Liverpool City Centre
Transcript of Liverpool City Centre
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LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE
Public Realm Implementation Framework
JUNE 2004
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2PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK
List of Contents
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
The City Centre Strategic Regeneration Framework 4
The Local Transport Plan 5The City Centre Movement Strategy 5
PART ONE – THE PUBLIC REALM FRAMEWORK
1.1 Urban Form & Character 71.2 The Pedestrian Network 81.3 Creation of City Streets 101.4 Creation of City Spaces 151.5 Public Art 191.6 Furnishing the City 20
1.7 Lighting the City 201.8 Greening the City 21
PART TWO – PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION
2.1 The Floor of the City 222.2 Street Furniture 282.3 Street Lighting 302.4 Tree Pits 312.5 Design Review 312.6 Implementation 312.7 Ease of maintenance 32
APPENDIX 1 33REFERENCES 34
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FOREWORD
The purpose of this guidance is to set quality and
performance parameters within which movementand public realm schemes are to be designed andimplemented in Liverpool City Centre. It definesthe functional requirements of the city centre public
realm and establishes quality benchmarks for designand construction in the form of a Performance
Specification. Liverpool City Council will administerthis document through development control andthrough its programme of public realm implementationover the next decade.
The objective is to provide continuity in the publicrealm quality across the city centre through theprovision of a simple palette of materials and
furniture, supported by generic detailing to meet thefunctional and sustainable requirements of the streetsand public spaces. It has been produced to guide allpublic and private sector organisations and agencies
engaged in the delivery of public realm works withinthe city centre. It provides a flexible briefing documentincorporating minimum performance requirements
and basic material specification.
Design quality is the primary requirement and thisdocument sets a high but attainable standard, which
is based on good design and construction practice.“Good design is non-negotiable and translates intoincreased values” (DETR and CABE, 2001).
Flexibility in the programme of implementation will berequired to maximise benefit from available resources,but this should not compromise design quality.
This Framework forms part of a heirachy of guidancedocuments, starting with the Liverpool Urban Design
Guide (Liverpool City Council, 2003). Area-basedguidance follows the overarching Vision for the city
centre is described within the City Centre UrbanDesign Guide (Liverpool Vision, 2004) currently inpreparation. The Framework has been prepared to
realise the Vision for public realm contained in theStrategic Regeneration Framework for the city centre(Liverpool Vision 2000) and the draft City Centre
Urban Design Guide. This Specification focuses on
the Core of the city centre, as defined by the shadedarea in Figure 1 and Figure 1 a. The specificationalso applies outside the core area to certain identified
streets.
The Framework will:
• Be approved by the City Council to guide allpublic realm projects in the core area.
• Inform emerging Local DevelopmentFramework policy and
• Be applied to planning and grant fundingapplications in the City Centre relevant topublic and private sector led public realm.
The public realm in general requires a consistentapproach across the City Centre in both streetsand spaces, although variations in function cangenerate different design responses. Designs
that are deemed as low constructional quality, willnot be acceptable.
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INTRODUCTION
This sets the regeneration context for the city centre
and describes the strategy within which public realmprojects will be designed and implemented.
THE CITY CENTRE STRATEGIC REGENERATION
FRAMEWORK
In July 2000, the partners to Liverpool Visionapproved the City Centre Strategic RegenerationFramework (SRF) (Liverpool Vision, 2000) as theblueprint for focussed investment and action in theCity Centre. The Vision encapsulated in the SRF is
“establishing Liverpool as a world class city for the21st Century, building upon its identified potential tobecome one of Europe’s most liveable city centres”,
(Liverpool Vision, 2000). This Vision identifies 12goals, which are directed through seven Action Areasand six Supporting Themes, which will:
• “concentrate related activity;• create a co-ordinated approach to projectdelivery and
• prioritise actions to generate the maximumregeneration & economic benefit to the City”.
It builds upon the strengths of the city: “its business
community, its vibrant youth culture, its impressiveuniversities and its inherent physical quality. It alsodraws on the aspiration of Liverpool’s communities
to see the city propelled into the 21st Centuryas a ‘Living City’ – an engine of regeneration forMerseyside and the Northwest”, as identified in theNorth West Regional Economic Strategy (NWDA,
2003) and Liverpool Community Strategy: LiverpoolFirst (Liverpool Partnership Group, 2000).
The SRF is a flexible and dynamic document thatprovides the vital context against which detailed plans
can be prepared to deliver the priorities identified. Itguides and capitalises upon the changes already
occurring in the city centre ensuring the achievementof maximum regeneration potential in a co-ordinatedway. The emphasis is for focussed action within the
city centre over a 15 year period, primarily related topublic sector investment with private sector partnering
to pump-prime regeneration.
The SRF has been endorsed by the City Council andits partners with agreement to support it through thestatutory planning and funding processes. Liverpool
City Council, in their capacity as the local planningand highway authority, will:
“Give…approval to those strategic Action Areas and
proposals which require planning support and…adoptthe appropriate mechanism (e.g. planning framework,planning brief or design guide) to give fuller planning
support to the [SRF].
The movement and public realm objectives of theSRF are:
• “the implementation of a balanced movementstrategy that delivers an approachable andaccessible city centre for all” and
• “The delivery of a unique, high-quality publicrealm that unifies the city centre”.
The public sector will deliver a high quality andaccessible physical environment in terms of
movement and public realm, which needs to besupported and capitalised upon by appropriate private
sector development. It is recognised, that there willbe actions beyond the areas of focus, which will relylargely on incremental private sector investment.
The Action Areas
• Pier Head
• Commercial District
• Castle Street/ Live - Work District
• Cultural Quarter/Lime St Station
• Retail Core
• Kings Waterfront
• Hope Street Quarter
The Supporting Themes
• European Capital of Culture• Movement
• Public Realm
• Community Engagement
• Reinforcing City Communities
• Business Development
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Figure 1 - Key Plan Core Area © Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.
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THE LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN
The ten year strategy and five year programme
for transport improvement in the Merseyside LocalTransport Plan (LTP) (Merseytravel and STET, July2000) was an opportunity to co-ordinate a transport
strategy with the Strategic Regeneration Frameworkfor Liverpool City Centre.
The Plan features four major schemes, two of whichare in the city centre:
• Hall Lane Gateway, the main gateway to the
city centre from the east, and improved roadaccess from the M62, via Edge Lane;
• Merseytram Light Rail Transit (LRT), a threeline network, starting with Line 1 from the city
centre to Kirby
THE CITY CENTRE MOVEMENT STRATEGY
Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision andMerseytravel have prepared the Liverpool City
Centre Movement Strategy (CCMS) (Merseytraveland Liverpool City Council, July 2000), which isa component of the Local Transport Plan and the
Strategic Regeneration Framework. The CCMS isconsistent with the SRF’s theme of “Putting PeopleFirst”. It advocates taking a balanced approach tothe delivery of three key elements of the physical
regeneration process:
• Transport and Movement;
• Urban Design and Public Realm and• Development and Regeneration.
The key elements of the movement strategy are
pedestrian priority areas; high quality public transportcorridors linking existing transport hubs and new
development opportunities; and revised trafficcirculation and parking plans.
Pedestrian priority areas aim to integrate the planningand design of both transport and public realm works.
Incorporating pedestrian friendly urban design as partof the development of transport and infrastructure
investment programmes. The development of a
pedestrian friendly approach is key to creating athriving and vibrant environment that will encourage
people to use the city centre for a whole rangeof activities. As such, the concept of pedestrianpriority spans across both pedestrian movement
and the public realm and contributes towardsthe implementation of the Liverpool City Council
Sustainable Development Plan.
F i g u r e 3 T H E C I T Y C
E N T R E M O V E M E N T S T R A T E G Y P L A N
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.
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PART ONE - THE PUBLIC REALMFRAMEWORK
Part one of the implementation framework presents ahierarchy of pedestrian networks, streets and public
spaces and a public realm framework to guide futuredesign plans for the Core Area.
