FESTIVE HUDDERSFIELD
By: Tabassum Ahmed u1856601
COURTYARDS AND ALLEYS AS COMMUNITY SPACE
ART PRECINCT
PLAZAS AS PLATFORMS OF EXPERIENCE
MORE ABOUT FESTIVE HUDDERSFIELD
In a society becoming steadily more privatized with private homes, cars, computers, offices and shopping centers, the public component of our lives is disappearing. It is more and more important to make the cities inviting, so we can meet our fellow citizens face to face and experience directly through our senses. Public life in good quality public spaces is an important part of a democratic life and a full life.
(Gehl, 2008)
The recent decline of high street and the shrinkage of the town’s economy because of the vacancies and closure calls for an intervention that reboots Huddersfield town’s vibrancy. Several reports such as Examiner Live talk about Huddersfield as one of the main towns of Yorkshire that was once known for its marketplace and produce now shrinking in the era of online shopping (Zientek, 2018). Festive Huddersfield is an attempt to rejuvenate the public realm of Huddersfield Town centre through insertion of activities that celebrates and promotes the local and regional culture, art and festivals. The proposal aims to utilizes the vacant and underutilized spaces in town, both indoor and outdoor, to bring people together as a community and bring back the lost market life of Huddersfield. As tactical actions, the initiative uses “pop-up events”, “street art and installations”, “pop-up shops” to invite activities in the vacant properties. It also undertakes the actions “park making”, “guerilla bike lanes”, “instant plaza” and “pedestrian crossing” to reclaim the spaces dominated by car parking. While most of these actions are from the range of actions identified in the group urban study, some are combined to address certain potentials in the proposals.
Huddersfield town centre is primarily composed of commercial and civic land-use, with a very low percentage of residential use. However, with the recent decline of high street the town is facing shrinkage which is leading to a lot of vacant shops and buildings. Additionally the town centre has underused courtyards and alleyways which pose security questions at times. Visually the shrinking town centre lacks a sense of vibrancy and is bombarded with car parking widely. The survey conducted and the map below show that the town centre contains number of potential spaces that are either underutilized, vacant or at the verge of urban decay.
To frame the scheme of Festive Huddersfield, the following elements are targeted. The potentials can be broadly categorized as large open spaces that are undefined or underused, in between alleys and courtyards that are mostly used as garbage disposals or parking, vacant properties and broken pedestrian routes. Many of these spaces pose security questions at night time and become potential locations of crimes.
Following identification and selection of the potentials, short term "tactics" were applied over a short period of time and these potentially progress towards long term effects. A list of potentials, actions and their effects is given below:
HOW DOES THE PROJECT WORK
The project envisions to revive the market life of Huddersfield by converting its primary spines into an art precinct and a platform that allows the community to share their skills, grow their local businesses and celebrate their culture. Kirklees council and Creative Kirklees may be potential investors in initiating the project. However the project is largely dependent on the communities of Huddersfield as they are the main participants of the scheme. Hence the framework for the project is envisioned as
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Kirklees council as the investor to provide the funds necessary to initiate the process.
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Creative Kirkless as the facilitator which connects the various stakeholder of the project.
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The local communities as the primary stakeholders as they participate in the scheme with a vested interest to support the economy of the town and at the same time growing their skills, businesses or talents through this platform
Following is a diagram that illustrates the process
The above diagram shows that the council are initiators. Although some of the actions mentioned in the master-plan such as instant plaza or park making are unsanctioned and guerrilla in nature, the project will be best implemented when both the authorities and residents come together and discuss the idea that benefits both parties. A symbiotic relationship is nurtured by this scheme between the parties at play which allows the scheme to be implemented within a low budget as all actions are initiatives by the stakeholders and are implemented by themselves. The cost of the scheme is negligible in comparison to the revenues it aims to achieve. For instance:
By utilizing the vacant shops for a minimum cost the proprietor gets to test his product or business before investing on a large scale. The property owners (or council) can evaluate whether the business type suits or works in the context before bringing in more of similar schemes. The town benefits by getting a new experience or product or service. Vacant buildings can act as the venues for the community workshops needed by this schemes.
Use of pop-up art installations, promoting outdoor classes/workshops/plazas and remodeling the aesthetics of the town through these palettes help to renew the image and experience of the town. The grassroots or organisations who organise these activities can use the platform to generate an income or create awareness for a cause.
Pop-up events for music, art or theatre adds an cultural layer to the town and give the artists a platform to grow and share.
Festive Huddersfield preaches a simple strategy to involve the locals and celebrate their journeys. The short term outcomes of the project is revival of a town which is often termed as a "ghost-town". It improves the public life and their interaction with their built surroundings. The scheme brings together the council and the locals and eliminates the conflicts and confusions caused by the top-down approaches of urban renewal. In the longer run, the project contributes in strengthening the economic sustainability of the town.
References:
Zientek, H.Z. (2018, April 12). Here's why so many Huddersfield town centre shops are shutting. Examiner Live.Retrieved from https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/business/commercial-property/heres-many-huddersfield-town-centre-14515215
Project for Public Spaces (PPS). (2018). Jan Gehl. Retrieved from https://www.pps.org/article/jgehl.