Reflections on Future Sheffield exhibition by IntegreatPLUS

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#ShefNRQi In December 2013 the Academy of Urbanism visited Sheffield’s “New Retail Quarter” to produce a diagnostic report on what Sheffield needed to revitalise the area of land known as the NRQ. The Academy of Urbanism responded by identifying the seven following themes:

What exactly is the nature of the city? How do we build on its uniqueness and vitality? How do we stop it stagnating? How can it be refreshed without losing its essence? What is it missing? Can it be compared to other cities and if so, what can we learn from them?

We took these themes and put them to Sheffield’s top design talent at the Sheffield Design Summit, to ask how they would tackle these issues. Reflections on Future Sheffield takes their responses and puts them to you.

We can reflect and contrast with other cities, but be careful not to try to import distinctive ideas from elsewhere. There are so many adjectives which describe Sheffield, it is impossible to distil these down into one or two words. How can these diverse but guiding elements be reintroduced? One important factor is to highlight Sheffield’s own strengths of identity as a ‘Green City on a Hill’ and its connection to the peak district cannot be underestimated.

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE to air your views and reflect back on the Design Summit’s ideas, to tell the world how you would

CHANGE SHEFFIELD...

SPACES AND PLACES

CONNECTIVITY THE BIGGER PICTURE

#ShefNRQii

#ShefNRQiii

The quality of Sheffield’s public realm is possibly its greatest asset, developing the NRQ provides an opportunity to further build on this. Whether by quality of streets, squares, soft and hard landscaping, pocket parks formal and informal. There is further opportunity to work with the topography of Sheffield in order to maximise and celebrate this distinctiveness. Would this topography lead naturally to the consideration of double decker or split level streets? In such a windy city should arcades be an essential component of the vision?

How can connectivity be maintained without detriment? How can traffic and pedestrian flows be managed in order to improve linkages rather than severance? How can the scheme be effectively serviced but without adversely affecting the successful existing pedestrian domination of the city centre?

An important historic buildings which could not easily accommodate modern major public realm space, what are the options? If there is to be one new major public space where should it be?

How can parking be integrated successfully with minimum visual impact but providing well considered access routes for pedestrians and traffic. Addressing the bigger picture of the NRQ as a quarter within the city centre and wider city – how can you ensure north south/east west walking and cycling routes are included and enhanced and are woven into the masterplan thinking (also encouraging more activity through the area).

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Supported by:

www.integreatplus.com

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QUALITY

STRENGTHENING THE TOP END MARKET OFFER

BEYOND RETAIL BROADENING THE MIX

PHASING AND RISK

#ShefNRQiv

#ShefNRQv

#ShefNRQvi

#ShefNRQvii

Commercial viability – what are our essential existing quality buildings in or around the quarter which need retaining? Sheffield is an ‘Univercity’, the relationship with both universities and students and graduates is paramount to the City’s economy. How can the retail quarter and its environs ensure promotion of retention of graduates beyond Sheffield being a ‘first job’ city – how can the image of the city be enhanced further? How can the NRQ help encourage major businesses to establish a base/headquarters in the city? How can the NRQ reinforce this message? What are Sheffield’s key assets (buildings and settings), new and old, and how can they be protected within the overall masterplan? The setting of a building can significantly enhance and transform the building itself, there is a need to identify which buildings are in need of improved settings.

The Academy of Urbanism has identified the need for improvements in the top end market offer – for a city of its size, demographics and spend, Sheffielders are generally not spending their money in Sheffield city centre, with the exception perhaps in John Lewis. Building on the attractiveness of John Lewis in its current site, but providing other interest for the top end market customers so that ‘coming to visit John Lewis, parking in the car park and going straight home scenario’ is minimised.

How do you providing long term flexibility for the area – beyond mainstream retail? This could include consideration for independents, entertainment, leisure, civic and culture. What does Sheffield need going forward over the next 100 years?