In its heyday Liverpool created public spaces and
provided streets, squares and parks of the highestquality. Unfortunately high quality standardshave not always been maintained. Today the city
intends to deliver a step change in the quality andconsistency of public realm design, implementationand management to meet the objective of deliveringa “unique high quality public realm”. This will radically
improve the image of the city, stimulating investmentand fostering civic pride.
The public realm includes streets, spaces, views,public transport facilities and public buildings. The
public realm holds the city together and providesthe backdrop and opportunity for social interaction.
Public realm, is the most inclusive element of thecity, as everybody uses it. A successful public realmprovides a well-connected network of spaces that
serves the needs of all. The nature of the publicrealm should reflect the character, history andaspiration of the city.
Streets account for the majority of the public realmenvironment in the city centre. The CCMS will radicallyimprove the quality of this environment through
pedestrian friendly design. The implementationof the Public Realm Framework will improve thewalking environment, creating opportunities forthe rediscovery and development of public spaces
and public activities. Together these policiesshould deliver an unrivalled public environment,visually stimulating, safe and sustainable, providing
opportunities and accessibility for all.
1.1 URBAN FORM & CHARACTER
Clear visual structure defines the character andmemorable image of a place and is an essentialaid to orientation and connectivity. Liverpool has a
densely built mercantile city centre with many finepublic buildings, but few public squares and spaces.Over 2000 listed buildings across the city reflect
the richness of Liverpool’s Georgian, Victorian andEdwardian legacy. This heritage culminates in theCore Area, creating a cityscape that eclipses that ofother English cities. At least four highly individual
character areas can be identified as of nationalsignificance – the Pier Head, the Cultural Quarter(Lime Street Gateway), Castle Street conservationarea and the Cavern Quarter. The first three are
within the boundary of the current World HeritageSite nomination, based on their authenticity andconnection to Liverpool’s 18th and 19th century
maritime heritage.
The built form of the city centre is very dense. Astrong grid of principal streets developed organically
from the function of the historic port and the underlyingtopography. Dale Street is the traditional spine of theVictorian and Edwardian commercial core, linking
the Waterfront with the region via the lowest bridgingpoint of the original pool at Old Haymarket. A seriesof east-west streets developed parallel to Dale Street,with a number of linking north-south streets defining a
strong grid of urban blocks that are each served by anabundance of more intimate lanes.
Although the physical fabric of the city centre remainslargely intact, and is protected through Listed Buildingand Conservation Area designations, there is a lackof physical and functional connectivity within the city
centre and between the city centre and the rest ofthe city. This is a result of economic changes andthe imposition of an inappropriate transport plan
in the 1960s, which was insensitive to the need ofpedestrians.
Physical ConnectivityTaking the physical issues first, the Shankland plan of
the 1960s imposed a transport plan on the city centre
to support a comprehensive redevelopment that didnot materialise. The result is a highway infrastructurethat has isolated a number of quarters within the city
centre. The Cultural Quarter, defined by WilliamBrown Street, St Georges Hall and St John’sGardens, is isolated from its surroundings, an island
surrounded by wide streets with fast flows of traffic.The Waterfront is similarly cut-off from the rest of thecity centre by The Strand. The area that links them,the Castle Street conservation area, favours the car
over the pedestrian. The retail quarter (includingthe Cavern Quarter) is a pedestrian orientated area
and offers a degree of respite from the domination oftraffic. Although the general quality of public realm islow, the quarters are composed of intrinsically highquality streetscapes, places, spaces and buildings.
Functional connectivityIn terms of functional connectivity, the commercialand retail functions of the city centre were closely
connected historically, both physically andeconomically. The economic standstill of the pastfew decades has meant that changing businessrequirements have passed Liverpool by, and the city
centre has not physically evolved. This has had the
positive effect of maintaining the historic urban formintact.
The result is that the retail and commercial districtsare now redefining themselves over a wider area andtheir centres of gravity are shifting apart. The core
of the commercial district is moving north into the
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development land behind Mercury Court and upperOld Hall Street and into Princes’ Dock, whilst the MainRetail Area is moving south towards Chavasse Park.
The traditional commercial district is redefining itselfas a live/work/leisure destination that is attractingmuch needed investment to its historic building
stock.
To ensure that these redefined economic districts in
the city centre function to their fullest capacity, a well-developed network of streets and spaces is essential.The retail district remains directly connected to theemerging live/work/leisure district centred on Dale
Street, via a series of interconnecting north-southroutes.
The streets north of Dale Street are offset and
less prominent than streets to the south, resultingin potentially very weak linkage between the newCommercial District and the Main Retail Area.
These functional and resultant physical changeswithin the city centre demand a new movementinfrastructure, which is proposed under the CCMS,
including the following:
• traffic management measures;
• the creation of strong north south pedestrianlinkages between the Commercial District andthe Main Retail Area;
• improving general pedestrian permeability
along pedestrian lanes in East and WestMoorfields and Covent Garden and
• improvements to legibility and way-finding.
1.2 THE PEDESTRIAN NETWORK
The aspiration for the whole of the city centre is
to ensure that the safe and enjoyable movementand interaction of pedestrians is given prioritywherever feasible over other modes of transport, inparticular over the car. In developing a pedestrian
priority area, there is a general presumption againstpedestrianisation. The aim is not only to create
a pedestrian friendly environment, but one whichcontinues to serve the wider needs of other streetusers such as car access, service vehicles and publictransport. Pedestrian priority is also more than theintroduction of a series of pedestrian crossings. It
is about the creation of conditions that promotewalking as an enjoyable and efficient way of movingthrough the city, establishing a Walkable City through
the removal of extraneous traffic and the effectivemanagement of it. This allows for the reallocation ofroad space to pedestrians as well as the developmentof facilities that enable pedestrians to move around
an area with ease and the removal of clutter in thepublic realm caused by unnecessary signage andstreet furniture.
Increased city centre living and less distinctionbetween leisure and work time has generated aneed to address after dark requirements regarding
safety, security, orientation and visual appearance.Emphasising key night-time pedestrian networkswith improved qualities of light focused upon the
pedestrian environment rather than traffic needsalone is required. Gateways to the city centre functiondifferently at night. The first and last impression fora visitor will be a car park, train station, taxi rank,
Merseytram or bus stop. Improving the night timeenvironment by highlighting the architectural qualityand character of the city centre will add drama and
provide an added attraction to the city centre for
both visitors and residents. This will be achievedthrough the City Centre Feature Lighting Strategy(Liverpool Vision 2002) and general street lighting
improvements.
Principal pedestrian routes, linking the main character
areas, architecturally significant buildings and openspaces, form the Key Pedestrian Network (Figure10). This network will incorporate clear signage sothe routes are highly legible to visitors and tourists.
Where a street is required to function as a majorartery for traffic, including bus and Merseytramuse, a solution that ensures maximum pedestriancompatibility will need to be designed.
The areas coloured mustard and yellow on the planare primary spaces. They will have bespoke briefs
written for them. The mustard areas will have some
flexibility in the palette of paving and furniture. Theyellow areas will need to demonstrate continuitywith the general palette of materials identified in the
specification. The palette will continue to apply tothe connections identified in figure 10, thus providingvisual continuity through these special and individual
areas.
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Figure 10 - KEY PEDESTRIAN NETWORK © Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.
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1.3 CREATION OF CITY STREETS
The CCMS presents an opportunity to replace the
city centre one-way street system with highwaymanagement which will deliver an improvedenvironment and promote economic regeneration.
The design of these streets, their landscape, buildingfrontages and the creation of quality public spacesare all dependent on an integrated approach, with
individual streets only being addressed in the contextof others. The streets in the city centre will bedesigned so that pedestrians, cyclists and vehiclescan utilise these safely. This will incorporate the
following principles:
• management of vehicles within pedestrianpriority areas on a predominantly 20mph
network;• provision of safe and legible driving
environments minimising the need for signs,
especially those concerned with traffic direction
and control;• enhancement of all streets for pedestrians andcyclists;
• streets acting as ‘shop windows’ to city centrequarters; and
• facilitating sustainable maintenance and
management regimes.
