LUKE IAN PHILIP RICHARDS STUDIO THREE: THE REVOE REVIEW 14060019
TABLE OF CONTENTS A BETTER BLACKPOOL: THE REVOE REVIEW 3 4 5 6 7 8
STUDIO 2 RECAP What will a Better Blackpool look like? What's the overall vision? How could Central Drive be improved? Will there be any new buildings? What could Central Drive look like? What could Revoe Library look like?
9 10 11 12 13
MASTERPLANNING FRAMEWORK What are our development goals? What do the people want? What have we got to work with? How can we improve the area? What zones will we provide?
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
MASTERPLAN DESIGN What will Blackpool look like from above? What will the new buildings be used for? How much green infrastructure is there? What's it going to look like? What areas are being redeveloped? When will each area be built? Phase 1: Bethesda Park What will Bethesda Park look like? Phase 2: Central Plaza v2 What will Central Plaza look like? Phase 3: Revoe Library What will Revoe Library look like? Phase 4: Revoe Park What will Revoe Park look like? Can we see them in context?
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
STREET FURNITURE DESIGN What street furniture should we use? Is there anything simple and flexible? What about seating? Any more examples of seating? What do we need to provide? What will our street furniture look like? What will go where? What happens underneath Central Drive? How do we drain excess rainwater? What will the streets be made of? What about the tram tracks? What will the new buildings be made of? Have we hit all of our goals? How sustainable did we make Blackpool?
A Better Blackpool: The Revoe Review is a continuation of the work undertaken previously in Studio 2. The counterpart portfolio to this, Building a Better Blackpool, set out an initial strategic masterplan in which a wider view of Blackpool was considered. It set up a new tram network for Blackpool, completing vital connections to essential services such as the hospital, the airport and poorer areas of the town. The Revoe Review builds upon this work by outlining our masterplan framework, identifying key opportunity areas and developing them in more detail. This portfolio will outline the new masterplan, landscape strategy, urban design proposals and materiality; including finer details such as street furniture, sustainable urban drainage systems and facade details.
2
WHAT WILL A BETTER BLACKPOOL LOOK LIKE?
3 POTENTIAL FUTURE CONNECTION TO MERESIDE
MARTON MOSS SIDE
BLACKPOOL VICTORIA HOSPITAL
POTENTIAL FUTURE CONNECTION TO LAYTON
VICTORIA HOSPITAL
BLACKPOOL ZOO BLACKPOOL ZOO
HAWES SIDE
MODEL VILLAGE
VICARAGE LANE
SQUIRES GATE LANE
HAWES SIDE SHOPPING PARK
STANLEY PARK
STANLEY PARK
BLACKPOOL AIRPORT ENTERPRISE ZONE
COMMON EDGE
WHITEGATE DRIVE
TO LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER & PRESTON
KINGSCOTE PARK
BLACKPOOL AIRPORT
REVOE
YEADON WAY
BLACKPOOL AIRPORT TO LYTHAM ST ANNES & PRESTON
CENTRAL DRIVE TALBOT GATEWAY
HOUNDSHILL SHOPPING CENTRE
BLACKPOOL NORTH
WILTON PARADE
BLACKPOOL CENTRAL
TALBOT SQUARE
TO FLEETWOOD PLEASANT STREET
NORTH PIER <
SQUIRES GATE
BLOOMFIELD ROAD
BLACKPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB
FOXHALL VILLAGE
BLACKPOOL SOUTH
SQUIRES GATE
BLACKPOOL CENTRAL
NORTH PIER >
TOWER
CENTRAL PIER
MANCHESTER SQUARE
ST CHAD’S ROAD
WATERLOO ROAD
SOUTH PIER
BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH PLEASURE BEACH
0m
NATIONAL RAIL STATIONS
BLACKPOOL TRAMWAY Fleetwood Ferry to Starr Gate via Blackpool North
EXTENSION A Blackpool Central Central Drive Bloomfield Road
EXTENSION B Victoria Hospital Stanley Park Kingscote Park
EXTENSION C Blackpool Airport Hawes Side Lytham St Annes
STARR GATE HARROW PLACE
BURLINGTON ROAD WEST
BLACKPOOL TOWER
NATIONAL RAIL SERVICES
POTENTIAL FUTURE CONNECTION TO LYTHAM
MOST DEPRIVED AREAS OF BLACKPOOL
500m
ONGOING PROJECTS
1km
2km
CENTRAL DRIVE OPPORTUNITY AREA
N
TALBOT ROAD
WHAT’S THE OVERALL VISION? TO FLEETWOOD
TO BLACKPOOL NORTH & KINGSCOTE PARK
NORTH PIER TALBOT SQUARE
BLACKPOOL TOWER
NORTH PIER
4
LINKS TO PROMENADE
NO MORE CARS!
GREEN LINK
TRAM CONNECTIONS
Green corridors connecting Central Drive to Blackpool’s promenade are crucial in order to provide access to jobs and the beachfront.
A new 1,300 space multi-storey car park at Blackpool Central allows us to convert several large car park sites across Blackpool into green spaces without losing provision for parking for those who need it.
Central Drive can provide a green, pedestrian connection between Blackpool Tower and the suburb of Revoe for commuters who plan to walk, cycle or use the tram.