What are the current market needs? How can existing large volumes of commercial and retail space be adapted for future uses should the market change? Should smaller scale units predominate? What does the future hold for retail? How can we continue to support independents? How do we create their place and continue to support their growth? Can opportunity be identified within the existing buildings without the need to build new? – 600,000ft2 already exists in the area – supplying opportunities to refurbish, re imagine, re invent and re purpose and/or, to retain parts of the old.

Ensuring John Lewis relates equally as a fulcrum to both prime shopping zones (The Moor and Fargate), as well connecting northwards to Devonshire Quarter. Testing out the scenarios of keeping on site or moving to a new site. Not forgetting the elephant in the room, what can Meadowhall offer the city centre? What can the city offer in retail terms that Meadowhall cannot?

Can Sheffield provide an attractive offer as a cultural, vibrant, living city? What will work for the people of Sheffield, and how can this fit into the area? What does Sheffield want to be in the 21st century? How can we create a design or masterplan that can accommodate the unknown? Is it possible?

Is there an incremental way of developing the quarter? Could it be ‘kick started’ by one initial phase which sets the benchmark for the rest? How could the quarter be broken down and redeveloped successfully? Does this help minimise the risk for a future developer or not?

IDEAS ON TH

OUR CITY TELL US WHAT YOU THINK To the left is the original brief we gave designers at the Sheffield Design Summit.

THIS EXHIBITION IS MADE UP OF THEIR RESPONSES

Our favourite ideas and results of polls will be published on twitter & facebook

Throughout the exhibition we’ll be asking you questions. Each subject has its own unique hashtag which we’ll use to collect your views. You can answer these questions & give your comments by tweeting or posting with these hashtags. At the end of each day we’ll post some of our favourite comments and results of poll questions on our facebook and twitter account’s

@RoFSheffield

Read the story so far on Storify

See our Hashtag

Tweet or post your thoughts Followed by the Hashtag

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facebook.com/sheffieldsocietyofarchitects

The

DESIGN SUMMIT #ShefNRQ

The Sheffield Society of Architects with support from Integreat Plus and RIBA Yorkshire, hosted a Design Summit to discuss the future of Sheffield city centre and the area designated as the ‘New Retail Quarter’ (NRQ). Following Hammerson’s withdrawal of support from the Sevenstone scheme and the Academy of Urbanism’s diagnostic report and charrette in 2013, Sheffield’s architects and built environment professionals organised themselves to share their ideas on how a new retail quarter and offer could develop. Architects who live, work, teach or have built in Sheffield were asked to re-imagine the NRQ by considering one of 7 themes, ranging from Sheffield’s Identity and Uniqueness and Phasing & Risk to the bigger picture planning development for the next 100 years. Attendees were divided into small groups to focus on one theme, and encouraged to collaborate with other groups to share ideas and discuss outcomes. A number of interesting and exciting proposals emerged as the day progressed, such as creating green routes reaching from the peak district through the city, shop window spaces for the Universities and makers and even using Meadowhall as a park and ride for the city! Ideas were photographed and presented to the collective with wine and nibbles in the evening. A distinguished panel of key planning and regeneration council members, officers and economic development and place-making practitioners were assembled to receive the ideas and welcomed the creative thinking and new ideas generated. They confirmed that thinking was in line with City Council’s emerging future strategies, and enthusiastically welcomed some of the original proposals, seeing the event as encouraging in terms of moving ideas forward. The Sheffield Society of Architects has been asked to present the Summit findings to the Council Executive management and leadership team in the near future so it is hoped an ongoing dialogue will continue throughout the evolution of the masterplan as the scheme develops and the area emerges.

E FUTURE OF 2.

1. “NEW 2. RETAIL QUARTER” 3.