In addition, these streets will be transformed into highquality urban environments by:
• development of active frontages and pedestrianfocussed lighting schemes along key pedestrian
routes to increase perceptions of safety;• creating balance through reallocation of
highway space to pedestrians, cyclists andpublic transport;
• improving engineering design to create streets
not roads, adopting a simple, high quality andcontinuous surface treatment;
• reinforcing pedestrian desire lines as an
integral part of street design;• improving way finding, including the introduction
of visitor information systems on the street,
principally through the Connecting LiverpoolIniative.
• removing superfluous and obsolete street itemsand rationalising those remaining;
• establishing urban design principles forfrontages including the introduction ofpavement activities eg. pavement cafes andwell managed or presented street trading;
• introducing tree planting, public art and lightingin a strategic manner to enhance the publicrealm;
• incorporating the requirements of the
Merseyside Code of Practice on Access andMobility (SURFACE, 2002) into all designs and• developing positive open spaces, including
streets with clear definition, enclosure and noambiguity or ‘left over’ space or clutter.
Other issues requiring full consideration will include:
• daily servicing of and access to buildings andpublic spaces, including emergency access;
• intermittent access to commercial andresidential buildings for deliveries andremovals;
• provision for disabled persons parking permitholders;
• provision of adequate taxi ranking facilitiesand
• provision of secure cycle parking facilities.
The balanced reallocation of highway space for
pedestrians over vehicles is likely to result in theremoval and relocation of some on-street parking.On-street disabled parking and managed off-street
parking will maintain maximum access to the citycentre. Allowing evening access and parking insome areas where restrictions apply during the day
will maintain activity and security to support boththe evening economy and access for the widercommunity.
The streets in the city centre have been categorisedinto several types, classified and treated according totheir functional and capacity requirements to providea street hierarchy:
• Strategic Boulevards & Streets.• Transit Streets.
• City Streets.
• Retail Streets.• Pedestrian Lanes.
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Figure 11 - STRATEGIC BOULEVARDS & STREETS
Strategic Streets:
St Anne StreetNorton StreetSeymour StreetCopperas HillRenshaw Street
Strategic Boulevards:
StrandKing Edward StreetByrom StreetHunter Street
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.
Strategic Boulevards & Streets
Strategic Streets will tend to direct vehicles on route
to other centres around the city on their approach tokey gateways.
The Strategic Road Network in the Core Area willinclude the Strand and King Edward Street in thewest; St Anne Street, Norton Street, Seymour Street,
Copperas Hill and Renshaw Street in the east; ByromStreet and Hunter Street to access the Queenswaytunnel from the north and east.
The SRF requires the creation of a new strategic linkbetween Leeds Street and St Anne Street, which willremove extraneous traffic from Byrom Street andHunter Street in the future, allow Byrom Street and
Hunter Street to become Strategic Boulevards, whilstmaintaining access to the Queensway tunnel.
Chapel Street, Tithebarn Street, Great Crosshall
Street and the Churchill Way flyover (north) will bedowngraded from the Strategic Road Network to Cityor Transit Streets with 20mph limits, two way with
contraflow bus lanes to ensure that this route is not a‘rat run’ for through traffic.
The SRF requires the creation of a maritimeboulevard along the full length of the Strand(continuing along Leeds Street in the north andParliament Street in the east), providing pedestrian
priority throughout its length. The objective for TheStrand is to create a boulevard in a city streetscapewith enhanced pedestrian crossings to support desire
lines and alleviate the barrier between the waterfrontand city centre. It is proposed that the boulevardsand strategic streets including those outside thecore identified in Table 1 will have black asphalt
carriageways, with granite kerbs and channels.The Strand in particular provides an opportunity forextensive tree planting and public art.
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© Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.Figure 12 - CITY AND TRANSIT STREETS
City Streets:
Brownlow HillBrunswick StreetCastle StreetChapel StreetCheapsideChurchill WayCook StreetCovent Garden
Crosshall StreetDale StreetExchange Street EastFenwick StreetGeorges Pier HeadGeorge’s DockwayGreat Crosshall StreetHale StreetHanover StreetHatton GardenJames StreetJohnson StreetLime StreetLondon RoadLord Street
Mann IslandMoor StreetMooreldsNorth StreetNorth John StreetPall MallRanelagh Street
Rumford StreetSir Thomas StreetSt. John’s LaneSt. Nicholas PlaceStanley StreetTithebarn StreetTrueman StreetVauxhall Road
Vernon StreetVictoria StreetWater StreetWhitechapel
Transit Streets:
Brownlow HillEliott StreetChapel StreetCharlotte StreetChurchill WayDale StreetGreat Crosshall Street
Hood StreetLime StreetRoe StreetSt Johns StreetTithebarn StreetWater StreetWhitechapel
Table 2
City & Transit Streets
City and Transit Streets in the Core Area are
characterised by a mix of uses. They will be open toall traffic, have a 20 mph speed limit and a preferencefor two-way running. They will have asphalt
carriageways, granite kerbs and granite pavingflags. Tree planting and public art will generally berestricted to respect the quality of the architecture
and reduce clutter.
Public transport in the form of Merseytram or buswill be concentrated in Transit Streets throughpartial or complete removal of private traffic. Paving
materials will match City Streets and incorporatepublic transport requirements. Where these routesinclude Merseytram there will be specific details and
infrastructure to consider.
Some streets will have a dual role as both transit
and city streets, and will need to strike a firm balancebetween public transport, vehicle access, cycling andpedestrians. These include Whitechapel, Dale Streetand Water Street, Tithebarn St. and Chapel St
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Figure 13 - RETAIL STREETS © Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.
Retail Streets
Retail Streets are characterised by predominantly
retail uses, are largely pedestrianised with sharedsurfaces for service, maintenance and emergencyaccess during restricted hours. These streets provide
the flexibility for additional public space functions suchas markets and festivals to occur without disruption tocity centre traffic management. It is proposed that
the streets will be paved with large granite setts todemarcate service vehicle areas, granite kerbs andgranite paving flags. These streets provide someopportunity for tree planting and public art.
Retail Streets:
Basnett StreetBold StreetChurch AlleyChurch StreetDawson StreetHoughton StreetLeigh StreetLord Street
Parker StreetRichmond Street
South John StreetTarleton StreetWhitechapel StreetWilliamson Street
Table 3
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It is proposed that the lanes will be paved in a varietyof ways depending upon their function. Lanes thatprovide key linkage in the wider pedestrian network
will be renewed with granite pavements, kerbs andsett carriageways where vehicles are expected. Otherlanes will be repaired and renewed as appropriate to
their function and appropriate budget allocation.
Figure 14 - PEDESTRIAN LANES
Pedestrian Lanes:Buttun StreetCheapside AlleyCumberland StreetCunliff StreetDavies StreetDrury Lane SouthDrury Lane NorthErberle StreetHackens HeyHarrington Street
Hockenhall AlleyLeather LaneLower Castle StreetMatthew Street
Old HaymarketPeter StreetPreston StreetProgress PlaceQueen AvenueRyleys GardensStanley StreetSweeting StreetTempest HeyTemple Street
Temple CourtTemple LaneTower GardensVernon Street
Table 4
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.
Pedestrian Lanes
Pedestrian Lanes are the small-scale streets in the
city centre used for accessing local buildings. Theywill be pedestrian dominated environments with verylimited vehicle access for servicing and access to
properties, preventing the existence and creation of‘rat-runs’. The Lanes should be enhanced to createmore inviting and higher quality pedestrian places,
encourage development and address servicingissues.