Central Drive will act as a spine for all the new tram connections outlined above, including connections to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Stanley Park, Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool Airport and Hawes Side retail park. It will also provide connections for other suburban areas of Blackpool, enabling easier access to the town centre.
TOWER
BLACKPOOL CENTRAL
CENTRAL DRIVE
CENTRAL PIER
REVOE
TO STANLEY PARK & BLACKPOOL VICTORIA HOSPITAL
REVOE PARK EXISTING TRAM ROUTES
PROPOSED EXTENSIONS
BLOOMFIELD ROAD MANCHESTER SQUARE
GREEN LINKS
GREEN SPACES
ONGOING HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS
BLACKPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
RETAIL / COMMERCIAL
N
TO BLACKPOOL AIRPORT & PLEASURE BEACH
TO BLACKPOOL SOUTH & HAWES SIDE
HOW COULD CENTRAL DRIVE BE IMPROVED? RETAIL FRONTAGE
NEW RETAIL UNITS
Existing retail units will be renovated to provide wellmaintained facades and allow shops to spill out.
We propose to fill the vacant retail units with new independent and local businesses, with colourful, engaging facades.
VIEWS THROUGH Demolishing the old, dilapidated housing stock and relocating it allows for greater views of nature.
5
GREEN SPACE New parks and open green spaces along Central Drive will provide high quality social spaces and reduce pollution.
CYCLE LANE PROVISION
TRAM STOP
GREEN LANES
SURFACE TREATMENT
The inclusion of cycle lanes along Central Drive will enable greener, safer transport for members of the public and commuters to work.
A tram stop at the heart of the Central Drive redevelopment will be crucial to provide access to jobs, recreational areas and more.
By providing green space in the tram lane, we are able to increase the amount of planting and improve air quality.
Replace old paving stones with new street paving to improve the quality of pedestrianised areas.
WILL THERE BE ANY NEW BUILDINGS?
6
FACADE TREATMENT
IMPROVED LIGHTING
WELLBEING CENTRE
GREEN WALLS
Occupied stores, such as Tesco and McColls, will remain operational, but will have upgraded facades to match the rest of the street elevation.
New street lighting will ensure that Central Drive is well-lit and remains a safe place to walk at night. These will also provide support for the tram overhead cables.
We will provide a state-of-the-art centre dedicated to aiding and improving mental health and treating drug and alcohol addictions. This will be in a central, easily accessible location, reachable by tram.
Suitable existing buildings with large gable end or black walls will be fitted with a green wall system to improve biodiversity.
GREEN TRAM TRACKS
PLANTING
POCKET PARKS
GREEN LINKS TO PROMENADE
Laying grass or sedum along the tram lanes will reduce the amount of concrete and tarmac used. These will also form part of a sustainable urban drainage system.
Trees and other planting can provide homes for insects, birds and other wildlife on a street currently covered entirely in concrete
Small pockets parks provide additional green spaces along Central Drive and play spaces for families with children
Some pocket parks will extend further, providing new green pathways from Central Drive to Blackpool Promenade
WHAT COULD CENTRAL DRIVE LOOK LIKE?
7
VIBRANT NEW BUILDINGS
NEW LIGHTING
POCKET PARKS
NEW SHOP FRONTS
New buildings will have vibrant, colourful facades to provide a strong sense of character to Central Drive.
New lighting will be installed along Central Drive, creating a unique character and safer spaces, and an opportunity for colourful banners, flags and advertisements.
Where possible, new pockets of green space will be formed as a part of a wider green infrastructure initiative. This will link Central Drive to the promenade.
Existing buildings which are to be retained will receive new shopfronts in a traditional style.
TRANSPARENCY
GRASS TRAM TRACKS
SEAGULLS NICKING YOUR CHIPS
Building facades that are primarily made of glass means that not only are the buildings well-lit, but the street is made safer thanks to natural surveillance.
Putting grass between the new tram tracks will stop Central Drive being covered in grey, ugly tarmac and form a part of the larger green belt masterplan.
Unfortunately, no amount of architecture or urban design will stop seagulls from stealing your chips - but we can certainly make Blackpool a cleaner, safer place for all living things, increasing biodiversity and improving air quality.
WHAT COULD REVOE LIBRARY LOOK LIKE? TRAM CONNECTIONS The tram will continue beyond Central Drive, splitting into two paths. One will loop back around to the promenade, and the other will run through Revoe towards Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
REVOE LIBRARY Revoe Library needs to be celebrated! That’s why we’re giving it a bit of a facelift, by providing a new green landscaped park out front and connecting it to Central Drive with a pedestrian-friendly shared space crossing.
8 SPILL-OUT SPACE
Restaurants, bars and cafés will be able to take advantage of all this lovely pedestrianised space by providing spill-out seating, enabling more outdoor seating areas.
TRADITIONAL SHOPFRONT
TRAMWAY CROSSING POINT
LIGHTING PROVISION
While these use large glass windows to provide natural surveillance, they also use timber, a sustainable material which cuts down on our emissions in making them.
By fusing the hard paving and soft grass landscaping, we can create crossing points which are clearly visible and demarcated without creating a break in the continuous green link.
New bespoke lighting creates safer, more well-lit streets, and lights can be angled to highlight specific spaces or points of interest.
WHAT ARE OUR DEVELOPMENT GOALS?
