Gap in market for urban space

Sep 24 2007 by Hannah Davies, The Journal

Public spaces are becoming a priority for the region as a recent conference proved. Hannah Davies reports.

A CONFERENCE on public space has raised questions of how we can use our area to its full potential. We all have an opinion about public space, whether it’s the Baltic Square in Gateshead, Stockton High Street or Stroget in Copenhagen – but what is it worth?

What value does public space have and what can we do to make our spaces in the North-East better?

These were the questions asked at a conference at Durham’s Rivergreen Centre which has led to a re-evaluation of the region’s public spaces.

From NewcastleGateshead’s Baltic Square to Mowbray Park in Sunderland, the North-East has some of the best public space in the country.

The Waste of Space event, organised by Ignite, examined the benefits of good public spaces, how to manage them and what needs to be done in order to make sure we have more high quality public space in the future.

Kirsteen Thomson, regional development agency One NorthEast’s sustainable development manager, said: “The aim of Ignite is to ‘inspire the desire to create lasting places in which people aspire to belong.’

“Places are for people – therefore we place a high value on the creation of good buildings and the collection of buildings that make the place.

“Of equal importance is the public realm – the space in-between buildings can also enhance the character of the area as well as its value.

“Well designed public realm enhances the public’s enjoyment of a place, but this needs to be planned for since the type of use influences decisions about design, materials chosen and how it will be maintained.

“This way, public spaces can be enhanced from places that you pass through, to places where you might rest a while and, most important, become vibrant places where people meet, enjoy other activities and are part of the function of a sustainable community.”

The conference, entitled Waste of Space? Maximising the benefits of Public Space: A North-East Perspective, and run by Ignite, the North-East Centre for Excellence for Sustainable Communities, was successful in highlighting key approaches to design in areas the region is now focusing on.

The event showcased research which identified strong business benefits, particularly for retail and tourism businesses, of placemaking in the region, rather than focusing solely on creating physical public spaces.

A well-designed public space can have many functions and can be the centre of a vibrant community, for example, planning for local markets or street theatre in areas of public space in-between buildings.

Investment in the public realm adds real value to an area – providing context and purpose to the space to enhance the character and identity of the region.

Also brought to light was the need to bring public and private sector efforts together to improve the cultural vitality of public spaces in the region, developing the environment around historic structures and sites to improve the strength of our cultural offering.

Effective management of the public realm is a key priority, where the region’s partners need to work together to make sure local authorities manage and maintain the quality of public spaces as well as providing capital investment.

Quality materials, workmanship and paying attention to detail ensures the public perceives public spaces as attractive and free from crime – somewhere engaging where they would like to spend more time.

The region is also concerned with reducing existing barriers to delivering sustainable high quality public places.

For example, businesses that enjoy the greatest benefit from public investment need to be encouraged to contribute to quality maintenance standards.

One NorthEast investment projects for placemaking in the region currently include Grainger Town, Alnwick, and Baltic Square.

Ignite consists of two distinct parts. The Virtual Centre – an interactive website that will allow practitioners to access information that has previously been unavailable to them using its knowledge management technology. The virtual centre can be seen at www.ignite-ne.com

The second part, the Learning Network, will improve the way regeneration professionals work together across occupations as well as investing in developing their skills. Ignite will invest in areas where gaps in learning and research have been identified.