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Sevenstone The £600 million Sevenstone project was planned to create a mixed use shopping and leisure environment in the heart of the city. 80,000 m2 of retail space was to be created, including a 25,000 m2 John Lewis department store, a new 9,300 m2 Next store, and around 100 new shops. In addition, up to 200 residential flats, a health club and leisure facilities, and a ten-storey car park with 1,696 spaces were to be provided. The original project proposed the relocation of John Lewis and the use of the old store as a two-tiered shopping mall with covered streets. The proposal also included the pedestrianisation of Charter Row and the demolition of several buildings such as the Grosvenor House Hotel. Burgess Street would be realigned by redirecting it down towards the bottom of Barkers Pool as opposed to its current position parallel with Cambridge Street. On the 29th of July Hammerson withdrew its of support from the Sevenstone scheme, in light of the recession Hammerson announced “We have now reviewed

our UK development projects and having made significant advances and commitments on a number of our other schemes in Leeds and London, including Croydon and Brent Cross”. Sheffield City Council was left with no partner to take the scheme forward leaving a large gap in the centre of the city. In search of a new direction, Sheffield City Council commissioned the Academy of Urbanism’s diagnostic report and charrette in 2013, which contributed to new ideas to inform a new masterplan currently being finalised for the area. The Sheffield Society of Architects then responded to this by organising its own Design Summit, to give direction to the ideas imparted by the Academy of Urbanism. Interdisciplinary Architecture practice BDP are now drawing up a new masterplan for the area while Sheffield City Council have announced the Design Summit is “in line with their current thinking”. Sheffield City Council are now aiming to raise £55million from the public works board to purchase properties while it is looking towards new partners needed to see through a more modest development of the area. Hammerson Sevenstone scheme 2007

T H E T E A M Russell Light Bryan Parkin Nicola Hodson Alison Richardson Moinak Basu

New Retail Quarter

D E S I G N

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NATURE OF THE CITY - IDENTITY AND UNIQUENESS #ShefNRQi

...with its own housing developments, neighbourhood and community

The NRQ is at a mid point between a number of areas with unique characteristics

Meadowhall currently acts as a shopping destination for the region, the NRQ can’t duplicate this identity...

T H E B R I E F What exactly is the nature of the city? How do we build on its uniqueness and vitality? How do we stop it stagnating? How can it be refreshed without losing its essence? What is it Missing? Can it be compared to their cities and if so, what can we learn from them? We can reflect and contrast with other cities, but be careful not to try to import distinctiveness from elsewhere. There are so many adjectives which describe Sheffield, it is impossible to distil these down into one or two words. How can these diverse but guiding elements be reintroduced? One important factor is to highlight Sheffield’s own strengths of identity as a ‘Green City on a Hill’ and its connection to the peak district cannot be underestimated.

It could act as a central hub for the City

T H E C O N C E P T Sheffield probably will not become a regional centre for retail due to competition with Meadowhall. Instead, Sheffield will have to provide a specialism in order to compete, offering something that is distinct and attractive to surrounding populations. Sheffield’s lack of a defined shopping ‘centre’ is interesting; the retail offer seems to be segregated as a collection of disparate parts, all building uses are pushing away from the city centre, the University is creeping up the hill, businesses are moving out of town leaving a void in the middle of the city. The nature of the city needs to be captured and different areas need better connections in between them the retail quarter could act as a fulcrum to bring all these separated uses and users together.

Sheffield’s identity revolves around small scale industry and artisans with products being made and sold locally. This could be encouraged as the city’s unique offer. Traditional retail may be hard to attract and promote to the city, in reality do we want to be just another ‘anywhere town’? Local knowledge and craftsmanship as well as the city itself needs showcasing through festivals like tramlines and DocFest and the public space infrastructure for these events could be expanded. Makers and stores could operate from the same place and could also provide physical space for online retailers.

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#ShefNRQq1

DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS? HOW DO YOU SEE SHEFFIELD? DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PLACE IN SHEFFIELD?