9
In 2020, the people of Revoe answered a questionnaire about what they would like to see in a future regeneration of the area. Their 5 goals are as follows: transform Central Drive into a desirable place to live, with new high-quality housing and create safe and attractive streets
From dull, unused car oriented places...
... to beautiful, people oriented green spaces
From an impenetrable physical and psychological barrier...
... to an inviting, easily traversable thoroughfare with public transport links
From a linear, repetitive street with little diversity...
... to a thriving, culturally diverse high street bustling with life
improve the range of services & facilities on Central Drive and retrofit vacant units to increase activity levels
give Central Drive a renewed, unique character, improving the quality and adding green infrastructure
encourage walking and cycling, improve transportation links and reduce the impact of Central Drive as a physical and psychological barrier
provide spaces for community socialising and support networks, reduce anti-social behaviour and create a sense of local pride
WHAT DO THE PEOPLE WANT?
10
UTH CENTRE YO
More specifically, the people wanted:
OS IN
BA RS ,
AURANTS, C ST AS E R
BLE HOU RDA SIN O F G F A
UNITY MARKE MM TS O C
FER STREETS SA
S& RK A P
GREEN SP AC ES
HE SP
ST
RE
E T F U R NI T U
RE
OR
T S FA C I L I T
IE S
AL ES T H FA C I L I T I
51%
of residents in Revoe asked for new youth centres and recreational spaces
45%
want to see affordable housing schemes for new & existing homeowners
40%
want an increase in cultural, communal shopping experiences along Central Drive
34%
asked for cleaner streets and community spaces
32%
asked for an increase in spaces for recreational activities
31%
requested additional street furniture and sports facilities
22%
of people consulted were keen to see more local health & social clinics and drop-in centres
Their goals can be sorted into the following categories: COMMERCIAL
GREEN BELT
ENTERTAINMENT
COMMUNITY
HEALTH & ESSENTIAL SERVICES
RECREATIONAL
WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO WORK WITH?
11 COMMERCIAL With around one quarter of Central Drive’s commercial units being vacant, most of those that are open are convenience store, leading to a high street with little diversity. A denser, more diverse and compact shopping experience is required.
RESIDENTIAL Early 20th century 2-storey terraced houses comprises a ma jority of Revoe’s housing stock. While spacious, they are poorly maintained. Foxhall Village provides contemporary housing, but new housing is necessary, especially if existing housing is to be demolished.
RECREATIONAL Blackpool’s promenade provides a wealth of entertainment, including arcades and casinos. Bloomfield Road, home of Blackpool FC, is also located in Revoe, but is poorly connected to the surrounding areas and difficult for fans to travel to. Blackpool Central is also located to the north of the site.
EDUCATIONAL Revoe is home to one of Blackpool’s best performing primary schools, Revoe Learning Academy. It is also close to Blackpool & the Fylde College, which offers vocational courses. However, it has no direct connection to Revoe, and this should be rectified in order to encourage higher attendance.
INFRASTRUCTURAL Several community and infrastructural buildings are dotted around Revoe, including Blackpool Magistrates’ Court, Revoe Library and tram depots. Revoe Library is rather forgotten about, separated from Central Drive by two roads, and is difficult to access. It should be celebrated as a southern focal point to mirror Blackpool Tower.
MEDICAL Only 2 medical centres in the project area, both located at the south end of the site. No GPs or pharmacies are located in northern Revoe. New facilities in central locations are essential.
HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THE AREA?
12
BLACKPOOL TOWER
These shops will be repurposed into medical facilities and pharmacies, with youth centres and various activities for the community.
Blackpool Central will contain a new amusement park, hotels and restaurants as well as nightclubs, bars and entertainment. The retail units opposite shall be repurposed as restaurants, bars and other hospitality venues.
BLACKPOOL & THE FYLDE COLLEGE
BLACKPOOL CENTRAL
Shops along Central Drive are spread out along its length, resulting in a sparse, uninspiring shopping experience. This will be densified to create higher quality, communal shops with more cultural diversity.
The masterplan proposes to break down the perceived barriers that Central Drive creates and highlights areas of opportunity, where new facilities can be built which can contribute towards a better Blackpool.
Central Drive and Park Road provide hard, impassable barriers, with no clear routes to the promenade.
By transforming this path into a large green belt, we can provide pedestrian routes from the promenade to the college, breaking down the barrier Central Drive provides.
There are two roads separating Central Drive from Revoe Library, making the landmark very inaccessible The southern end of Central Drive will be community-led businesses, including markets, community centres, leisure and sports facilities and it will provide Revoe Library with an increased significance.
FOXHALL VILLAGE PHASE 2
FOXHALL VILLAGE PHASE 1
REVOE LEARNING ACADEMY
REVOE PARK PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIER BLACKPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB PROPOSED GREEN LINK
OPPORTUNITY AREA
WHAT ZONES WILL WE PROVIDE? COMMERCIAL ZONE
ENTERTAINMENT ZONE
HEALTH & ESSENTIAL SERVICES
GREEN BELT
13 REVOE COMMUNITY ZONE
RECREATIONAL ZONE
WHAT WILL BLACKPOOL LOOK LIKE FROM ABOVE?
14
WHAT WILL THE NEW BUILDINGS BE USED FOR?
