We all come up with great ideas in the numerous Nottingham threads so I thought we could discuss them in full on this thread without clogging others.

What would you really like to see happen in Nottingham?
How would you improve proposed developments that you don't feel happy with?
How many and how tall are the towers you'd like to see built here?
What areas of the city do you feel need regenerating?

You can also have some wacky ideas if you wish.

Right I'll start with a few of my ideas.

Current City Ground Site - Have a business quarter here with some iconic tall buildings, around 20/25 stories tall. Knock down the boat clubs next to the city ground and have some smart looking steel and glass office blocks. Re-clad the white curved Rushcliffe office building that overlooks Trent Bridge. Although it doesn't look bad at all considering how old it is I re-clad would help improve it significantly.

Trent Bridge Cricket Ground - Knock down the William Clarke Stand and replace it with a double tier curved stand to bump up the capacity.
Trent House is in the process of having all of it's windows replaced and they look pretty smart. Don't stop there though re-clad it or just give it a clean.
Whether we like it or not it's probably one of the most well known Nottingham buildings to foreigners due to it's proximity to the cricket ground.

The Embankment - Ozone needs to go ahead really to make a better use of a wonderful area that we take for granted. We don't use it to it's full potential at all. I'd like to see the stage in the memorial gardens opened more often and have small concerts there or cultural festivals. A jazz festival or something. Also open up some riverside restaurants with floating decks to accommodate outdoor seating.

Potential new Forest Ground site - Have a nice iconic hotel building 10-15 stories or something. An SAS Radisson would be ideal as we don't have one in the city at the moment. A few office blocks aswell would be well suited in the area as the rents would be alot lower than in the centre of town.

Eastside - I can't really think of anything for Eastside really. I would like to see a canalside restaurant and bar.
I'd also like to see what the Chek Whyte tower would look like if it had a different sort of glass cladding on it as I think the white might not age very well.

Southside - Demolish all of the industrial buildings along the canal side of London Road (Mower World etc) and replace them with offices and maybe housing. Also I want something to be built on the car dealership near Hooters as it looks terrible at the moment now it's empty.

Huntington Street - A designated tall zone where a group of two or three towers can go. It's the perfect area for them really. Something on the Royal Mail site, bring back Brook Street and have one at a similar height and then another one at about 30/35 stories tall o act as a sort of pinnacle.

The Station - Some office buildings at the London Road end of the platforms would be good where the industrial building currently sits.
I'd love to see Victoria Station reopen but underneath Victoria Centre. A modern underground station. Have Victoria flats re-claded in a similar form to the CIS building in Manchester. Nothing bright blue with multi coloured windows please.

Maid Marian Way - Have the road re-routed underground. The only problem though is that road tunnels mostly look horrible.
With the road gone have Maid Marian way as a tree lined boulevard with cafes, restaurants and bars. I'd also have the Britania Hotel re-cladded nd Park Plaza. Have a few tallish buildings near to the others but not so tall that they dwarf the castle that looks more like a stately home.

Broadmarsh - I'd like to see other elements added to the scheme such as a few offices, and some upmarket apartments. I'd also like to have a really iconic looking anchor store (Selfridges or Harvey Nichols)
Expand the caves by quite abit. This sounds abit cheesy but guided tours of the caves around the whole of Nottingham City Centre would be interesting.

Market Square - Have some outdoor cafes in the summer with seating so people can have a bite to eat and watch the world go by.
Give the council house a good clean and improve the lighting scheme on the main building as at the moment all of the lighting focuses mainly on the dome.
Maybe have a similar lighting scheme to The Light in Leeds which slowly changes colour.
Also re-clad Market Square House it looks terrible. Give it some nice looking glass and improve the base of it. Give the Pearl building a good clean and change the sign on the side to a more modern one.

The Meadows - The area around the precinct or "New Meadows: as it's commonly called needs to be knocked down and replaced or moved elsewhere. A well designed and a thought out masterplan needs to be put to together. Alot of the houses near to the Meadows Gateway area need to be relocated in order to allow the city centre to expand.