It is impossible to describe Sheffield in a few words, - there is something in the following descriptions - of a city of many villages/a city on hills/a city at human scale/a city of enterprise and innovation/a city of music makers and producers/a city with an industrial past in the state of transformation/a city of green squares and carefully designed beautiful public spaces/a city centre which is not traffic dominated, and welcomes the pedestrian/ a city of green routes from urban centre to the countryside/a city at ease with itself.

The conclusions of the Summit were that there is no reason why the unique identity could not be part of the brief for the new Quarter. Local knowledge and craftsmanship are important ingredients for the mix. Festivals like Tramlines and DocFest can be showcased. A retail scheme which includes the opportunity for a rich array of independents as well as nationals, opportunities for different activities in the centre as well as shopping – as shopping floor plates ‘shrink’ in all city's due to different shopping styles – ensuring that the city centre is still an essential destination for other reasons.

ARE ANY OF THESE SPACES AND PLACES SIGNIFICANT TO SHEFFIELD’S IDENTITY? Our favourite ideas and results of polls will be published on twitter & facebook

@RoFSheffield

See our Hashtag

Tweet or post your thoughts Followed by the Hashtag

Read the story so far on Storify

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK DO YOU RECOGNISE THEM?

storify.com/ IntegreatPlus/ reflections-onfuture-sheffield

facebook.com/sheffieldsocietyofarchitects

#ShefNRQq1

T H E T E A M Alastair Norton Jennifer Horne Simon Chadwick Chris Brightman Ricardo Ares

New Retail Quarter

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SPACES AND PLACES #ShefNRQii

A SERIES OF INTERCONNECTING SPACES AT VARYING SCALES

T H E B R I E F The quality of Sheffieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public realm is possibly its greatest asset, and the NRQ provides an opportunity to further build on this asset, whether by quality of streets, squares, soft and hard landscaping, pocket parks formal and informal. There is further opportunity to work with the topography of Sheffield in order to maximise and celebrate this distinctiveness. Would this topography lead naturally to the consideration of double decker or split level streets? Important historic buildings which could not easily accommodate modern major stores need to be retained as viable other uses. What are the options? If there is to be one new major public realm space where should

it be? Other key considerations are passive sustainability and orientation ( not just sun path and shadowing but also considering prevailing wind directions) to ensure that use of any outdoor spaces can be maximised throughout the year. In such a windy city should arcades be an essential component of the vision?

T H E C O N C E P T Proposal of a city centre pedestrian retail loop with public space as the anchors. Larger spaces could be the setting for larger shops and smaller ones for smaller shops. New building design needs to be considered in detail. Over-elaborate and grandiose building may not be appropriate. A more Sheffield focussed design could be created that is unique for the city. Buildings should be set back and arranged so that smaller public spaces are created. Urban fabric should work to varying scales with breakout spaces allowing events and spontaneous activity to occur adding to the offer of Sheffield as a 24/7 living city.

#ShefNRQq2

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1. 2. 3.

THERE ARE 3 LISTED BUILDINGS WITHIN THE NRQ...

...DO YOU RECOGNISE ANY OF THEM? ARE THERE ANY OTHER BUILDINGS WITHIN THE NEW RETAIL QUARTER WHICH NEED PROTECTING?

#ShefNRQq2

NRQq3

T H E T E A M Jonathan Morrison Duncan Pritchard Alan MacDonald Adam Barber Goran Vodicka

New Retail Quarter

D E S I G N

S U M M I T

CONNECTIVITY THE BIGGER PICTURE

T H E B R I E F How can connectivity be maintained without detriment? How can traffic and pedestrian flows be managed in order to improve linkages rather than severance? How can the scheme be effectively serviced but without adversely affecting the successful existing pedestrian domination of the city centre? How can parking be integrated successfully with minimum visual impact but providing well considered access routes for pedestrians and traffic. Addressing the bigger picture of the NRQ as a quarter within the city centre and wider city how can you ensure north south/east west walking and cycling routes are included and enhanced and are woven into the masterplan thinking (also encouraging more activity through the area)?