Bars, pubs, restaurants & nightclubs next to Blackpool Central redevelopment
15
Blackpool & the Fylde College
Community centres and youth centres Health services
Grocery shops, hardware shops, cafés
Community-run retail stores, markets GP & physical health services Revoe Library
New social housing Revoe Learning Academy (primary school)
Gym, swimming pool & fitness facilities
Indoor sports facilities
Mental health centre
Blackpool Football Club
HOW MUCH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE?
16
The masterplan proposes a series of new green links - new pedestrian and green connections between a series of landmarks around Revoe. BLACKPOOL & THE FYLDE COLLEGE BLACKPOOL CENTRAL
The ultimate goal is to provide safe, pedestrian and cyclist friendly connections between Central Drive, Blackpool Promenade, Revoe and Blackpool & the Fylde College.
CENTRAL PIER
BLACKPOOL PROMENADE
A ma jority of these will be fully pedestrianised, but where vehicular traffic is necessary, these routes will become shared spaces, with additional planting and green spaces.
FOXHALL VILLAGE
REVOE PARK
BLACKPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB FULLY PEDESTRIANISED SHARED SPACE
WHAT IS IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE?
17
SANDGRASS
TRADITIONAL SHOPFRONTS
HARD & SOFT LANDSCAPING
Blackpool’s sand dunes contain sandgrass, which can be used as landscaping to provide a strong beachfront identity.
To hell with endless panes of glass shop fronts! Traditional-style shop fronts provide character and identity to Central Drive, cementing its status as Blackpool’s new high street.
Sandstone permeable pavers will provide a cobblestone-like aesthetic, while allowing surface water to drain into the sustainable urban drainage system beneath. Grass and sedum will provide the green infrastructure.
TRANSPARENCY New buildings will be transparent, to provide views of the green spaces outside, and to enable natural surveillance to create a safer, more secure space for all.
SEDUM TRAM TRACKS
TIMBER STREET FURNITURE
CONTINUITY OF SPACE
Planting sedum in between tram tracks provides biophilic design, noise reduction, improves biodiversity and more.
Timber is the optimal material for street furniture. It is hard-wearing, sustainably sourced and can be disassembled and repaired more easily than concrete, lowering the embodied carbon.
Where hard and soft landscaping meet, it is important that neither are interrupted. Alternating as shown allows for the visual continuation of both the pavement and the green infrastructure.
WHAT AREAS ARE BEING REDEVELOPED? VOE LIBRARY RE
TRAL PLA ZA CEN
POOL CENT K RA C LA
L
B
REVOE PARK
18
MENADE PRO
HESDA PARK T E B
E ET R ST
GRE
EN L
INKS
FURNIT
UR E
WHEN WILL EACH AREA BE BUILT? 1
2
PHASED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
ONGOING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
BETHESDA PARK - 2021-23
BLACKPOOL CENTRAL REDEVELOPMENT - 2021-23
• •
•
CENTRAL PLAZA - 2023-25 • • • •
3
Central Plaza pedestrian area built Housing demolished to complete green link to Blackpool & the Fylde College new social housing built along Central Park Foxhall GP completed
REVOE LIBRARY - 2025 • • •
4
Bethesda Health & Youth Centre completed begin green belt construction
Library Court pocket park completed Grasmere Road shared space crossing completed Extension of Salthouse Avenue
REVOE PARK - 2025-30 • • • •
Foxhall Village expansion completed Revoe Leisure Centre built New surface treatment to Central Drive Blackpool House of Sport to be completed
Blackpool Central redevelopment (not a part of Revoe masterplan)
CENTRAL DRIVE REDEVELOPMENT - 2021-25 • • • •
to occur simultaneously as Phases 1-3 pedestrianisation of Central Drive tram extension to be operational street furniture & refurbishment of shopfronts
19
PHASE 1: BETHESDA PARK
20
N
1
Views out through a natural timber facade provide natural surveillance, safer spaces and biophilic design to the surrounding green spaces.
BETHESDA HEALTH CENTRE A brand new facility providing mental health support for younger people and community-led recreational activities.
2
COMMUNITY GARDENS Community-owned gardens and allotments provide therapeutic recreational activities and opportunities to engage with other local people.
3 5
3
BETHESDA PARK Large open green infrastructure acts as the beginning of a green link to the beachfront. Surrounds the mental health centre with green space and trees, reducing any sense of claustrophobia.
1
4 4
CENTRAL DRIVE HIGH STREET Pedestrianised high street with improved public transport connections, renovated shopfronts for local independent businesses and cycle path infrastructure.
2
5
POCKET SOCIAL SPACES People are encouraged to congregate in small clustered activity pockets, enabling them to socialise and participate in impromptu social activities.
WHAT WILL BETHESDA PARK LOOK LIKE?
21
NEW SHOPFRONTS
ACTIVITY POCKETS
TRADITIONAL SHOPFRONTS
BETHESDA HEALTH CENTRE
Gable ends and backs of houses will be a thing of the past once we introduce new vibrant active frontages to all accessible sides.
In addition to street furniture, we can encourage social interaction with small stepped areas, changes in level and engaging facade treatments.
To contrast with the newer, more modern facades, there will be more traditional, oldfashioned storefronts along Central Drive to provide it with a distinct, unique character.
A new mental health and rehabilitation centre built here will enable all residents of Revoe to access support. A natural timber facade and green surroundings helps to boost positivity and improve mental health via biophilic design principles.
