doughnut city - architectural + design features, north west
Doughnut City
Posted 07 Jan 2008, 16:11 by oube
The Doughnut is a strategic, research based project undertaken by Sheppard Robson to explore opportunities for sustainable city development in Manchester.
The primary focus area of the study is a loosely defined ‘ring’ of land between the city centre and the outlying suburbs. This area is largely characterised by vacant and low value land uses, and a number of deprived communities, yet much of this is only a 10-15 min walk out of the city centre.
As Manchester continues its successful programme of regeneration, the city is beginning to expand its perceived boundaries as large scale regeneration opportunities are sought beyond the perceived city core - the city is becoming a much bigger place, and with this growth comes an opportunity to create a sustainable framework that can establish the city as a leader in sustainable city expansion.
The study highlights the ‘compactness’ of Manchester and its ability to deliver a more liveable city that will appeal to a wider demographic than is currently offered. The city has, for a long time, its first generation of city centre residents, but for most, this is a transient experience, traded in for the suburbs when the city centre lifestyle becomes less attractive. But is doesn’t have to be this way, The Doughnut opens up an opportunity for new models of development, all within a short walk or cycle ride from city centre, yet with all the benefits of the traditional suburbs be it parks and gardens, schools and health centres, or simply a sense of community.
The infrastructure is already in place; there are swathes of open green space (new parks overlooked by high density housing); there are a number of key arterial routes in and out of the city (mixed-use developments that encourage better use of public transport routes); there are canals and rivers (high value land for attractive waterside development); and most importantly, all of these physical characteristics are characterised by low-quality, low-value, and low-density development, reinforcing the case for regeneration.
To ensure the study is rooted in reality and does not become a ‘blue sky’ exercise, we have collaborated with both the University of Manchester and the University of Salford. At Manchester, under-graduate students have undertaken surveys of both city centre and suburban residents to gain a better understanding of the pro’s and con’s of the respective lifestyles, whilst at Salford, Sheppard Robson are industry partners for an urban regeneration simulator research grant, and are also partners with Vivacity, a research group exploring the 24hr city.
The study is on-going and recently formed the focus for the Liverpool & Manchester Property Forum Annual Conference at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester.
| Author: | Martin Ellerby |
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The Doughnut City
Posted 12 Jan 2008, 17:05 by patrick
We had the fortune of having Martin present this strategy to us during one of our 3rd Year lectures at the MSA. He raised some very interesting points, in regards to the problems Manchester's inner city transport faces, and how issues similar to these have been resolved else where in the EU. I believe that such a strategy would provide an improved urban environment, however it would be difficult to implement. I've just come back from Erlangen (the location of Siemens's HQ), which is a small city located in central Germany. And you can see the affect a good infrastructure for public transportation and cyclist can have on the people and the city. The major of Erlangen was a professional cyclist, he implemented cycle lanes to run alongside roads and walkways (leading up to the motorways), in the city centre only pedestrians and bikes are allowed entry (alongside public bus services).
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