I've got plenty of other ideas I'll post them another time I've got completely brain dead after all of that.

here's a really good one!

reinstate arkright street as a major thoroughfare into town from south of the trent, slowly redeveloping the meadows into a nicer area with a diverse mix of low income and higher income housing, retail and leisure facilities. rebuild the whole area as a modern urban district such as you might expect to find in amsterdam or berlin, with townhouses, green space, proper urban street plans, and space for businesses and other stuff.

no more cut-off isolated estates in the meadows, no more harsh wealth and class divides. develop London Road as a modern, canalside boulevard providing an alternative thoroughfare into town from the south, and linking the eastern half of the meadows more into the eastside area. arkwright st and London Road to be lined with shops and other public facilities, and both to be encouraged as welcoming public spaces as well as major routes for pedestrians, vehicles, and trams.

the potential of linking the city centre and the trent much more effectively is so obvious - bonus being that it blitzes the eastern half of the meadows as well - opening possibilities for assimilating current residents much more effectively with the rest of the city, improving the urbban environment and feel of the place by a massive amount, and encouraging diversity and social interaction. thus equalling a happier population and a more pleasant city.

no cheap-build housing - people (residents, workers, pedestrians, and visitors all deserve better).

i'd love this to happen. might cost.

^^ I'd agree with that. By doing this aswell it may also integrate The Embankment with the city centre more effectively.
The canal along side London Road is also a really nice place to walk. Clean the grafitti, put a decent footpath along there and have some seating. It also needs to be integrated better with London Road and the Southside Area.

here's a really good one!


no more cut-off isolated estates... no more harsh wealth and class divides. and... Road[s]... lined with shops and other public facilities, and both to be encouraged as welcoming public spaces as well as major routes for pedestrians, vehicles, and trams.

Opening possibilities for assimilating current residents much more effectively with the rest of the city, improving the urbban environment and feel of the place by a massive amount, and encouraging diversity and social interaction. thus equalling a happier population and a more pleasant city.

no cheap-build housing - people (residents, workers, pedestrians, and visitors all deserve better).

i'd love this to happen. might cost.


I'd totally love all this to happen. But it all sounds very socially democratic, not exactly the Anglo-Saxon model of capitalism is it?

Good old Thatcherism/Neo-Liberalism - call it what you will - has another agenda, namely private affluence and public squalor.

What Britain needs so desperately is a social and political renaissance... I'm hoping Obama's going to be the impetus for real change in the Anglo-Saxon world. We need to start realising the social and communal value of good design and surroundings, rather than simpy the economic price.

As Armando Iannucci, recently, very dryly said on his radio show: "Building a better society is all well and good, but what about the house prices?" - Is this the foundation we want our cities to be built on?

Sorry If I'm sounding preachy, but I've just got back from Stockholm, and have certainly realised a few home truths....

Ok...here are a few of my ideas...apologies if any sound stolen (i agree with a lot of what stef said!)

Eastside-

Have a cluster of tall buildings (30stories +) on the right hand side of London Road as you come towards the city centre. London Road has been upgraded with offices and restaurants lining the road. At the end, Nottinghams Sports City is well served with a new tram terminus and park and ride network. Sports fans celebrate team wins in the parks, open spaces and leisure facilites nearby. I think Turning Point East is good, so encourage traffic that way. As the road sweeps round past the Hyatt in Whyte Tower you pass near the Arts Quarter (lace market)...

Lace Market-

Now a haven of independant stores and restaurants. Broadway has been closed to traffic to allow people to sit outside and enjoy drinks in the evening. Vintage stores, music shops and quirky cafes are found scattered throughout this bohemian part of town. George Street Hotel has been restored to its former glory, and CCAN is open and hosting the latest international art display direct from Tate Modern...

Broadmarsh-

As you come down the tram lines towards the station, glass walk ways pass overhead linking the car park/bus station to Broadmarsh. The tram passes into the centre, and passengers are able to get off directly next to Selfridges. Walking along Broadmarsh, each secction, while distinct is seemlessly connected by walkways and covered streets. Emerging at the other end by Debenhams, and a re-designed entrance the the city...