NEW LIGHTING
SOCIAL GREEN SPACE
New bespoke lighting creates safer, more well-lit streets, and lights can be angled to highlight specific spaces or points of interest.
Large swathes of green infrastructure encourages social interaction and forms a part of the larger overall green masterplan.
COMMUNITY GARDENS Owned by the health centre and run by the locals, the gardens enable people to grow crops, learn new skills and socialise with people in their free time.
PHASE 2: CENTRAL PLAZA N
22 This residential block currently has backs of houses facing onto a park. New social housing will be built to complete this block.
The green belt will be extended all the way to the promenade, connecting it all the way to the college, hitting Central Drive, Revoe and the health centre all in one go.
By extending the green belt to meet Blackpool College, students and staff are encouraged to walk or cycle to college.
5 6
2
7
3
Conversely, the connection to the college can provide opportunities for art and design students to open studios and markets to sell artwork.
1
By abutting the adjacent buildings, these new retail units create a perimeter block with no narrow alley ways.
4
1
FOXHALL VILLAGE NORTH
3
An extension to the existing Foxhall Village, providing new social and affordable housing in a suitable, well-connected location.
2
CENTRAL PARK Long open green corridor connecting Central Drive with Blackpool & The Fylde College (5). Forms a part of the larger Revoe Green Belt.
CENTRAL PLAZA
5
Large retail units create a focal point and a modern frontage onto Central Drive. These retail units are reserved for local, independent businesses.
4
FOXHALL GENERAL PRACTICE This conveniently located GP will provide essential health facilities for those living in Revoe and the Central Drive area.
BLACKPOOL FYLDE COLLEGE Blackpool & The Fylde College University Centre campus is home to the arts, drama and dance studios. A direct pedestrian connection to Central Drive is crucial to encourage artists to open studios, shops and performance spaces along Central Drive.
6
BETHESDA PARK
7
NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING
WHAT WILL CENTRAL PLAZA LOOK LIKE?
23
TIMBER FACADES
BLACKPOOL ARCHES
BLACKPOOL COLLEGE
New buildings will have timber slat facades, to ensure a consistent design language along the street. It also forms a part of the sustainable, biophilic design strategy.
Colourful, playful arches will span across the street, providing not only a playfulness to the street furniture, but also a method of incorporating tram overhead cables and lighting.
The new green belt will be extended north-east towards Blackpool & the Fylde College, further improving connectivity to essential services.
* *
TRAM PLATFORMS
PEDESTRIAN CROSSING
As tram platforms are only kerb-height in Blackpool, they can be safely integrated into the street furniture, ensuring a continuous design language.
The sedum soft landscaping carves through the hard sandstone paving, creating clear demarcation for safe crossing points.
(We still can't stop the seagulls stealing your food.) Sorry.
NEW SHOPFRONTS Traditional style shopfronts will replace the run-down, abandoned building facades along Central Drive, bringing a strong, unique character.
PHASE 3: REVOE LIBRARY
24
We can give Revoe Library a new lease of life by giving it a new pocket park out front.
1
REVOE LIBRARY
N
Built in the early 1900s, the locally listed Revoe Library now sits on its own island formed by the current road network. Now, it can be celebrated as a focal point at the southernmost end of Central Drive.
2
LIBRARY COURT Currently cut off by two large roads, it is about time Revoe Library received some celebration of its heritage. A new public square will sit out front, encouraging social activity and congregation.
1
3
CENTRAL DRIVE HIGH STREET The southernmost end of Central Drive sees the tram route split into two directions. It is vital that pedestrian connections to the library are maintained as the number of tram tracks doubles.
2
4
4
5
SHARED SPACE Grasmere Road divides Central Drive from Revoe Library. As the road is to be retained, it will have a small shared space crossing to bridge the gap.
3
5
SALTHOUSE AVENUE There is currently no access road here, instead, there is a small amount of pavement dividing the two streets. As vehicular access has been removed from Central Drive, a small connection here will help to ease congestion.
WHAT WILL REVOE LIBRARY LOOK LIKE?
25
LOCAL BUSINESSES
REVOE LIBRARY
BLACKPOOL ARCHES
The retail units towards the southern end of Central Drive will be reserved for local businesses, promoting a sense of community.
Revoe Library needs to be celebrated! That’s why we’re giving it a bit of a facelift, by providing a new green landscaped park out front and connecting it to Central Drive with a pedestrian-friendly shared space crossing.
As well as providing a safe housing for electrical infrastructure, the arches create a strong threshold between Revoe and Central Drive.
GUERILLA PLANTERS
SHARED SPACE
CLEAR DEMARCATION
SPILL-OUT SEATING
Certain parts of the linear street furniture won't require seating and can instead be made into long wild planters for the locals to populate.
A small pedestrian-friendly shared space crossing will bridge the gap between Revoe Library and Central Drive.
Having distinction between where pedestrians can and cannot walk will ensure that crossing the tram tracks will be safe and easy.
Small seating booths can be integrated into the street furniture to create spill-out space for restaurants, bars and pubs.
PHASE 4: REVOE PARK
26
N
1 7
FOXHALL PARK A large, expansive green space will enable the construction of another green belt from Revoe to the Promenade. This park will contain tram tracks, to reduce congestion on the roads and to continue the green track.
2
REVOE LEISURE CENTRE New swimming pools, gymnasiums, multiuse sports halls and fitness facilities will be situated between housing, schools and open green space to provide additional recreational and sport activities for the locals.
