Liverpool City Centre | Strategic Investment Framework | 15 Year Masterplan

[Paul D]

If we can pull this off Liverpool is going to be on a whole new level.

[Streetlife1]

Originally Posted by Cheeky2xist

The image above also suggests that the listed structure opposite the Municipal Building (the one with the scaffolding around it at present) will be taken down - something the Mayor has wanted for years but English Heritage oppose. It would be great to have a breathing space in front of and behind the Municipal Building so that people can truly appreciate the scale. Also the perfect location for future events - in the same way as the Town Hall in Manchester has a great setting for events.

Great more fine old buildings demolished and replaced with grass.

[Paulo88]

I've always liked the idea of a serious fountain in one of those docks. A real pull that would attract both tourists and locals alike. Something similar in design to the one in the video below (although obviously not with a Disney theme!) would really offer something that cannot be seen anywhere else in the country, or even in Europe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT1uD...eature=related

I'm thinking 1:55 in, that sort of thing. Surely better than "floating sculptures"?

[Paul D]

I'd definitely go along with that, that's quite spectacular and doesn't require much imagination.

[Pablo Diablo]

Sounds great!

Now if only they'd turf the industrial estate off Toxteth and Harrington Docks and expand the marina south! It's the missing link between the city centre and Otterspool and Festival Gardens!

[Paul D]

It could also include an ice rink, bowling alley or surf centre on the land around Kings Dock.

Read more: Liverpool Echo http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/2012/...#ixzz2CCzdH4MC

I think the Surf Centre idea would be a great draw for the city, I hope they pursue this one. Imagine a King's Dock with the Surf Centre, Ice Rink, Bowling Alley, Arena, Conference Centre, Exhibition Centre, Hotels, Bars and Restaurants and that's before you even take into account the water based activities like Canoeing and sailing etc. There's a distinct possibility all this will come off and what an attraction that will be.

[Cheeky2xist]

Following on from Paulo88's idea - how about this in the docks (give it a couple of minutes to get going) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=kYA3c2I8D8I

Living Liver Birds

[Cheeky2xist]

Further to Streetlife1 point about:

Great more fine old buildings demolished and replaced with grass.

I've tracked down an image of the buildings that would be demolished (they are currently just facades)

image hosted on flickr

[buggedboy]

Too small. No longer suitable for the street. I wouldn't care if Jesus was born in them. Knock them down.

[HollyBlack]

Originally Posted by Paul D

I think the Surf Centre idea would be a great draw for the city, I hope they pursue this one. Imagine a King's Dock with ... .

A skeet (clay pigeon shotgun) range would be a big draw. Shooting out from a seawall to a cordoned off area of the river. There are presently just about no places to practice competitive shotgun that you can get to by public transport. It would be a huge draw.
And it would be extremely inexpensive to construct. All you really need is a secure storage and a few river buoys.

Plus the political will not to block every inexpensive profitable undertaking. (That could be the hardest part).

[Gareth]

Originally Posted by buggedboy

Too small. No longer suitable for the street. I wouldn't care if Jesus was born in them. Knock them down.

True, the scale is way too small for Dale Street. That said, it becomes irrelevent if what we want to replace them with is 0 storeys. I would really suggest caution over the tendency to randomly call for more parks or green spaces. Yes, it all sounds nice but if not done properly because of inappropriate location or lack of demand, we just end up with a grassed over wasteland. And we have plenty of that, especially around Islington and up into Everton. So, I see no reason why there needs to be two new parks flanking the Municipal Buildings. The Dale Street site needs a new building of more appropriate scale, similar to the building adjacent to it on the other side of Cheapside. The car park on Victoria Street would be a more appropriate location for a park, though I'd want them to keep the perimeter walls. It sees much more footfall than a block away and would be better used. That said, I always imagined a high quality skyscraper here, complete with the perimeter wall retained. Indeed, I always thought skyscrapers would really suit the grip plan of the Victoria/Dale/Tithbarn Street area. It's the part of the city that feels big and 'new world'. Of course, current planning policy would ensure that never happens. Still, a 'Victoria Park' would be nice enough.