#ShefNRQiii

T H E C O N C E P T The city centre should not compete with Meadowhall. Many are put off Meadowhall for being a sanitised and airless mall, the offer of shopping in green and vibrant spaces is a key asset for the city centre. That said, Meadowhall is very conveniently located for capturing the populations of surrounding areas, with bus, train, tram and car links it is a proposed location for the HS2 terminus and has 12,000 free car parking spaces, again a big draw for consumers. Transport links between Meadowhall and the city centre should be dramatically improved so that Meadowhall could act as a ‘park and ride’ for the city centre and beyond. An extension of transport links further out into the Peak District could create a three stop route: Meadowhall>City Centre>Peak

District, offering a full day out with large volumes of people passing through the city centre and bringing the ‘Peak into the city’ by, extending green fingers of planting, trees and water directly into the city centre as a European style of shared green and public transport space. People visiting the city centre could then follow these out to the countryside via a variety of transportation routes including walking and cycling. Green links would enliven Charter Square and provide new civic event spaces. Re-connecting the grid and reducing Charter Row as a barrier street will reconnect Division Street and The Moor, improving footfall and retail viability in both areas.

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IS THE CITY CENTRE DOMINATED BY ROADS?

Develop management strategies how do you manage a network of these spaces No one considered HS2 and how this could link to wider infrastructure Mixed uses need to populate the development at night need to develop housing gateway to the city (the station) to the peaks 5 ways walk is an existing green route to the peaks which runs through Hillsborough is this the sign of the demographic who’s suggesting ideas as no one acknowledged this Student residential only thing that could give 24/7 city, why did we build halls in the peaks very weird considering huge swathes of empty land in the city. Transitional student community is not a good thing not a cure all but it’s a start to a residential community.

COULD CHARTER ROW ROAD BE DOWNGRADED? #ShefNRQq3 Our favourite ideas and results of polls will be published on twitter & facebook

@RoFSheffield

See our Hashtag

Tweet or post your thoughts Followed by the Hashtag

Read the story so far on Storify

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

storify.com/ IntegreatPlus/ reflections-onfuture-sheffield

facebook.com/sheffieldsocietyofarchitects

#ShefNRQq3

NRQq4

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Simon Gedye Neil Michels Leonora Simmonite Lee Heykoop

New Retail Quarter

D E S I G N

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QUALITY #ShefNRQiv

T H E

B R I E F

How do we ensure that quality in architecture remains paramount, whilst still maintaining commercial viability – what are our essential existing quality buildings in or around the quarter which need protecting? Sheffield is an ‘Univercity’, the relationship with both universities and students and graduates is paramount to the City’s economy. How can the retail quarter and its environs ensure promotion of retention of graduates beyond Sheffield being a ‘first job’ city? How can the image of the city be enhanced further. How can the NRQ help encourage major businesses to establish a base/headquarters in the city? How can the NRQ reinforce this message? What are Sheffield’s key assets (buildings and settings), new and old, and how can they be protected within the overall masterplan. The setting of a building can significantly enhance and transform the building itself, there is a need to identify which buildings are in need of improved settings.

T H E

C O N C E P T

Does quality mean quality of development or quality of life? The team proposed a sensitive mixed use scheme would help to create fine grained and high quality places within the retail quarter. By offering the entire NRQ site to a series of developers and investors themes of individuality and difference could shine through, rather than bland corporate design of a single developer, this could be carried to the point of dividing the ground floor of John Lewis to offer boutique independent shops linked back to the main offer.

Promoting high quality design is key to the growth of the quarter, this could be encouraged by the use of design coding or design competitions. Coding must be considered that is not too restrictive to creativity, but that encourages specific place based design and detailing. Improving the key links between the gold route and The Moor will help boost foot traffic and Interaction with the quarter whilst adding to the quality of the offer. The area could be improved by the introduction of new civic buildings. Is the library in the right location? Civic buildings could be relocated to promote cross city movement being designed under the design code of the NRQ. The old civic buildings could then be used for retail uses.