9
3 6
One of Blackpool’s best performing primary schools is situated in a convenient, central location. Now, these children have better access to sporting facilities and open areas.
3
2
4 1
REVOE LEARNING ACADEMY
BLACKPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB The 17,000 seater Bloomfield Road stadium, home of Blackpool FC, now has its own tram stop, connections to town for visiting supporters, and will be easier for fans to travel to for a Saturday afternoon game.
10
5
BLACKPOOL HOUSE OF SPORT Blackpool House of Sport, adjacent to Blackpool FC, will house indoor and outdoor sporting facilities for a variety of sports such as futsal, hockey, tennis, basketball, netball and disability sports for people of all ages.
5
8
4
The sports facilities and leisure centre are both in close proximity to new housing and the schools, so families and children can make use of them easily.
Revoe Park is connected to the promenade and the rest of Central Drive via an extended green link.
6
FOXHALL VILLAGE
7
CENTRAL PLAZA
8
SHORELANDS HEALTH CENTRE
9
FOXHALL VILLAGE NORTH
10 REVOE PARK
WHAT WILL REVOE PARK LOOK LIKE?
27
FOXHALL VILLAGE
BUS ROUTES
LEISURE CENTRE
REVOE LEARNING ACADEMY
New affordable housing will be built, to replace (and outnumber) the existing housing stock which has been demolished.
Now that Central Drive can accommodate vehicles again, bus routes are able to run to places that the tram cannot.
A new council-owned leisure centre, complete with swimming pool and gym facilities, will provide affordable sports facilities to Revoe and North Blackpool residents.
Revoe's top primary school will be able to use the nearby facilities for physical education, and will benefit from the new pedestrianised routes.
FOOTBALL FANS
NEW SURFACE TREATMENT
SOCIAL GREEN SPACE
Having a clear route from pubs and restaurants to Bloomfield Road stadium means that both home and away fans feel safe and enjoy watching their team!
Central Drive is only pedestrianised up to Revoe Library. The rest of it will receive a new road surface and will become a large shared space to enable pedestrian movement.
Revoe Park benefits from the nearby sports facilities by providing an outdoor alternative just across the street.
CAN WE SEE THEM IN CONTEXT?
18m
existing housing
150m
shopping
15m
green belt
2m
4m
8m
4m
Central Drive
20m
20m
health centre
gardens
2m
28
COMMERCIAL
GREEN BELT
ENTERTAINMENT
COMMUNITY
HEALTH & ESSENTIAL SERVICES
RECREATIONAL
8m
green belt
30m
15m
30m
4m
shopping centre
boulevard
shopping centre
8m
4m
Central Drive
20m
400m
shopping
park to Blackpool & the Fylde College
350m
new affordable housing
60m
leisure centre
4m
12m
10m
75m
6m
150m
park
10m
Foxhall Village
80m
sports facilities
10m
130m
Blackpool Football Club
WHAT STREET FURNITURE DO WE USE?
29
SUNSET PARKLET, SAN FRANCISCO by INTERSTICE ARCHITECTS
CYCLE STORAGE
CLIMBING/PLAY AREA
ACCESS AREA
SEATING/DINING
Safe cycle parking bays will encourage people to cycle, and provide peace of mind that their bike is safe while they are walking around Central Drive! This can include pumping stations, too.
Undulating form provides an uneven surface, which can be used for seating and raised planters. Kids can climb on it, too, with parental supervision!
A long structure like this will form a physical barrier along its length, so it is important to provide access through so as not to impose on the site.
Raised platforms can provide small seating areas with tables for people to sit and have their lunch from one of the local independent cafés or restaurants.
The undulating form means we can use various levels to create seating, tables, planters, platforms and walkways.
Tram stations in Blackpool are only kerb height, so these low platforms can be integrated into the undulating platforms.
The use of street-facing booth seating creates a safe, comfortable outdoor space for diners to sit at while at a restaurant, café, pub or bar.
Integrated planters enable local residents to perform 'guerilla gardening' - growing crops, flowers and plants in streetside planters.
The integration of cycle storage will encourage the use of bicycles and ensure they have a safe space to leave them while visiting Central Drive.
Having an area where children can climb and jump around is not safe this close to a tram route.
Interstice Architects, 2014. Sunset Parklet. [Online] Available at: http://www.intersticearchitects.com/project/sunset-parklet/ [Accessed 30 March 2021].
IS THERE ANYTHING SIMPLE AND FLEXIBLE?
30
CITY THREAD, CHATTANOOGA by SPORTS
SEATING
PERFORMANCE
MOVIE NIGHT
COMMUNITY
FOOD COURT
The linear extrusion forms small informal seating pockets for visitors, encouraging social interaction and providing enough seating for all.
Some of these small seating areas can be converted into small stages for performers, buskers and artists, with a small congregation able to form.
The undulating form allows for temporary screens to be erected for a small gathering of people to watch a film with a projector. Similarly, this could be used to exhibit artwork.
The wavy form creates small ‘urban rooms’, which encourage social activity. A community or group could host a public dinner event, or have meetings here...
... or invite along a big ol’ food truck to get the party started! The structure provides built-in urban furniture for patrons to sit down and enjoy the food.
The ability to adapt a simple structure and make one space into something else enables the Central Drive street furniture to adapt itself to various use cases.
