Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place Delivering Better Places for Stirling City Centre
PREFACE Design Skills Symposium Scotland 2011 The Tolbooth, Stirling. 27 September - 29 September Architecture & Design Scotland, with Stirling Council and Historic Scotland delivered the second annual Design Skills Symposium in Scotland, with support from the Scottish Government (APD), Improvement Services, the Key Agencies Group and the Academy of Urbanism. Over the two and a half days, 100 delegates explored the issue of ‘Delivering Better Places’ through hands-on design sessions, seminars and masterclasses. Working together in facilitated groups they focused on three areas within Stirling City: City Centre : Red Groups The study area stretches between the castle and the Thistle Shopping Centre. It includes: the esplanade, the Top of The Town, the back walk, the historic town centre streets and the King’s Street area, the vacant and underused spaces a couple of blocks off the historic street axis (including empty historic buildings, underused playspaces and vacant sites). It also includes strategic assets such as the Tolbooth, the former tax office and Municipal buildings. Eastlands : Blue Groups The study area includes the spaces around the rail station, the connections over the railway, the river edges and the MOD lands and its hinterlands, particularly in terms of public access opportunities and future development potential.
Further information about the Skills Symposium can be found at www.designskillsscotland.co.uk
City Spine : Green Groups The study area includes the area of the A872 from the Craigs Roundabout through the Thistle Centre, bus station, rail station area, the former swimming pool, the current Tesco site off Wallace Street and finally the area around the Causewayhead Roundabout.
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
INTRODUCTION Collaboration This short summary report brings together the conversations and ideas generated from the four groups of delegates who were asked to look at delivering better places within Stirling’s City Centre. On the last day of the conference these groups agreed to collaborate on a complementary series of stories and ideas which could form part of an overall narrative for how the city centre might develop. The four groups within this newly branded ‘The Red Team’ each focused on a key placemaking element within the emerging story: •
The Castle and its historic surroundings
•
The Street(s) leading down to the station
•
The Gateway from the point of arrival at the station
•
The Links which bridge between these and the other groups
Each of the following sections summarises their rough notes from the event and provides a flavour of the wide range of exhibits which the groups used to develop their thoughts. Purpose Experiencing techniques of collaboration and exploration within and between groups remained a priority throughout the Skills Symposium. The main aim was not the slick presentation of solutions. However, a number of creative themes and pragmatic suggestions did emerge which this short document seeks to capture and share with the City of Stirling.
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
CASTLE : Story
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
‘City of Surprises’ The historic centre around Stirling Castle is currently an organic set of disconnected and underused spaces. Promoting these secret places not yet discovered would showcase the whole historic centre, create a legible place that people want to spend more time in, and enrich the heritage value of Stirling. ‘Chapters in a Book’ We propose that the historic centre around Stirling Castle is treated like the chapters in a book. Each part, the Castle, the Street, the Gateway, is a part of the history of the place. To get the whole experience you need to read the whole book – and the font, character, and identity of that book, and those places, are important to the whole experience. This story comes not only from history but also from the experience of the authors, those people who are part of the current narratives of Stirling.
Castle : Swot Analysis STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
strong identity provides a focus history/heritage listed building landform/views event space setting people
one/single function risk to new users listed building limited time in outside space stealing the focus from Stirling connections to town dead at night position weather
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
international brand lots of visitors 380,000 connections to town role of esplanade promote park and ride discount community usage night time activity seasonal lighting space to sit and enjoy views landscape/rock climbing/trails
single use approach lack of a coordinated approach opposition to change listed building restrictions road restrictions/parking finance/money/investment politicians risk
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
CASTLE : Ideas ‘Castle as a Starting Point’ Supporting Stirling’s people and places needs to focus on a number of factors, including land form and views, history and heritage, space and events, and a strong identity. To be a successful total place the people who use the spaces need to be involved: using local knowledge and networks to take ownership and foster stewardship and pride. Such a Forum would involve a wide range of stakeholders in preliminary discussions to gain long term commitment to concepts in principle – and how to take control and get things done.
TIMEFRAME
CASTLE PROJECTS
PURPOSE
SHORT TERM
remove esplanade parking incrementally allow public/event space public open space drop off points
improve important viewpoints people and community development
MEDIUM TERM
stop cars coming to the castle park at city centre get the shuttle bus up for free arrivals, destinations and trails seasonal trails linked to festivals green network seasonal lighting declutter Stirling Forum castle as a starting point
infrastructure improvements promote what Stirling has to offer pedestrian friendly stakeholder engagement community ownership
LONG TERM
diverse use of bowling green connect green with hospital use small scale mixed use events in car park and environs environmental landscape and lighting
reinvigorated hospital/bowling green bringing life and capturing potential
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
STREET : Story ‘Broken Routes’ How many places is the City Centre? The streets connecting the Castle with the Gateway are distinctive but disjointed broken routes, with a series of existing assets which are not connected. This raises a number of key placemaking questions, particularly around the issue of time : who, when, for how long?
