Whitfield : Background Site Location
Historic
Post war consensus approach towards planning sought to alleviate population pressure away from inner town centres towards periphery districts where as of late 1960’s Whitfield materialised as part of the solution.
Within a decade, housing quality had soon deteriorated with social affliction exacerbated through a lack of access to employment opportunities with an under-proviso of accessible public transport links
1960
EC ON
OM IC
However shortfalls of this planning approach were soon evident much to the exclusion of social and economic cohesion for residents of Whitfield.
DEPRIVED
1970
EXCLUSION DESTITUTE ENVIRONMENTAL IGNORED CONFLICT
ISSUES VANDALISM
SO L
CIA
Developments in the area comprised mainly of single tenures with prefabricated Skarne block flats alongside with standardised units and deck ac-
TRAPPED DIVORCE
Issues of deprivation became deep rooted when the first stance of tackling urban obsolescent was attempted in 1988 by the Scottish Office.
LONE ISOLATED
1990
SEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL
VIOLENCE
EC ON OM IC
cess. The practice norm was the widespread use of engineering land zones with traffic segregation between vehicle and pedestrian users.
L CIA SO
Fig 1: Maps showing location 1-4
Whitfield is located 3.5 miles north east of Dundee City Centre with an area covering approx. 1.33Km2 for residential uses. It forms part of on-going regeneration efforts with Dundee City Council presiding the delivery through the Whitfield Planning Framework Strategy 2010.
1990’s Regeneration Findings:
FEAR POVERTY
Fig 2
Current Progress to date has seen the extensive demolition programme of the 60’s developments and replaced by a cul-desac mix of housing types. Fig 3 Site Planning Brief Haddington East Whitfield
However, despite much of the built environment having been reduced in density, there exists a surplus to the requirements of open space with the bulk of the land being of poor condition. In addition, there is a greater need to sustain and maintain on-going regeneration efforts to tackle the perpetual socio-eco disparities during a time of Government cutbacks and market instability.
Fig.6
Functional Integrated Resilient Safe Community Mixed Snug Continuity People Strong Inclusive Adaptable Energy Community Vibrant Flexible Robust Diversity Responsive Community Active Affordable Flourish Grow Climatic Journey sustainable Freedom Enhance Community Improve Evolve Prosper Mellow Enhance Remain Consolidated Cultivate Community Persist Linger Develop Comfort Support Viable Equality Synergy Community Harmony Effort Willingness Cooperative Results
Fig 5: Topography of site 1
Laura Loudon TP31002
The site in focus is situated east of Haddington comprising an area of 2.3 hectares where it has been landscaped over from previous demolition. It is presently identified as Public Park however use has since dimin- Pic 1: Proposed site facing south ished. Under the Whitfield Planning Framework the scope of the site has now been identified for residential uses . The task is to deliver a suitable residential layout.
Planning Context
Pic 2: Proposed site facing east
Negative image reality needs to be addressed to sustain population levels
Collective agreements take time
Community ambiguity towards positive planning
Case Study
Identified Opportunity Fig 4
Dundee Local Plan Review 2005: Policy 1, 2,4 3A, 8, 67, 72 Whitfield Planning Framework 2010 is a supplementary planning guidance to the Dundee Local Plan Review 2005 Dundee Urban Design Guide: sets out development principles Dundee’s Public Open Space Strategy: developments to comply with an hierarchy of accessible open space
Regeneration Aims Through the reuse of brownfield sites it envisioned that developments should contribute to supporting Whitfield to be :
A popular and positive place to live
Affordable with a mix of tenure
Safe where community developments can be sustained
Case exemplars were used to explore how regeneration principles can deliver successful housing schemes. In this stance, Glasgow Crown Street formed a point of reference due to its similarity context to Whitfield. It was found that a high quality residential environment can be achieved with attention to scale and built form which can translate the importance of spaces know as ‘streets’. Legibility was sought by defining spaces with joined up streets and spacious corners. The built form should be designed to human scale and supported by a mix of uses.
Pic 3: Crown St aerial view
Pic 4: Crown St residential streetscape
Shared surface had the effect of controlling traffic flow. Stylistic variety in the built form prompted good visual cues to the legibility of the layout while giving spaces their overall distinctiveness.
Pic 5: Crown St residential streetscape
preferable.
assigning winning architects to design spaces against the backdrop of the area’s master plan– this ensured high quality designs to be delivered.
In addition, the scheme was designled where stylistic variety was
It concluded that a disperse approach towards social housing is preferred.