The arches in the structure create a sense of space, or small urban rooms. With these, we can create small pockets of activity which can serve multiple functions.
With Central Drive due to incorporate new tram tracks, the looping, arching structure could house the tram overhead cables.
ArchDaily, 2018. City Thread / SPORTS. [Online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/910948/city-thread-sports [Accessed 1 April 2021].
WHAT ABOUT SEATING?
31
A BENCH FOR EVERYONE, LONDON by MCCLOY + MUCHEMWA
‘A Bench For Everyone’ disrupts urban space - people use it to wait for their loved ones, to take a break, or satisfy a curiosity. Because of the different kinds of seating presets everyone can find a spot perfect for the moment; you could sit facing a friend or in a little group or even by yourself. The bench becomes a destination, and due to its playful nature, children (and grown-up children) are drawn to it magnetically. The bench holds, in its folded shape, the memory and much-loved comforts of home furniture.
- McCloy & Muchemwa
The design has the ability to run indefinitely, stretching for long distances with either a repeating or completely random form
sofa
face-to-face seating with table
chair
seat
deckchair
chaise longue
The undulating design matches previous precedents, and mirrors the shape of various types of seating, providing upright seats, loungers and casual seating.
The design can incorporate face-to-face seating to provide seats for couples and groups for restaurants, bars, cafés and pubs. McCloy + Muchemwa, 2018. A Bench for Everyone. [Online] Available at: https://www.mccloymuchemwa.com/A-BENCH-FOR-EVERYONE [Accessed 22 March 2021].
ANY MORE EXAMPLES OF SEATING?
32
COLWYN BENCHES, COLWYN BAY by FRESHWEST
The Colwyn benches comprise of a series of wooden benches on the coast of North Wales. The jagged forms are distinctive and provide a strong unique character, while also representing various forms of seating. These benches provide individual seats, larger group seats, sun loungers and tables for social interaction. They provide a place to stop and eat, take in the scenery or wait for your friends to show up, and consist of simple geometric forms.
The arrangement provides a large variety of casual seating, including loungers, platforms, spaces to sit individually or in groups.
The choice of materials, treated timber and metal, is appropriate to the harsh marine conditions of the Welsh coast, and similar materials should be used in Blackpool.
high-back
low-back
Freshwest, 2015. Colwyn Benches. [Online] Available at: https://freshwest.co.uk/ [Accessed 22 March 2021].
lounger
face-to-face
table
These can then also be sat side-by-side to create large booths of seating which cater for the needs of anyone and everyone.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE? L SEATIN SUA G A C
OTH SEATING O B
33
T LIGHTIN REE G T S The street furniture will use an undulating form to create seats, tables, platforms and planters.
As a linear, continuous form, the street furniture can repeat itself over the half a mile of pedestrianised Central Drive.
AM TR
PLATFOR
CLE PARKING Y C
M
Long stretches of furniture can incorporate planters and small crop gardens for the local residents.
G
A PLANT RILL ER E U S P
ASTRUC INFR TU M A R R
N CROS TRIA SI S E NG ED
Unlike other cities, Blackpool's tram platforms are only kerb-height. This means they can be integrated into the street furniture.
E
T
While raised platforms can become seating, the surface can be lowered to create pedestrian crossings and other access areas.
casual seating
booth seating
cycle stands
guerilla planters
pedestrian crossing
tram platform
WHAT WILL OUR STREET FURNITURE LOOK LIKE? 1
34
BOOTH SEATING Undulations in the timber structure allow for facade-facing seating, particularly useful for cafés and restaurants to have safe, clean outdoor seating next to open green space.
2
CASUAL SEATS A different style of seating, providing casual seats in a variety of forms, including loungers, high backs and tables to encourage social interaction.
6
3
The tram tracks will be covered in sedum, a low maintenance flowering plant which will provide a continuation to the green belt, as well as deter pedestrian traffic.
3m
2
SEDUM TRAM TRACK
4
BLACKPOOL ARCHES Brightly coloured arches connect the street furniture on both sides of Central Drive, and also house electrical infrastructure for lighting and the tram overhead cables.
5
7
5
Paving stones are mixed with slices of sedum, ensuring the green belt is uninterrupted while demarcating a safe space for pedestrians to cross the street.
1 4
6
3
7
2m
CYCLE PARKING Built-in cycle storage provides safe, convenient spaces for cyclists to leave their valuable two-wheeled friend! These will be positioned next to other streets and junctions.
1
6
PEDESTRIAN CROSSING
TRAM PLATFORM Thanks to low-level platforms on the Blackpool tramway, these new platforms can be integrated into the street furniture, complete with seating and shelters.
WHAT WILL GO WHERE?
35 OTH SEATING BO
LLA PLANTE E RI RS U G
to be placed outside: restaurants, cafés, bars, other hospitality venues that require outdoor seating areas
to be placed outside: plant shops, food markets and shops that do not require any seating and at connection points to green links and side roads
BAR
TAKEAWAY
PLANT SHOP CAFÉ
CLE PARKING CY
CLOTHES SHOP CA SE SUA AT IN L G
SUA CA
RESTAURANT
L SEATIN G
TR
AM
ST AT IO N
PL
AT FO R
M
W ITH
SH
EL TE
T
RS
NEWSAGENT
STATIO N RAM BO OT H
SE
AT I
to be placed outside: cafés, takeaways, offices, convenience stores, community centres, food markets
NG CY CL
EP AR
KI
NG GU ER
places for people to stop, eat, drink, chat and socialise.