Southside-

The financial district of the city, with towering glass around the station with bustling squares containing cafes and small shops, hotels are doing a brisk trade and trains thunder past going to London, Paris and beyond. The station has become a destination in itself,old meeting new in a truly unique way.

Trinity Square/Parliament Street-

The entertainment Hub of Nottingham, with bustling bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants, the visitor and resident alike are spoilt for choice with a varied yet safe night out. Passing down Queen Street, there are open restaurants until late at night, people eating by candle light on the square. The new 5* hotel housed in the restored Debenhams building provides and ideal base to explore the city.

Sneinton/Market-

Now Chinatown for Nottingham, local businesses benefit from strong links between Nottingham and the country. The chinatown sits neatly along side the renewed Gay quarter, turning this side of Parliament Street into a vibrant and liberal district of town. Apartments and offices line Huntington Street, providing a big city feel to the area, with open spaces and squares interspered to allow the residents to 'get away from it all'.

As you can see, my vision for Nottingham isnt too radical, but in all seriousness, a lot of it is upgrading and appreciating what we have. I wouldnt dramatically change the lace market for example. My vision relies upon Nottingham reclaiming its true identity though having established districts (Entertainment, Arts, Business, Retail, Chinatown/Gay, Bohemian. That way, the city appeals to lots of people all of the time. These districts should not be rigid, but should allow areas to thrive in themselves and encourage neighbouring areas to do like-wise. We have had too many isolated projects lately that have not sparked greater regeneration.

What do you guys think?

^^ Can you apply for a job in the planning department at the council please? Every single idea you've posted is pretty much faultless.

I second that, its a shame most of it will never happen though.

haha, thanks guys...to me a lot of it is just logic though, nothing really groundbreaking! We need to work as collective city to get these things off the ground, and prove to people that despite the credit crunch, the people need and want the development. We have shown what we can do in the regeneration of the lace market, but it really seems to have stalled in the last few months.

With world events its not surprise, but we really need to keep up the momentum to keep the city leading the way in the region!

Ok...here are a few of my ideas...apologies if any sound stolen (i agree with a lot of what stef said!)

Eastside-

Have a cluster of tall buildings (30stories +) on the right hand side of London Road as you come towards the city centre. London Road has been upgraded with offices and restaurants lining the road. At the end, Nottinghams Sports City is well served with a new tram terminus and park and ride network. Sports fans celebrate team wins in the parks, open spaces and leisure facilites nearby. I think Turning Point East is good, so encourage traffic that way. As the road sweeps round past the Hyatt in Whyte Tower you pass near the Arts Quarter (lace market)...

Lace Market-

Now a haven of independant stores and restaurants. Broadway has been closed to traffic to allow people to sit outside and enjoy drinks in the evening. Vintage stores, music shops and quirky cafes are found scattered throughout this bohemian part of town. George Street Hotel has been restored to its former glory, and CCAN is open and hosting the latest international art display direct from Tate Modern...

Broadmarsh-

As you come down the tram lines towards the station, glass walk ways pass overhead linking the car park/bus station to Broadmarsh. The tram passes into the centre, and passengers are able to get off directly next to Selfridges. Walking along Broadmarsh, each secction, while distinct is seemlessly connected by walkways and covered streets. Emerging at the other end by Debenhams, and a re-designed entrance the the city...

Southside-

The financial district of the city, with towering glass around the station with bustling squares containing cafes and small shops, hotels are doing a brisk trade and trains thunder past going to London, Paris and beyond. The station has become a destination in itself,old meeting new in a truly unique way.

Trinity Square/Parliament Street-

The entertainment Hub of Nottingham, with bustling bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants, the visitor and resident alike are spoilt for choice with a varied yet safe night out. Passing down Queen Street, there are open restaurants until late at night, people eating by candle light on the square. The new 5* hotel housed in the restored Debenhams building provides and ideal base to explore the city.