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1.4 CREATION OF CITY SPACES
There are a range of public space types within the city
centre that will require varying design approachesin response to both the requirements of adjacentbuilding users, transient city centre users and visualsettings. Bespoke design briefs will be prepared for
each of these spaces.
Some general principles, which should apply tobespoke designs are:
1. natural stone floorscapes;2. paving sizes, which reflect the scale of the
space eg. the over-predominance of smallscale setts is inappropriate for large spaces;
3. artists should be involved in the design from
concept stage;4. lighting should be an intrinsic part of the
design.
The spaces have been illustratively categorised intoseveral types:
• Gateways and approaches• Major Squares & Gardens• Water Squares• City Squares
• Garden Courts• Public Buildings
Gateways & ApproachesGateways and approaches are points of arrival andtransition that can be transport interchanges and
car parks, or important points on the edge of thecity centre or city centre quarters where a functionalchange occurs. It is important to clearly mark thesechanges to prevent the indistinguishable blurring of
the edges and to provide a sense of arrival.
Major Squares & GardensThe major squares and gardens are the ‘Face ofLiverpool’ and include the spaces around St. Georges
Hall and the Pier Head. These are the most complexspaces in the city centre and perform many functions.Within them are gateways and entrances, spaces
that provide a setting for important buildings, spacesthat functionally serve important buildings and thosethat provide for informal recreation or serve a civic
function. To be successful, they must be designedwith enough flexibility to accommodate multiplicity ofuse or the staging of events.
Water SpacesLiverpool’s waterfront provides the most familiarimage of the city and is a principal economicasset. The city needs to further capitalise upon its
historical dock system. This dock system providesthe potential for the creation of ‘water squares’ thatprovide concentrated pedestrian activity at their
edges and water-based activity in their centres. Thedevelopment of the 4th Grace and public facilities atKings Dock will be a catalyst for public realm activityaround the dock system that will revitalise this unique
waterfront.
It is also important to remember the origins of
Liverpool, which is the now culverted Pool that linkedthe Cultural Quarter with the Mersey via Whitechapeland Canning Place. The river has long gone butthe valley remains, providing a potential context for
reinterpretation through public arts that re-establishesthis link and reinforces pedestrian movement.
City SquaresCity Squares include Williamson Square, QueenSquare, Derby Square, Castle Street and ExchangeFlags, as well as a number of sub-spaces within the
major squares. Williamson Square has been providedwith a new fountain, which will enliven the space,
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whilst leaving a multi-functional area for stagingevents. Derby Square, Castle Street and ExchangeFlags must be designed as one place, which will
provide a backdrop to the unique setting of CastleSt. A new commercial square is proposed within theCommercial District as part of a masterplan, which
seeks to create a new high quality business address.
Each of these squares will generate their own unique
set of requirements and identity, dependant upon thecity quarter in which they are located. Each space willalso be part of a public space network and as suchmust contribute to the legibility of the city centre.
Garden CourtsGarden Courts include small gardens within theCastle Street Live/Work district. They are intimate
spaces, primarily serving their adjacent buildingsand communities and are usually ‘discovered’,which creates a richness of experience for the visitor
and citizen alike. They may be semi-public/privatespaces.
Public Buildings
All accessible parts of public buildings are publicspaces. Properly considered, this experience canbe extended beyond the front door of the building
into the public realm. This can include the provisionof outside exhibition/performance space, meeting orlunching space or even the linking of related buildingsor activities. These relationships should be exploited
where appropriate.
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Figure 15 - CITY SPACES © Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.
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Figure 16 - COMPOSITE FRAMEWORK PLAN © Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.
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1.5 PUBLIC ART
A Public Art Strategy (Modus Operandi, 2002) has
been prepared for the city centre that identifies arange of connective themes and starting points -physical, infrastructural, elemental and interpretive- that provide the context for specific project
recommendations. These contextual themes includeartists’ involvement in the design process of:
• Spaces: Streets, squares and gardens.• Gateways: marking points of arrival and
departure.• Connections: linkage across the city, serial
artworks, layering the city, vistas.• Transport & Interchange: structures and
infrastructure, routes and journeys.
• Water: Light: Street furniture.• Monuments and memorials.• Interpretation: legibility; access; documentation;
mapping the city.
• Environment: archaeology; ecology;sustainability.
• Interactive works: the media; the digital city.
• Live art: celebratory events and festivals.
This flexible framework of conceptual approachesprovides a context, against which a range of specificprojects can be identified, funded and organised.
Independent public art initiatives by individuals ororganisations must also be co-ordinated within thisframework.
Public art can play an important role in creating asense of place. It needs to be integrated with thepublic realm programme to be successful. A single
point of co-ordination and responsibility is required forpublic art, with officers from the arts and public realmworking closely together in conjunction with those
experienced in commissioning arts projects. Publicart should be an integral part of all bespoke designbriefs for public spaces, with artists commissioned towork with the design team from concept stage.
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1.6 FURNISHING THE CITY
There is little traditional Liverpool street furniture
remaining in the city centre, but there is an emphasison heavy-duty metal fittings as would be expectedin a maritime city. Apart from the moorings at thewaterfront, original Corporation of Liverpool bollards
tend to be square section, often with a ribbed finish.
The repaving of the city centre will create a simpleuncluttered environment and the cluttering effectsof poorly considered and sited street furniture mustnot destroy this clarity. As with paving, there arefunctional requirements that should direct the choice
and siting of street furniture. The aim is to createa harmonious environment between buildings,floorscape, tree planting, public art and furniture. It is
possible to create an environment that can anticipateadditions to the street scene over time (telephoneboxes, additional signs etc) by creating zones forthese elements with appropriate paved surfaces such
as edging strips to minimise damage.
As with paving, street furniture must be fit for purpose,
simple and unifying and sustainable through life-timecosting. It should be of a scale appropriate to itslocation. The waterfront may require larger, morerobust furniture, whereas small public open spaces
may require smaller individual items. Designs mustbe robust to cope with intense usage, weathering& potential vandalism. Street furniture should be
designed at the outset with DDA requirements inmind, rather than the requirements being appliedretrospectively. The design should aim to achieve a
balance between the requirements for contrast andthe quality of visual appearance.
To promote a sense of place, local solutions based on
Liverpool types should be used where such examplesexist. Where this is not possible, bespoke designsshould be used. More details are given in Part Two.
1.7 LIGHTING THE CITY
Lighting is now recognised as an important component
in creating a successful city, particularly in stimulatingthe evening and tourist economy. There are twoaspects to lighting the city, feature lighting and streetlighting. The Feature Lighting Strategy for the City
Centre (Liverpool Vision, 2002) has developed frombest practice established in other European cities,
but is unique to Liverpool, recognising the inherentopportunities and constraints.
Feature LightingThe most important aspect of the proposed strategy is
to keep it simple and thus deliverable and sustainable.Liverpool is famous for the quality of its architectureand the first principle of the lighting strategy is to
enhance and emphasise this unique feature. Whitelight will be used extensively throughout, with the soleintention of unifying the urban fabric and reinforcingroutes through it.
The Feature Lighting Strategy has four simplecomponents that will deliver a step change through
the concentration of resources. The first componentis the lighting of ‘beacons’. This includes all therecognisable symbols of Liverpool (Cathedrals,Graces etc) that are seen from a distance and
experienced on approaches to the city centre. Thesecond and third components are the CulturalQuarter and Waterfront, again recognisable symbols
of Liverpool and gateways to the city centre. Thefourth component is the Core Area between theCultural Quarter and the Waterfront.
There is scope for more inovative and artistic lightingdesign and this will be developed along with publicart features.
Street LightingIn support of this strategy, each public space andstreet should be lit in a complementary manner to
support the concept of continuity and connectivity inpublic realm design. It is important to note however,that sustainability (including energy efficiency),
reduction in light pollution, recognition of highway
safety standards and ease of maintenance are pre-requisites of any design proposal. The daytimeappearance of lighting columns, lamps, fixtures and
fittings must be carefully considered. Streetlights canbe one of the strongest influences on the appearanceof a street, dominating the streetscape and creating
clutter. In general, a contemporary approach tolighting design is promoted.