[Portobello Red]

A pedestrianised Sir Thomas Street (on the right of this pic) between Victoria Street and Dale Street could blend in well with the park if there was enough demand for pavement cafes and kiosks.

[Portobello Red]

This park behind the former Exchange Station building is a bit drab, and shows the dangers of getting it wrong.

[Gareth]

Why pedestrianise Sir Thomas Street? It's a busy route that a lot of buses, mostly the Wirral ones, use as their main downtown stop. Removing this only adds the need to put this facility elsewhere and the only way I can see it working is by making Crosshall Street two way. There'd be little space on Crosshall Street for bus stops though, so the buses would have to go into Queens Square, which is already at capacity and then turn onto St Johns Lane to get back to the tunnels.

The park behind Mercury Court is a good example of dead and underused green space. However, I have heard that, as it's directly over the Northern Line, which is quite shallow at this point; that land can't the weight of normal ground. That could be a myth though. It should also be noted that the Tithebarn Street area, whilst slowly improving, is still relatively dead and a lot needs to be done to bring it up to scratch.

I'm also worried about the St John's Gardens proposal. They seem to be trying to turn it into a park but it isn't a park, it is gardens. Gardens which are directly connected to St George's Hall. How they want to improve the connectivity, I don't know. The idea of the park "spilling onto William Brown Street' sounds chaotic and would involve knocking down the perimeter wall. I'm not convinced it's a good idea.

[Pobbie]

Yes, keep St John's Gardens and William Brown Street the way they are. What use is it tearing down the walls (which look nice enough anyway) just to add a road's width more of grass?

This is all very interesting I have to say. One thing I have to ask though - as much as I dislike Churchill Way, where would all the traffic be redirected if it were to be removed? Rush hour in that part of town isn't exactly smooth going. I'm assuming depedestrianising William Brown Street is out of the question.

[Portobello Red]

Possibly another pocket park on Hope Street - the report says there is 'Potential for a new green space on Blackburne House car park'

The image below hasn't transfered very well from the report. It's on P.85 here if your interested.

[Martin S]

That green space behind Mercury Court may see more public use if and when they develop the Exchange Station site - but with economic conditions that will be year's away.

It is never enough just to plant lots of trees and grass with paths and park benches. Public spaces must attract people by being near to well-used places and thoroughfares.

I still think that the Victoria Street car park would be the best site for a public square in the city centre. Not only is it in a popular area of the city but it has a good orientation with respect to the sun. In Liverpool, you don't need public areas that spend a lot of time in the shade. For that reason I wouldn't be too convinced about the value of the site opposite the municipal buildings.

The Blackburne House car park - the old school playground - could make a really good public space (if they can find out what to do with the cars). Popular street, nice buildings around and a good orientation. Maybe it would be better as a paved space rather than a garden though - something with pavement cafes.

[Inigo]

The space behind mercury court, despite being shabby, is very well used during the summer.

[yoshef]

Originally Posted by Pobbie

Yes, keep St John's Gardens and William Brown Street the way they are. What use is it tearing down the walls (which look nice enough anyway) just to add a road's width more of grass?

I guess the idea behind that is to make the gardens more accessible from the retail area, more permeable to the public in general and more obvious that they're a public space. At the moment the entrances from St John's Lane/Queens Square, are small, uninviting sets of steps set in a thick wall. If you come by the gardens from Queens Square via the cut through under the Marriot, by Tso's and Doctor Duncan's, you can't even see an entrance, and if you're in a wheelchair you'd have to go to William Brown Street to get in the gardens.

This is all very interesting I have to say. One thing I have to ask though - as much as I dislike Churchill Way, where would all the traffic be redirected if it were to be removed? Rush hour in that part of town isn't exactly smooth going. I'm assuming depedestrianising William Brown Street is out of the question.

As I read it, they're looking to move traffic bound for the business district out of the 'historic downtown' eg Dale Street, and onto Leeds Street, by linking it up with St Anne Street. That will also remove Hunter Street from the inner ring road and bring John Moores Byrom Street campus more into the city centre.

[yoshef]

Originally Posted by Portobello Red

Possibly another pocket park on Hope Street - the report says there is 'Potential for a new green space on Blackburne House car park'

Urbed made a similar suggestion, even had a visualisation of a square ....