#ShefNRQq4

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WHAT’S MISSING FROM THE CITY CENTRE? WHICH CLOTHES SHOP WOULD YOU LOVE TO SEE IN SHEFFIELD? The Academy of Urbanism identified that Sheffield needed to improve its ‘top end’ market offer for a city of its size, demographics and spend – a need to take fashion seriously as the multi million pound creative industry that it is. Sheffield in this regard is being overlooked, and those that might have spent their money here, go to Manchester, Leeds or York instead. There is a feeling that this part of the brief is not really being taken seriously, and even dismissed as frivolous and superficial. Even Meadowhall has its limitations with its range of shops. Sheffield City Centre retail offer already has one key drawer to this particular audience, that is John Lewis, however, the AofU identified many people drove into the car park, shopped in John Lewis and left without moving further afield, mainly because there wasn’t enough to attract in them to keep them spending time there. The Summit proposed a new route to John Lewis via an arcade created within what is part of a ‘death mask’ (false façade) on Pinstone Street – bringing shoppers via the Peace Gardens through a new arcade style shopping street (like the Victoria Quarter in Leeds) to a reimagined side entrance of John Lewis. This arcade, together with new shops within the existing Pinstone Street, could become the destination for the high end market – who often favour smaller floor plates – such as Toast, Jigsaw, Noa Noa, Hobbs, Whistles, Anthropologie et al. (Most of these do not feature at Meadowhall except as concessions). This would bring interest and attraction beyond the inside of John Lewis.

#ShefNRQq4

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE “HIGH END” RETAIL?

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T E A M

New Retail Quarter

D E S I G N

Elizabeth Motley David Uhlar Liam Ashton Robert Bancroft

S U M M I T

RETAIL FOCUS ON THE HEART STRENGTHENING THE TOP END MARKET OFFER #ShefNRQv

CONNECTION THROUGH PINSTONE STREET...

... CONNECTING THE RETAIL QUARTER TO THE HEART OF THE CITY.

T H E B R I E F Providing long term flexibility for the area – beyond mainstream retail – this could include consideration for independents, entertainment, leisure, civic, culture? What does Sheffield need going forward over the next 100 years. Can Sheffield provide an attractive offer as a cultural, vibrant, living city? What will work for the people of Sheffield, and how can this fit into the area? What does Sheffield want to be in the 21st century? How can we create a design or masterplan that can accommodate the unknown? Is it possible?

T H E C O N C E P T The team commended the success of the city’s development through routes and aimed to use them to inform future development. The team aimed to find solutions with a mapping exercise showing development of the city juxtaposed with the city’s primary and secondary routes. The team mapped development through prohibitive buildings and landmarks to pedestrian flows, potential landmarks, well-loved buildings, place names, public realm, independents, bars and restaurants. The overlaying layers of maps would suggest the direction of further development. How current building use could best be utilised to inform growth was discussed.

The team noticed retail typologies occupying the gold route changed during times of boom and bust. This informed a rationale that independents and small scale businesses occupy the spaces along Sheffield’s major routes and public spaces during times of recession but are pushed out for chains in times of prosperity. Team 6 suggested secondary routes could house the independents that may be pushed out in times of boom also proposing new public spaces which could house inner city festivals to reacquaint citizens with the area. They hoped to develop a dynamic urban infrastructure which could deal with the ebb and flow of commerce in the city whilst still maintaining an active street scape.

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SHEFFIELD ALREADY HOSTS SOME GREAT FESTIVALS...

BUT COULD EVENTS BETTER HELP US DISCOVER NEW PLACES?

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED A NEW PLACE IN SHEFFIELD THROUGH DESIGN WEEK?