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1.8 GREENING THE CITY
Liverpool City Centre has a dense form, to both
maximise land use and provide shelter from theharsh maritime environment. The ‘greening’ ofthis environment must be carefully consideredand executed to protect the visual quality of the
architectural heritage as well as ensuring that theplanting survives. Many streets in the city centre
would be ruined by the indiscriminate planting oftrees whilst others such as the Strand would greatlybenefit.
The following principles must be considered when
contemplating any planting:
• Trees should provide for the functions of
enhancement, focus and or intimacy. Theyshould positively contribute to the quality ofspace that is being designed and should not beincorporated arbitrarily.
• The overall aim should be for quality ratherthan quantity, achieved through the creation of
strategically located planting and the creationof ‘green oases’. Planting maybe inappropriatein many locations. Where it is undertaken, itshould have real impact, in terms of its scale,
location and nature.
• Planting should not be used where it would
obscure important features and facades ortraffic sight line requirements.
• Planting must be sustainable. It must be in aposition where it will be able to survive in itsenvironment and flourish. Large specimentrees are less vulnerable to vandalism.
• It must also be remembered that trees growand the choice of species must match theavailability of space for the tree when mature.
Trees in cities contribute enormously to physicaland psychological well-being, yet the city is a hostile
environment for trees. Street trees are best planted
directly into the ground. Even so, their roots are likelyto be cramped by buildings and street foundations,and constrained by underground cables and pipes.
They face damage from vehicles and vandals, andcontend with air and soil pollution. Surroundingpavements typically allow neither air nor water to
reach the roots that extend below them.
Tree planting locations must consider light and shelterrequirements and coordinate with underground
services to promote successful establishment.Suitably protected and off the main circulation route,survival rates are further enhanced by planting rows
of trees in extended pits rather than in individualholes. If sufficient space cannot be found, it is betterto forego trees altogether. Tree grilles maintain thecontinuity of paving around trees, protect and aerate
tree root systems and allow rainwater irrigation. Treegrilles are also an important visual design element.When trees are planted they should be high quality
semi-mature specimens, placed in locations andconditions where they can flourish.
Other forms of planting should only be used where
they can positively enhance a particular urban
environment. All too often they are used as spacefillers or barriers, instead of being an integral part of
the overall design. Permanent planters, containersor raised beds are comparatively expensive, theyincur high maintenance costs, they do not always
provide ideal conditions for plant growth and shouldbe discouraged. Opportunities for appropriateplanting are limited and it is anticipated that the only
opportunities for such planting within the city centre,would be in St Johns Gardens, Chavasse Park andalong the Strand corridor.
Undertaking planting in the city centre in a strategicand thoughtful manner will positively contributeto the delivery of a unique and high quality public
realm. This can be enhanced through the inclusionof temporary arts and planting displays that areseasonal or related to particular festivals, if delivered
with skill, sensitivity and style.
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PART TWO – PERFORMANCESPECIFICATION
This section of the document concentrates on theestablishment of design principles and construction
quality parameters for the city centre. It presentsspecifications for paving, furniture, planting andlighting supported by a defined palette of robustmaterials and generic details.
The previous section established a street andpublic space hierarchy based on varying functions,
movement patterns and aspirations. This sectionidentifies how this should be transferred physicallyto the streets and spaces within the city centre. Theformulation of a ‘palette’ of materials and ‘image’ of the
streets and spaces initially requires the establishmentof objectives on a cross-centre scale. The palettechoice needs to address how to reflect intrinsic
street character whilst also achieving continuityof movement, flow and, with it, connectivity. The
streetscape objectives can therefore be summarisedas being:
• Continuity- unification of built fabric to reinforce legibility.
- consistent quality design outcome.
• Connectivity- consistent street treatment along major
transport and pedestrian spines.- reinforcement of legibility to aid orientation.
• Character
- townscape, not street treatment, definingcharacter.
- respond to character through simple unifying
palette of complementary materials.
It is accepted that that these objectives are not alwaysmutually reinforcing, so there will be a degree ofcompromise with priorities being established through
a street by street reconciliation of issues. Overall,continuity will be the major objective, and thereforethe strongest deciding factor, followed by connectivity
and finally character.
The design of the public realm should not exaggeratethe diverse character of the city centre further.
Using a simple palette of complementary materials,the architecture of an area and the activities of itsinhabitants should be encouraged to give characterto the streets instead. Character should be reflected
in the streetscape through the quality of materials (inboth design and workmanship) and variations in scaleand the use of area quarters, with branding restricted
to subtle design intervention to better achievecontinuity. The size and scale of materials withinindividual streets will vary according to the relativeposition within the hierarchy from larger units within
City Streets to smaller within Pedestrian Lanes.
2.1 THE FLOOR OF THE CITY
The city centre contains some of the finest 19th
Century architecture and ornamental cityscape inthe World, an asset that demands a high qualityresponse in the public realm, particularly in the designof the floorscape. The floor of the city is the element
upon which this architecture sits and therefore willbe unified or fragmented by it. Traditionally the
floorscape unified the city and the continuity of thistradition is the major objective of this implementationframework.
The predominant traditional paving materials within
the city centre were granite and Yorkstone. Granitewas widely used in the city centre for road surfacesand kerbs, specialist purposes such as surrounds
to pavement lights, the base and entrance steps tobuildings and for dockside copings and edges.
In common with other ports, the roads of Liverpool
were surfaced with granite sets of varying size andtype. The kerbs and channels traditionally used inLiverpool were predominantly sourced from North
Wales granites. These sources are now rare anduneconomic, although similar stone is economicallyavailable from other countries.
The Yorkstone paving flags traditionally used inthe city centre were riven (split) hard sandstonesfinished in random sizes, demanding great skill and
labour intensity to lay them. These traditional hardsandstones, and the skills to lay them, are now in veryshort supply making it an uneconomic and unreliable
material to specify. Although technology hasexpanded the available range of paving materials, themodern sandstones offered are soft and not durableenough to withstand the pressures of the modern city
and the climate in Liverpool.
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Traditionally the pallete of materials in the city centrehas been simple and robust, as has the pattern oftheir design layouts. Analysis of successful traditional
paving in the city centre illustrates that rarely is therea change in material or surface pattern without apractical purpose. Building upon this tradition, a
number of paving functions have been identified to setthe specification for this implementation framework.The most important is to provide a hard, dry, non-slip,
durable, easily maintainable surface that will carry theload of traffic asked of it. In achieving this functionthe sub-base construction quality is as fundamentalas the surface material. This is supported by several
less tangible functions:
• To reinforce character. Paving brings unity todiverse places or gives character to nebulous
areas that need a common backgroundor idea. Successful paving reinforces thelatent character dictated by the space and
its activities, which should not be usurpedby alien paving patterns or an infinite varietyof materials. Design detail consolidates andcreates character and an immense variety is
obtainable within a limited range of materials.Detail design should respect and enhanceexisting character where it meets quality
thresholds. Whatever the character, the surfacemust be tough and durable and improve withage.
• To guide people by providing a sense ofdirection. Examples include pedestrian routesacross squares and parks, or, service vehicle
routes through pedestrian areas. To besuccessful, routes must be direct. However, ifthe unity of the space is to be preserved, thechange of colour and texture must be subtle.
• To provide a sense of repose. Neutral, non-directional paving has the effect of haltingpeople. Areas of sitting, meeting or gazing to
distant views should be paved in this way.
• To indicate a hazard by change of material
or pattern. This technique must be usedconsistently to provide its own language. Forexample, paved junctions at side streets warn
drivers that they are crossing or enteringa pedestrian environment. The change inmaterial should also be responsive to therequirement of a tougher material for vehicles
in the pedestrian environment.
