
A) Pedestrians passing through B) Pedestrians to and from car park C) Vehicles passing through D) Vehicles to and from car park
Figure 11: Pen & Pencil, Brewer Street Figure 12: Georgian terraces, Port
17:50
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated
17. Port Street Market Rationale This will provide young, independent businesses who can’t afford to pay high rents a perminant platform for which to operate. Proximity to the entrance to the Northern Quarter and the pedestrian traffic flowing both ways will provide enough footfall to the area as well as curiosity from pedestrians. There are no perminant markets like this in Manchester. The Makers market offering food, drink and other vintage accessories operates monthly in serveral locations throughout the city centre with Stevenson Square being it’s Northern Quarter location. Local business owners are in favour of the idea. The owner of Bionic Seven said he wouldn’t see it as competition as he wants to see the area do well and is tired of the amount of the bars and restaurants in the area. The surrounding car parks and transport links make the area well connected allowing it to be easily accessed.
Case study: Spitalfield’s Market, London Located just 5 minutes from Liverpool Street train station the market has up to 110 canopy market stalls providing food, vintage clothing and other accessories. Open seven days a week from 10:00 - 17:00, every day has a “theme”, for instance thursday is antiques & vintage market and friday is fashion & art market. It is considered a huge success and in 2011 it won the "Best Private Market" award by the National Association of British Market Authorities.
Design In order to connect and enhance with the areas character the market will be built in a similar style to the old Smithfield Market ( see figure 13). There will be wide arches built into the external facade making it very permiable. Also this is more likely to interest passing trade as they can see what is inside. The roof will be made of glass, thus giving the feeling of being outside while sheltered from the weather. The frontage will be set back from Brewer Street, further along Port Street to make it more visible to those entering the Northern Quarter via Newton Street.
Newton Street
The inside will be laid out in a similar way to Spitalfields Market (see figure 14)
Figure 13: Former Smithfield Fish Market. Figure 14: Spitalfields Marker(Ilovemarkets.com)
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated.
18. Port Street Plaza “everything in Manchester costs a lot of money, there is nowhere where people can go and relax for free” Bionic Seven, independent shop owner 3/12/15 Rationale This will provide the Northern Quarter and the rest of Manchester with somewhere to have lunch, relax and meet friends for free. Something which Manchester lacks. Consequently people will come from around the city centre to be here. The plaza will cater for all ages in society. The elderly will have somewhere to escape to to get away from the fast pace of the city. Parents will finally have somewhere child friendly to take their children in the quarter and office workers can go and take a 10 minute break. The plaza will go hand in hand with the market as pedestrians going to the market will have to pass through the plaza first. During the summer the central courtyard will be partially occupied by market stalls. As this will bring more people the area, local businesses will benefit. As a result this will attract more businesses, bringing greater footfall to the plaza, thus creating a virtuous cycle.
Design Taking inspiration from the Peace gardens in Sheffield (see figure 15) the raised grass islands will provide an area for people to graze on during the summer or sit on the edges. Street furniture will be placed around the grass islands to provide additional seating. Removable seating will be placed along either side of the fountains so they can make way for market stalls when needed. A line of trees line be placed along the eastern side to create a sense of enclosure. So to not hide the plaza, no trees will be placed along the western side, allowing clear visability from Newton Street and the entrance to Port Street.
Figure 15: Peace Gardens, Sheffield (Kinlochservices,2013) All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated.
19. Proposed Safety Features Current lighting on site
Lighting
Rationale The Northern Quarter as a whole needs updated in regards to safety and security. This site is currently one of the worst lit in the quarter (see ....). The current street lighting is dim (see figure ...) offering a limited range of visibilty. This limits local trade and undermines the economic activity and social cohesion of the area. Despite the area being well used during the day, at night the pedestrian flow decreases substantially. Also, although the site being quite open (car parks), the site still has the potential to harbour criminals through narrow alley ways and between parked vehicles making pedestrians vulnerable particularly at night. Providing positive change through safety were serve as a catalyst for further change in the Northern Quarter and Manchester as a whole.
Lighting with proposed developments
Design Proposal Strategically placed street lighting running all the way up the street will provide pedestrians with a clear defined passageway through the site. Bright lights located in the centre of the car parks, along alley ways and loacted all around the market place will transform the area allowing nowhere to become not visible.
Figure ...:Example of current street lighting along Port Street (Google maps)
All images were taken by author unless otherwise stated.
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