#ShefNRQq5

T H E T E A M Neil Orpwood Dan Brown Ben Hooper Tom Lawrence

New Retail Quarter

D E S I G N

S U M M I T

BEYOND RETAIL- BROADENING THE MIX #ShefNRQvi

T H E B R I E F Providing Long term flexibility for the area – beyond mainstream retail – this could include consideration for independents, entertainment, leisure, civic, culture, what does Sheffield need going forward over the next 100 years. Can Sheffield provide an attractive offer as a cultural, vibrant, living city? What will work for the people of Sheffield, and how can this fit into the area? What does Sheffield want to be in the 21st century? How can we create a design or masterplan that can accommodate the unknown? Is it possible?

The team noticed retail typologies occupying the gold route changed during times of boom and bust. This informed a rational that independents and small scale businesses occupy the spaces along Sheffield’s major routes and public spaces during times of recession but are pushed out for chains in times of prosperity. Team 6 Suggested secondary routes could house the independents that may be pushed out in times of boom also proposing new public spaces which could house inner city festivals to reacquaint citizens with the area. They hoped to develop a dynamic urban infrastructure which could which could deal with the ebb and flow of commerce in the city whilst still maintaining an active street scape.

#ShefNRQq6

Supported by:

www.integreatplus.com

WHAT WILL SHEFFIELD BE IN THE YEAR 2114? HOW WILL WE SHOP? WILL CITY CENTRES HOLD THE SAME IMPORTANCE? Our favourite ideas and results of polls will be published on twitter & facebook

@RoFSheffield

See our Hashtag

Tweet or post your thoughts Followed by the Hashtag

Read the story so far on Storify

storify.com/ IntegreatPlus/ reflections-onfuture-sheffield

facebook.com/sheffieldsocietyofarchitects

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

T H E T E A M Satwinder Samra Laurence McKnight Jamie Hanson Edmund Harrison Gray

New Retail Quarter

D E S I G N

S U M M I T

PHASING AND RISK #ShefNRQvii

SEVENSTONES WAS TYPICAL OF PRERECESSION RETAIL

SHEFFIELD COULD BE THE FIRST OF THE NEW RATHER THAN THE LAST OF THE OLD

T H E B R I E F What are the current market needs? How can existing large volumes of commercial and retail space be adapted for future uses should the market change? Should smaller scale units predominate? What does the future hold for retail? How can we continue to support independents? How do we create their place and continue to support their growth? Can opportunity be identified within the existing buildings without the need to build new? – 600,000ft2 already exists in the area – supplying opportunities to refurbish, re imagine, re invent and re purpose and/or, to retain parts of the old. Is there an incremental way of developing the quarter? Could it be ‘kick started’ by one initial phase which sets the benchmark for the rest? How could the quarter be broken down and redeveloped successfully? Does this help minimise the risk for a future developer or not?

T H E C O N C E P T Pre-recession Shetffield was aiming for a tried and tested method of large scale covered retail. The recession may have provided the city with this opportunity to do something different, being the ‘first of the new’ rather than the ‘last of the old’. Phasing should focus on the small and the sustainable. Manageable blocks should be created that can be developed sequentially. Completing and confirming the Sheffield grid system creates a street pattern that is distinct to the city. The grid could change in size to support smaller and larger proposals across the area. Initial development should focus on areas that are already accessible and have good visibility and footfall, this can then spread to surrounding areas.

Use class designation could be relaxed for a defined period to promote unique uses and inhabitants. This could then be gradually tightened once value has been brought back to these areas. Temporary events should be championed in or around the buildings of the NRQ to promote activity and knowledge of the area. A rave or screening on top of the John Lewis car park might be a unique and achievable event. The Grosvenor hotel could be used as a climbing venue, linked to temporary green space at the base. “It’s about building in nurture”. The city should encourage entrepreneurship through meanwhile uses sustaining the growth of what works, and making risk and reward work together.

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