• To reduce scale. Introducing a changeof material to affect the scale of a space
requires care and subtlety to avoid making thepaving overly important. Paving should notaggressively proclaim its presence but provide
background to the city centre streets. Practicalrequirements provide an aesthetic means ofreducing scale. Drainage channels acrosspavings provide a classic example.
The extent of quality architecture across the citycentre demands a commensurate first-class public
realm across the same area. This dictates that therecan be no tailing-off of quality. The choice of pavingmaterials and design detailing must be capableof satisfying all of these functions. They can be
summarised into the following requirements:
• Be fit for purpose and hard wearing.
• Be simple and unifying.• Be sustainable through life-time costing /
valuing.
Considering the above requirements, natural stonehas been selected (in preference to concrete productswith replica finish) for its traditional relevance to
Liverpool, its robustness in serving these functionsand its value for money over its design lifetime. Wherestreets are to be completely renewed, granite paving,
kerbs and channels are recommended. Wherestreets are to be refurbished / repaired (PedestrianLanes only) reclaimed kerbs and setts may be used.
Other materials may be appropriate within squaresand public open spaces, and will be considered withinthe context of individual designs, although continuityis expected throughout the city centre. For example,
it will be appropriate to pave the areas around theCultural Quarter with reclaimed Yorkstone, but withgranite paving demarking the key pedestrian routes,providing a harder wearing surface, legibility and
continuity.
It is essential that these high quality materials be
properly laid. This requires the highest standardsin public realm design, specification, installationand supervision including both the surface materialand underlying construction and fundamentally, the
interface between the two. Traditional Liverpooldetails will be used in creating a new pavingvocabulary for the city centre with a simple ‘Liverpool’
paving layout that consistently addresses functionalrequirements.
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PARKING BAY DETAIL STRATEGIC AND CITY STREETS
Table1: Hierarchy of preferred Street Surfacing
Street Type Carriageway Kerbs/
Channels
Footway Paving Paving Trim
STRATEGIC STREET Thin wearingcourse
Granite Granite (Type 3) Yes
TRANSIT STREET Bus Thin wearingcourse
Granite Granite (Type 3) Yes
Tram Thin wearingcourse
Granite Granite (Type 3) Yes
CITY STREET Thin wearingcourse
Granite Granite (Type 2) No
RETAIL STREET Setts (Large) Granite Setts (Med) No
PEDESTRIAN LANES Servicing Thin wearingcourse
Granite Granite (Type 1) No
Pedestr ian Setts (Pedn) Granite Granite (Type 1) No
Pavements
To meet the criteria outlined above, it isrecommended that flame textured granite pavingshould be used throughout the city centre street andTable 1 summarises the hierarchy of street surfacing.
Table 2 (in appendix 1) summarises the surface
specification based upon recommendations from theNatural Stone Surfacing Good Practice Guide
(SCOTGUIDE, 1999).
Service covers must be re-set to align with theprevailing paving pattern where practicable. Paving
inset and high quality metal covers are preferred.
Plastic covers are not acceptable. Where a numberof small covers occur together (notably water stopcocks) they should be framed and set in a cementmatrix matching the surrounding paving.
Where buildings discharge rainwater drainage ontothe pavement, an appropriate channel detail will berequired to transfer the water across the pavement
into the street gutter.
Note 1 Retail streets are shared surface and so have nofootway paving. The streets do however have a edge treatmentwhich for the propose of this schedule is classed as the footway.
Note 2 Refer to appendix for more detail and footwaypaving catagories.
Carriageways
Strategic Streets
Asphalt remains the most appropriate material forstreets used by all vehicles. The ‘strategic and transitstreets’ have a skid resistance requirement that willonly be satisfied by using ‘black’ asphalt. The ‘city
streets’ that specify all traffic access should also beblack asphalt.
Retail Streets
These are largely primary streets where public realmquality should be highest. They are shared surfacewith ‘footways’ distinguished by the use of medium
setts and defined by channels. Large unit granitesetts are proposed for the paving of the carriageway,which defines the ‘service’ road within the street.
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Pedestrian LanesSome Pedestrian Lanes will be paved in granite setts
(newly laid and repaired existing) and some in asphaltdepending upon the level of traffic, pedestrian priority,use/quality and available budget. The size of settsspecified will depend upon availability of reclaimed
setts from the city centre or historic precedent. It maybe appropriate to raise some Pedestrian Lanes to thelevel of the pavements to create complete shared
carriageways.
Kerbs and ChannelsNew granite kerbs 200mm deep, 300mm wide
with a bevelled edge or pencil round sufficient toremove fragile arises and a standard length of 1.0mare proposed for all streets in the city centre. The
nominal height of these kerbs will be 100mm. Acomplementary channel is also proposed, replicatinghistoric detailing. The cross-section of the channelwill be similar to the kerbs but a standard length of
0.5m.
Junctions & Cross-oversTraditionally where side streets meet primary streetsthe hierarchy and pedestrian priority was reinforcedusing granite paving. Bespoke details at street junctions were the norm, historically. This included
broader kerbs, and changes in paving size and texturecatering for the tremendous wear at these points.The use of robust standard details, incorporating drop
crossings at street junctions, is crucial for durabilityand to satisfy DDA requirements.
PARKING BAY DETAIL PEDESTRIAN LANE VEHICLE ENTRANCE DETAIL ENTRANCE LEVEL WITHCARRIAGEWAY
PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN MID PAVEMENT VEHICLE E NTRANCE D ETAIL E NTRANCE L EVEL W ITHFOOTWAY
LAYOUT OFTACTILE PAVING
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CORNER DETAIL
CONTROLLED CROSSING DETAIL
NOTEFlexibility will be required atcorners where one or bothfootways are narrow (less than4 metres in width), since inthese cases the typical detailsillustrated here may not bepossible. When designingcorners where footways areless than 4 metres in width
regard should be had to therequirements identied on page23.
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Signs, Lines & Other Highway MarkingsTaking care in the design of the public realm to
deliver an uncluttered and high quality environmentcan be immediately undone through the applicationof highway regulations and standards for signageand road markings. Dealing with these issues at the
design stage will eliminate most if not all of thesedeficiencies.
English Heritage has also published documents on
the subject and many urban centres have successfullyincorporated a more sensitive approach to thisissue. The range of options includes the mounting
of signs on buildings or concentrated on one pole / lamp column; using minimum width line-markingsin more muted colours; or in some cases, replacing
line-markings altogether with unobtrusive signs. Forexample, where double yellow lines are necessary,these should be 50mm wide in primrose yellowthroughout the Core Area to provide consistency
with conservation area planning guidance. Yellowor double yellow line-markings, which restrict parkingmay be replaced with controlled parking zone signs
on entry to an area.
Bus StopsSmartbus requires higher granite kerbs set at
160mm, profiled to match Kassel KK160 kerbs. Theprofile of the kerb is designed to withstand abrasionfrom vehicles and guide buses into the bus stop. The
160mm kerb height allows passengers to embark/ disembark level with the bus. Incorporating these kerbrequirements into the urban environment needs eachcase to be treated on its own merits to ensure that the
design is sympathetic to local circumstances.
Wherever possible, design will seek to minimise the
kerb’s visual impact on the street scene, comply withDDA and maintain a visually flat pavement. Theoptimum design solution maintains existing back of
pavement levels at building frontages and providesa nominal 2.5% cross-fall towards the kerb fordrainage. This avoids both the need for drainage
channels at the back of pavement, potential wateringress to properties and minimises slip hazards.
Paving materials are to comply with this specification,for which granite paving and kerbs will be required.Funding will need to be identified when this
specification is required.
Access and MobilityAll public realm must be compliant with the Disability
Discrimination Act (DDA). The Merseyside Codeof Practice on Access and Mobility (2002) adviseson the application of details designed to overcomecommon public realm problems in existing situations,
including continuous level changes and traffic priorityover pedestrians. All designers must adhere to thisreference document, which is periodically updated.