Sneinton/Market-

Now Chinatown for Nottingham, local businesses benefit from strong links between Nottingham and the country. The chinatown sits neatly along side the renewed Gay quarter, turning this side of Parliament Street into a vibrant and liberal district of town. Apartments and offices line Huntington Street, providing a big city feel to the area, with open spaces and squares interspered to allow the residents to 'get away from it all'.

As you can see, my vision for Nottingham isnt too radical, but in all seriousness, a lot of it is upgrading and appreciating what we have. I wouldnt dramatically change the lace market for example. My vision relies upon Nottingham reclaiming its true identity though having established districts (Entertainment, Arts, Business, Retail, Chinatown/Gay, Bohemian. That way, the city appeals to lots of people all of the time. These districts should not be rigid, but should allow areas to thrive in themselves and encourage neighbouring areas to do like-wise. We have had too many isolated projects lately that have not sparked greater regeneration.

What do you guys think?

Good stuff- but I guess I'm more of a realist than a visionary, and get depressed when I see posts like Patrick G and Stefan88 in this thread which seem to talk us down not up. I agree much of what you have said isn't radical- in fact what you have set out could be read as typical aspirational blurb as churned out by developers/council/ etc etc for the last ten years or so. Much of this, subject to market resurrection, will happen, my predictions are:

Eastside-

Have a cluster of tall buildings (30stories +) on the right hand side of London Road as you come towards the city centre.

- early phase of island site will be tall building to parallel Jury's Inn, not 30 strories

London Road has been upgraded with offices and restaurants lining the road.

East side of London Road is already seeing development at north end on former pub site. West side will be developed, but on other side of the canal. These sites are soft and in blocky ownerships and there are currently a number of key vacant sites- former Hartwell, Sunwin sites etc which will be ripe for development as market picks up and position re Incinerator has been clarified by Govt inspector. If reports in today's Evening Post are true and the council move to part of Capital One building, there will be a significant boost to service related uses in the whole southern sector of town eg the vacant units under Jury's inn fronting the Canal- canal frontage more of an asset than London Road.

At the end, Nottinghams Sports City is well served with a new tram terminus and park and ride network.

Tram pretty speculative and no point in having terminus- route would either extend to eastern waterside or to west bridgford- maybe bus services serving Racecourse P& R could be diverted but this would be at the expense of running through the Island site. Every bus over trent bridge currently stops next to Meadows Way/Turney's Quay so this is one of the most accessible places in the city already. Worst thing for Sportcity idea would be if Forest miraculously turned performance round and relocation plans were pursued to push stadium to edge of city somewhere in an ocean of car parking and surrounded by soulless 'Leisure' anchored out of town retail. Thankfully this is a highly unlikely scenario given current league position

Sports fans celebrate team wins

wins???!

in the parks, open spaces and leisure facilites nearby. I think Turning Point East is good, so encourage traffic that way. As the road sweeps round past the Hyatt in Whyte Tower you pass near the Arts Quarter (lace market)...

Lace Market-

Now

already?

a haven of independant stores and restaurants. Broadway has been closed to traffic to allow people to sit outside and enjoy drinks in the evening.

Market factors will dampen over optimistic rent aspirations on the part of landlords. Pedestrian upgrade treatment next to Adam's building/Lace market square will inevitably be extended through this area. Bollards and better enforcement of restrictrions needed to sort car abuse

Vintage stores, music shops and quirky cafes are found scattered throughout this bohemian part of town.

challenge is to support existing ones through current market dip (Edins, Rosy Lee, Cow, etc)

George Street Hotel has been restored to its former glory,

ground floor bar retail conversion is a good start

and CCAN is open

this is not a vision its happening

and hosting the latest international art display direct from Tate Modern...

see recent Nottingham Contemporary press release re serota visit

Broadmarsh-

As you come down the tram lines towards the station, glass walk ways pass overhead linking the car park/bus station to Broadmarsh. The tram passes into the centre, and passengers are able to get off directly next to Selfridges.

