LDA appointed on Liverpool public realm strategy

LDA Design has been appointed to draw up plans to enhance public realm across the city centre with a strategy set to go to public consultation next year.

The public realm strategy, which will be used a planning document once Liverpool City Council’s Local Plan is adopted in late 2020, will focus on improving public spaces and connectivity across the city centre.

It will link into existing or planned frameworks including the Cavern Quarter, Upper Central, the Baltic Triangle, and the recently-adopted Commercial Business District masterplan. The Baltic Triangle framework is also being drawn up by LDA Design.

The strategy will also be designed to complement the ongoing city centre connectivity scheme, which focuses on improving roads, paths, and cycleways around the city, and an upcoming public art strategy.

The council said the public realm strategy would “provide a detailed planning framework to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the design and management of streets and open spaces”. A initial draft is expected to go to public consultation in 2020.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “Liverpool is undergoing an unprecedented renaissance with billions of pounds reshaping the city’s economy – but we need an overarching vision to glue all this regeneration activity together.

“How a city looks and feels at a human level is vital to its success – as the Liverpool ONE development has proved. We now have a number of masterplans all looking to foster growth across the city centre but the quality of our public spaces and streets needs to be consistent and complementary.

“We take great pride in the fact that the city wins awards for its world class welcome – but that experience needs to continue right through to the benches people sit on, the directional signs they need to read right through to the planting and lighting in our squares and streets.

“I look forward to seeing the development of this public realm strategy and would encourage all our residents and businesses to give their input to shape its direction and help further fuel to the Liverpool Powerhouse.”

Mark Graham, Director of LDA, said: “Liverpool is renowned as one of the most vibrant and creative cities in the UK. The strategy matters because we all meet in the public realm so it needs to be healthy, welcoming, green and sociable.

“As Liverpool continues to grow, its people deserve a city centre that reflects their ambitions, the public realm plays a huge part in this. We’re honoured to be part of such a nationally significant project.”