DDA 1995 Part 1 covering employment furtherrights of access came into force on 1/10/99 and the
final Rights of access part III will come into forceon 1/10/04. it is this third part that will most affect
highway functions in that service providers have tomake reasonable adjustments to overcome physicalbarriers to access.
Pedestrian priority is at the heart of this ImplementationFramework and through a comprehensive approachto the regeneration of streets and spaces, most
access and mobility issues will be addressed atscheme design stage. Where there is a need forintervention it will be incorporated into designs in a
high quality manner.
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Variants to the PaletteThere are situations where a slight variation from
the proposed palette may be desirable in order toreflect a local feature, character or need. Great careshould be taken to avoid departing from the palette
completely, as there will be a general presumptionagainst the introduction of new surfacing materials.In particular, the granite kerbs, channels and robust
corner details will be a constant. Places wherevariants may be appropriate will include bespokedesigns for public squares and spaces.
Reclaimed MaterialsThe majority of traditional materials in the city centreare now over 100 years old. To be successfully reused
they need to be removed from site and professionallyre-dressed. This process will use modern equipmentand will include the tumbling of granite setts, the
resizing of Yorkstone slabs and granite kerbs, andthe salvaging of special details. Stockpiling thesematerials at Liverpool City Council depot will provide
both a source of ‘repair’ materials for existing streetsand spaces as well as identifying the exact quantitiesof reusable materials before designs are drawn-up.
Recycling of these historic materials is bothsustainable and provides an opportunity for trainingprogrammes in public realm paving skills. However,the salvaging and use of reclaimed materials involves
a greater level of labour cost and supervision toachieve the desired result. Variance in the thicknessand finish of Yorkstone slabs and kerbs, even after
redressing, will make it difficult to achieve the rightresults on the main streets of the city centre.
The Cultural Quarter from Lime Street Gateway
to Old Haymarket and the Town Hall, set on itsexisting Yorkstone plinth, will continue to reinforcethe Yorkstone setting of these set pieces. The use
of reclaimed Yorkstone and granite kerbs and settsshould therefore be restricted to either public spacedesigns in the Cultural Quarter, the Town Hall settingor the streets in the Georgian Canning area to the
south east of the city centre.
Where Pedestrian Lanes are being repaired and
not replaced, it will be appropriate to re-use kerbs.The re-use of setts will also be appropriate for thePedestrian Lanes for both repairs and replacement.
2.2 STREET FURNITURE
The colour for all street furniture should be dark grey.The specified product will be R8050 (micacious ironoxide paint by Leigh’s Paints) or equal approved,unless street furniture is specified in stainless steel.
SeatingSeats are the most important pieces of furniture in thecity. They must be plentiful and well placed to attract
use; comfortable; ergonomically designed; providewind shelter and protection from noise and danger.Seats must be accessible, particularly for elderly or
disabled people and should comply with DDA.
Where seating is intended for short periods, naturalstone seats and benches should preferably be used.
This allows for robust designs, which are likely tostand the test of time in terms of both wear, tearand fashion. They will provide a strong unifying link
to the floor plane and are visually simple, reducingthe appearance of street clutter. In squares andgreen spaces, timber slatted benches may be moreappropriate as they offer increased comfort for longer
periods of use. Finally, the seating arrangementsshould provide for sociability.
Kiosks, Shelters and CanopiesThere is a requirement for a range of structures in the
city centre that are pieces of architecture in their ownright. These concession structures, automatic publicconveniences, bus shelters and Merseytram sheltersor canopies line the principal transit and city streets
and appear in public spaces. These buildings mustpreferably be architect designed, appropriate for their
location, sited with consideration for their environmentand well co-ordinated.
Where appropriate, such structures may provide morethan one function so long as it does not create conflict
of interest that would discourage their use. Forexample, transport interchanges will host a numberof facilities including information points, telephones,toilets, concessions, cycle facilities and utility boxes.
The rationalisation and grouping of street furniturein this way reduces clutter and maintenance andcreates a critical mass of facilities.
CyclesSecure cycle racks should encourage demandand be placed where they are likely to be used
without causing obstruction or clutter. They must beoverlooked and well lit at night to make them secure.Larger concentrations of cycle parking will create a
destination in their own right, therefore other facilitiescould be concentrated around them. The standarddetail shown will be in stainless steel. To complywith DDA requirements this will be fabricated with
recessed details at the top of the cycle rack posts,which will be painted matt black prior to delivery on
site.
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Information Points and SignageSigns contribute more to visual clutter than anythingelse in the public realm. Pedestrian signage
is required at key arrival and destination pointsto provide general visitor information, transportconnections, directions to adjacent attractions
and facilities. Connectivity throughout the citycentre will be reinforced through the introductionof a communication and interpretation strategy that
will navigate pedestrians through a hierarchicalprogramme of signs and convey information morecoherently.
Thoughtful selection and location of signs will createvisual order and convey information coherently.Signs must be kept to a minimum and where possible,should be mounted on other constructed elements
such as buildings, walls and other street furniture.Where several signs are required at a single location,they should be mounted on one support and the size
of sign reduced to the statutory minimum.
Traffic signs have three separate functions -directional, warning and regulatory. The Highways
Authority sets out the statutory requirements, butworking within these regulations there is scope forreducing the subsequent visual clutter by combining
these signs either together, or by placement onstreet furniture. Wherever possible signage shouldbe positioned within the 600mm granite trim detailproposed within wider pavements. Designs and
colours should also be co-ordinated with darkerneutral colours used for poles and the back of signs.
Guidance to better practice is contained in TrafficAdvisory Leaflet 01/96: Traffic Management inHistoric Areas (D&T) and Planning Policy GuidanceNote 15: Planning and the Historic Environment
TYPICAL FINGER POSTTYPICAL INFORMATION POINT
(ODPM). English Heritage has also publisheddocuments on the subject and many urban centres
have successfully incorporated a more sensitiveapproach to this issue.
Highway Equipment BoxesThe impact of these boxes can be minimised bythoughtful siting against buildings or incorporated into
other structures. These artefacts can also be paintedneutral colours and coated to prevent fly posting.Where several are required in close vicinity, theyshould be placed adjacent to each other to reduce
their impact on the surrounding public realm.
Guard RailThere will be a presumption against the use of
pedestrian guard railing. Road Safety Audits shouldbe carried out to prevent the use of arbitrary pedestriansafety features. The introduction of a pedestrian
friendly city centre and 20mph-priority zone shouldreduce the requirements for such facilities.
Bollards
The primary function of bollards is to restrict vehicularmovement and for this purpose, they need to berobust.
Mercantile Maritime BollardThe most appropriate bollard design for the CityCentre is the traditional one implemented by the
Corporation of Liverpool, which should be copiedin ductile iron, painted dark grey in R8050 with agloss finish. Care must be taken to avoid excessive
street clutter through over use. In order to meetrequirements of the DDA, the top three ribs of themercantile bollard may be painted with a white glossstrip.
TYPICAL BUS SHELTER
TYPICAL CYCLE RACK
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2.3 STREET LIGHTING
Column Mounted Light
Where lighting columns are necessary they mustbe designed in scale with their setting and havesufficient strength to perform more than one functionwhich may include the carrying of signage and other
necessary street furniture. The layout and spacingof units should respond to the requirements of the
street/space, both functionally and aesthetically,minimising street clutter whilst ensuring adequatelevels of illumination.
• Pedestrian Lanes - In Pedestrian Lanes and
narrower Retail Streets where column lightingis required, the selected unit is the Urbis ZX1, 2or 3 or equal approved.
• Strategic, City and Transit Streets - In Strategic,City and Transit Streets and wider RetailStreets, where greater lux levels are required,the selected unit is Dover by DW Windsor or
equal approved.
Wall Mounted Light
Building mounted lighting should be encouragedalong Pedestrian Lanes or Retail Streets, wherestreets are narrow and columns would create apedestrian obstacle on the pavements or shared
surfaces. Opportunities to accommodate lightingfrom buildings in other areas will help to reducestreet clutter. Effective building owner consultation
and relevant statutory consents will be required. Theselected building mounted unit is the Urbis NeosFloodlight 1,2, or 3 or equal approved.