Placemaking Questions • Who is using it? • When are they using it? • How long are they using it? • What can you see from where? • Where’s the food?
‘Bringing Life’ We propose using the idea of time as a way of creating interaction between different users and bringing life to the ‘no mans land’ between the Castle and the Gateway. This involves linking new possibilities, introducing new groups, reorientating routes, creating community cohesion, and communicating and marketing these.
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
STREET : Ideas ‘A Civic Heart’ Connecting these assets and users will need functions to be linked and journeys created which recognise who uses what, when. The delivery of a civic heart will need the active involvement of local people and businesses, input from the local authority, and from housing providers – as well as those key to tourism such as Historic Scotland and the coach companies. This stakeholder involvement will need to extend to the design character, stewardship, and maintenance of the places created.
TIMEFRAME
STREET PROJECTS
PURPOSE
SHORT TERM
shared surface on section of Spittal Street focus on school café and hotel garden
improve important viewpoints people and community development
MEDIUM TERM
regeneration of garden/plaza extending boundaries spill out onto street reduce barriers improve lighting kiosks for rent coach company travel place
infrastructure improvements promote what Stirling has to offer pedestrian friendly stakeholder engagement community ownership
LONG TERM
small-scale artisan shops/restaurants - local produce remove tax office building new hotel frontage
reinvigorated hospital/bowling green bringing life and capturing potential
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
GATEWAY : Story ‘Beginning of the Story’ The Gateway by the Station should be the beginning of the Stirling story. These disjointed areas need to become useable public spaces which prioritise pedestrians and promote the development of a new civic hub. The Gateway should be the first positive impression of the city and create a sense of arrival. It should create a sense of place with a sense of pride. The station should be inviting and engage with the wider community: the outcome from a visionary exercise with stakeholders. ‘What Stirling has to Offer’ We propose to show that there is more to what Stirling has to offer by creating a place that provides an introduction to the city. A people friendly environment where people wish to linger, with obvious connections into the city centre. A place that is part of the bigger picture.
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
GATEWAY : Ideas ‘Incremental Change to the Experience’ TIMEFRAME
GATEWAY PROJECTS
PURPOSE
SHORT TERM
dress back of building projection of what view could be community events garden tree planting screen decluttered pedestrian barriers trial increase of pedestrian surface area events/multi function space temporary road closures for events streetscape pilots new signage and information points heritage maps and signage relocate farmers market temporary coffee shop promotional event
declutter define routes raise awareness change perception improve orientation
MEDIUM TERM
reduce traffic access and speed relocate/reduce size of taxi rank remove roundabout at station continual surface from station and bridge pedestrianised core/raised table water feature further tree planting
high quality road/plaza boulevard route to/from gateway
LONG TERM
cover over expressway connect to bus station regenerate back ‘frontage’ reduce traffic further create redeveloped street high quality hotel redevelopment high quality frontage redevelopment
enliven/activate street Gateway destination in its own right
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
LINKS : Story and Ideas ‘A Place to Go’ There are almost 400,000 visitors a year to Stirling Castle, of which less than 20% visit the rest of the city centre. The City of Stirling needs to become somewhere to go in its own right. KEY AREAS
MAKING CONNECTIONS
PURPOSE
SHORT TERM
heritage/connecting trails/green network improve garden asset – quick win community events, festivals, markets pedestianise a clear central space strengthen arcade llnks to station different users (local and tourist) nightime activity/24/7 activity public transport usage, trolley buses re-use of vacant shops and buildings – start ups demolish and create new public square (focus) reduce dominance of coaches – even remove opening up views/clear views to the castle esplanade gathering place – people first remove 60’s blight/Exchange Sq reinforce best frontages/Exchange Sq resolve espanade management/ownership
legible entrance to city centre create central public spaces
MEDIUM TERM
a new pedestrian bridge reengineering/redesigning road rail stations and links/entrance to the city centre cover rail tracks create formal open space in front of the station linear park (eg Madrid)
link with city centre/neighbourhoods
LONG TERM
relationships between work, leisure, and mall green network high quality hotel redevelopment high quality frontage redevelopment
linking the station and city centre reduce dominance of road open views to spine
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place
Stirling Skills Symposium Red Team .
REFLECTION ‘Delivering Better Places’ Three important approaches were consistently highlighted by the participants in this exercise as being central to the delivery of better places: 1. The participation of all those who manage and use the centre of Stirling. 2.
The incremental phasing of small interventions which deliver early wins.
3. The integration of Stirling’s town centre assets into a single destination. Very few of the ideas explored required major investment. Rather, they focused on the need for collaboration and for making the best use of the assets and resources available. These outputs will hopefully inform Stirling City’s conversations and reflections on realising the potential of a truly unique and distinct place – and contribute to future actions.
Sam Cassels Facilitator: The Red Team
If the Place is for the People, People will use the Place