I'd settle for Harvey Nics

Walking along Broadmarsh, each secction, while distinct is seemlessly connected by walkways and covered streets. Emerging at the other end by Debenhams, and a re-designed entrance the the city...

[B]Westfield will turn to Nottingham as a priority now White City in London is open/B]
Southside-

The financial district of the city, with towering glass around the station with bustling squares containing cafes and small shops, hotels are doing a brisk trade and trains thunder past going to London, Paris and beyond. The station has become a destination in itself,old meeting new in a truly unique way.

Hub Scheme will happen and catalyse much of this, boosted by St Pancras effect, new services to Leeds etc already committed and today's announcement re upgrade works and speed up. In near medium term electrification of MML is a no brainer. New flats going up on Queen's Road already, NET phase 2 will push resolution of Meadows Gateway site

Trinity Square/Parliament Street-

The entertainment Hub of Nottingham, with bustling bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants,

Corner house/forman st leisure uses will expand to currently vacant units fronting new Trinitry Square. waitrose (on site) will have catalyctic effect


the visitor and resident alike are spoilt for choice with a varied yet safe night out. Passing down Queen Street, there are open restaurants

Vienna great new addition

until late at night, people eating by candle light on the square.

Global warming?

The new 5* hotel housed in the restored Debenhams building provides and ideal base to explore the city.

Debenham's move already announced subject to Broadmarsh

Sneinton/Market-

Now Chinatown for Nottingham,

definitely huge potential- much of this would depend on a key flagship chinese inward investor.....

local businesses benefit from strong links between Nottingham and the country. The chinatown sits neatly along side the renewed Gay quarter, turning this side of Parliament Street into a vibrant and liberal district of town. Apartments and offices line Huntington Street, providing a big city feel to the area, with open spaces and squares interspered to allow the residents to 'get away from it all'.

Huntingdon St has seen big changes already- bigger and more difficult area is Glasshouse st area and need to break down/through viccie centre building on Trinity Square and big NTU investments. When Westfield happens maybe VC will need to respond?

.

Stuff like this (http://www.theartorganisation.co.uk/tao%20nottingham%201.htm) is why Nottingham is so great.

Broadway, Alley Cafe, The Sumac Centre, Left Lion, The Social, The Marcus Garvey Ballroom, Rescue Rooms, Rock City, The Maze, Demo, Lee Rosy's Tea, Moog, some bloody great restaurants, Hockley, The Lace Market, The Park etc, etc.

- They all give the city a very cool and confident edge.

We're a city that rewards independence and those that search things out.

Our heritage of creativity is something that must be celebrated and encouraged.

"Vienna great new addition" - couldn't agree more Butsy1, have been several times, but it's always worryingly quiet. They don't go out of their way to promote it (at all!) but FYI they do 2-4-1 cocktails on a Wednesday evening. But it's worth a beer voucher at any time to see inside this beautiful building now that the horrors of Hard Rock have been erased.

Yea i heard it had been restored really nicely. Hopefully now that the OMS extension has been completed and all that building work on their frontdoor has been done, they will see a pickup in trade

hopefully cloughie will prove a draw to this area now after today

lurk- cheers for the cocktail tip!

Too late for you, I'm afraid, it's gone bust.

That didn't last long.

n no particular order
A Direct rail link to Ratclffe on Soar power station,
Wind turbine in the Memorial gardens adjacent to Trent bridge.
Thousands of City center "posh flats" < 500sq ft
A public square in the city center that while nice and constructed with high quality materials, is out of sympathy with any of the already eclectic mix of buildings surrounding it, and makes no provision for public toilets.
A failure to realise that the one thing that distinguishes the city symbolically and with world renown (Robin Hood) is almost totally absent from the city.
A completely antisocial, if you happen to live next to it, particularly on a corner, Electric tram to replace the much more effective trolly busses that were ripped up 40 years ago, terminating at Bulwell bogs.
can anyone think of anything else?