All lighting columns and fittings will be dark grey ina matt finish, selected to match other street furniturepainted in R8050 dark grey or equivalent. Lighting
columns will be pre-painted with a white matt stripe atthe appropriate height to meet DDA requirements.
C O N T E M P O R A R Y
B O L L A R D
T Y P I C A L L I T T E R B I N
( d a r k g r e y )
Contemporary BollardIn public spaces with contemporary design, a simple
contemporary bollard in stainless steel will beprovided. The top of the bollard will be fabricatedwith recessed details and painted matt black prior
to delivery on site, in order to meet the requirementsof the DDA. Suppliers: Machan Engineering Ltd./JKFabrications or equal approved.
LitterbinsLitterbins need to be neutral in design to reduce theirimpact on the public realm but conveniently sited to
attract use. They must be of an appropriate size toconveniently service and clean. They must be of arobust design to cope with heavy usage and potentialvandalism. Typical litterbins will be specified in a dark
grey R8050 matt finish. They may be painted with amatt white strip around the top rim of the unit, to meetwith DDA requirements. Suppliers: Broxap (Pier
Head) or equal approved.
COLUMN MOUNTED LIGHT FOR STRATEGIC,CITY & TRANSIT STREETS (Dover - dark grey)
WALL MOUNTED LIGHT (Neos - dark grey)
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31PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK
2.4 TREE PITS
With the emphasis on high quality tree planting, the
detailing of the tree pits is fundamental to success.Tree pits should be as large as possible. Ideallytrees should be planted in groups, with the treepit forming a continuous trench or island of soil. It
is also preferable that trees should be planted inuncontained, free draining tree pits. To sustain tree
growth, it is essential that good quality, nutritiousurban tree soil is used to backfill the planting pit (e.g.Amsterdam Tree Soil or Metro Sand) and the treereceives continuous maintenance. Tree pits shouldincorporate watering and aerating facilities and all
trees should be supported by under ground guying.
TREE PIT DETAILBDP St Peters Square Liverpool
The Journal of The Landscape Institute 2004
2.5 DESIGN REVIEW
The following procedures shall be adopted to ensurecompliance of all public realm projects with this
Framework:
• Compliance with the Framework should beincluded in all design briefs.
• At design review for scheme design stage,the scheme proposals should be checked
to ensure compatibility with the Framework.Before progressing detail design, typical detailsshould be discussed to test compatibility withor identify where local circumstances dictate
alternatives to the Framework.
• At design review for detail design stage,
detailed proposals should be checked toensure compatibility with the Framework.
• Detailed drawings shall be produced by
landscape architects, at a scale not less than 1:200, based on up to date topographical surveyinformation, prior to tender. Schemes should
not be tendered based on typical details.
2.6 IMPLEMENTATION
This Framework recommends a granite specification
for the Core Area, commensurate with the qualityaspirations defined in the Strategic RegenerationFramework for a World Class public realm for
Liverpool City Centre.
Where budget constraints limit the use of granite in
the Core Area, the management of the programmefor implementation is flexible enough to allow for thefollowing options:
• paving to streets being omitted until sufficientfunding is available to implement the granitespecification;
• where possible, kerbs, channels, corner details
and carriageway works implemented in granite,with existing paving made good adjacent to thekerbline or,
• if by exception, alternative materials areconsidered, which satisfy the performancerequirements in section 2.1, the sub-basemust be designed in accordance with the
Scotsguide to cater for future replacement ingranite. If materials other than natural stoneare considered, they should be reinforced to
limit cracking.
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32PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK
2.7 EASE OF MAINTENANCE
There are a number of maintenance issues that mustbe considered at the design stage of each publicrealm project, particularly where there are departuresfrom the standard palette of materials and furniture.
The following is not an exhaustive list of issues to beconsidered:
• Paving – must be fit for purpose, easily cleanedand detailed to allow for ease of repair.
• Furniture – must be sited where it can be
serviced and cleaned around. Where vehicleaccess is required (bins; lamp columns), thepaving leading up to it must be capable of
carrying the vehicle weight.
• Tree planting – thought must be given to theeventual size of the tree, its maintenance
requirements (watering; pruning), vehicle
access as above and seasonal impacts(including autumn leaves on pavements, tram
lines etc and drip from trees onto tram / busqueues).
• Planters – where planters are used,
consideration must be given to maintenanceaccess and the impact of vehicles on pavingsleading up to them. It is also important that
planters do not ‘leak’ over pavings whenwatered.
• Lighting – when specifying bespoke light
fittings, consideration must be given to longterm maintenance using common parts.
• Water – siting and design of features mustconsider safety, public health and maintenanceissues, including access, overspill / spray andproximity to Merseytram (overhead lines).
• For all the above, consideration must be givento the speedy repair and availability of materialsfollowing abuse or accidental damage.
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33PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK
APPENDIX 1. Summary of street surface specification.
Material Category(Scotguide)
Depth Width Length(min – max)
Colour Topsurface
finish
Footway
Paving
Type 3 Cat 2 80 400 &
6002
400 – 900
random 1
Mid – Grey Flame
Type 2 Cat 2 80 400 300 – 700
random 1
Mid – Grey Flame
Type 1 Cat 2 80 200 300 – 500 1 Mid – Grey Flame
Corner
Detail
Cat 3 200 400 1200 Mid – Grey Flame
Kerbs/
Channels
Cat 3 200 300 600 – 1200
random 4
Light Grey Flame
Setts Large Cat 3 (Block) 150 150 150 - 350
random
Mid – Grey (94%)
Silver Grey (3%)Light Pink (3%)
Flame
Medium Cat 3 (Sett) 150 100 100 - 200random
Mid – Grey (92%)Silver Grey (4%)
Light Pink (4%)
Flame
Pedn Cat 3 (Sett) 150 100 200 Mid – Grey FinePicked
PavingTrim
Cat 2 100 100 100 Mid – Grey1 Flame
CornerDetail
Cat 3 150 150 150 Mid – Grey Flame
Notes:
1. This dimension falls outside Cat 2 length ratingof 250 to 500.
2. This dimension falls outside Cat 2 width ratingof 150 to 400.
3. Random length spec must be further specifiedusing percentage of certain sizes and minimum joint distances.
4. Kerbs should be 1.0m long. Where make-uppieces are required these should not be lessthan 600mm and not greater than 1200mm.
5. Cat 2 stone with cat 3 foundation to provide
robust surface to address possible vehicularover-running.
Colour Refs for paving materials:
NB These are Chinese references not individualsupplier codes:
Light Grey (G603)
Mid - Grey (G654)Silver Grey (G623)Light Pink (G617)
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34/
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• Urban Task Force Report: Towards an UrbanRenaissance, DETR (1999)
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Planning, DTLR (2002)• Urban Design Compendium, English
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(2002)• Urban Design Guidance: urban design
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• Liverpool Urban Design Guide, Liverpool CityCouncil (2003)
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(January 2004)• SRF Liverpool City Centre Strategic
Regeneration Framework, Liverpool Vision
(2000)
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and Liverpool City Council (2000)
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Mobility, Liverpool City Council, KnowsleyCouncil, Sefton Council, St. Helens Council,Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseytraveland Kasway Ltd. (2002)
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• Traffic Advisory Leaflet 01/96: TrafficManagement in Historic Areas
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http://www.liverpoolvision.com/publications1.html• North West Regional Economic Strategy
(NWDA, 2003) http://www.englandsnorthwest2020.com/supporting-documents.htm
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http://www.liverpoolfirst.org/doc/ OurCommunityStrategy.pdf
• City centre lighting strategy Liverpool Vision2002
• Public art strategy 2002 Modus Operandi
http://www.modusoperandi-art.com/cur.html