ILL
to be placed outside: pedestrian crossing points at Blackpool Central and Central Plaza
to be placed outside: shops that do not require any seating and at connection points to side roads
BICYCLE SHOP
A
PL
AN TE
RS
WHAT HAPPENS UNDERNEATH CENTRAL DRIVE?
36
It's important to focus on what happens above the surface, as this is what everybody will see when they walk throughout Central Drive and Revoe. But the materiality, lighting, experiences and new buildings are only one half of the equation. What happens underneath the paving slabs is of equal importance.
new commercial units
new Bethesda Mental Health Centre
existing residential units
Shown here is a typical section cut through Central Drive, showing the new Bethesda Health Centre and the street furniture.
2.4m
2m
8.8m
2m
3.2m
permeable paving
street furniture
dual tram tracks with sedum planters between
street furniture
permeable paving
SECTION 1: TYPICAL STREET SECTION 1:50 @ A3
HOW DO WE DRAIN EXCESS RAINWATER?
37
Despite all the renders being nice and sunny, this is the north of England. It will rain. In urban areas, 95% of rainwater is unable to permeate the surface, so it runs off into sewers, which can cause flooding during heavy rainfall. We must ensure that water is able to reach the earth again. We will achieve this with the use of sustainable urban drainage systems. The street design works on 3 primary sustainable principles:
A small 1% decline in the slope of the pavers is enough to ensure water does not pool beneath the sedum layer.
PERMEABLE PAVING
SEDUM PAVERS
PLANTER IRRIGATION
Water is allowed to drain between the paving slabs and through two layers of aggregate before reaching a perforated pipe which takes excess water away from the soil.
Rainwater not only keeps the lowmaintenance sedum vegetation alive, but the blocks are also permeable, so water can still reach the earth and the perforated pipe.
At the base of the street furniture sits a small water tank with an automated pump, which can make sure the planting remains hydrated! This can be accessed through a side panel for maintenance.
WHAT WILL THE STREETS BE MADE OF?
38
500mm
+6400mm
Large cable powers the overhead tram cables and carries 600V DC current Smaller cables will power the lighting units and the pumps
Tension cables to hold central powered cable still 600V DC overhead electric cables as used on existing tram network
500mm
SECTION 2A: ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Custom 4500 x 300mm LED lighting panels fitted to I-beam
1:10 @ A3 1-4mm clean hard crushed stone jointing material between flags
Powder-coated aluminium sheathing
500mm
50mm timber battens to form boxing for timber cladding panels 50mm treated CLT cladding panels for street furniture
450mm
750mm
Permeable sub-base (250mm of clean aggregate, typically between 5-20mm in size)
1200mm
Laying course (50mm of clean grit, typically 2-6mm in size)
5800mm
400 x 400 x 65mm permeable sandstone paving flags
Insulated electrical wiring concealed within flanges of I-beam
300 x 300mm steel 'i-profile' universal column
+0mm Sedum pavers for tram tracks (see pg40)
Permeable geo-textile layer stops the layers from mixing together
Concrete pad foundations
Underground electrical cables Perforated pipe for water collection
Native soil base layer
SECTION 2: STREET FURNITURE SEATING & ARCHES 1:20 @ A3
WHAT ABOUT THE TRAM TRACKS?
39
Tram track rail Sedum vegetation layer
Rubber jacket to absorb vibrations and reduce noise Porous rubber sound absorption layer
100mm pavers with substrate to allow sedum and moss to grow. This plastic paver cultivates sedum and enables re-growth of vegetation in the event an emergency vehicle was to drive over it.
Concrete channel to house tram track
Reinforced concrete supporting layer Native soil base layer
SECTION 3A: SEDUM TRAM TRACKS 1:10 @ A3 Street furniture & arch (see pg39)
1% decline to improve rainwater runoff
SECTION 3: SEDUM TRAM TRACKS 1:20 @ A3
1435mm
Perforated pipe to remove excess rainwater from soil - will take water to storm drain or to irrigate surrounding landscape.
WHAT WILL THE NEW BUILDING BE MADE OF?
40
Aluminium fins attached with purlins Hardwood flooring Open metal web timber joists with 100mm insulation Aluminium flashing
4500 x 300mm LED lighting panel on outward-facing sides
Circular timber column cladding panels with removable panels for access to infrastructure
Anodised aluminium covering to create archway
2500mm
1000mm Guerilla planting sits within recessed planters
Front panel of street furniture can be removed to enable access to water tank for maintenance
300 x 300mm structural 'i'-profile column at 4m centres Pipes and electrical wiring concealed within column 2500mm low-e triple glazed curtain wall facade
50mm timber battens to form boxing for timber cladding panels
Street pavers abut curtain wall for seamless transition
Automated pump system will provide planter with water at regular intervals
Timber flooring
Integrated water tank within street furniture
Concrete pad foundations to building
SECTION 4: STREET FURNITURE PLANTER
SECTION 5: BETHESDA HEALTH CENTRE FACADE
1:20 @ A3
1:20 @ A3
HOW SUSTAINABLE DID WE MAKE BLACKPOOL? NO POVERTY
GOOD HEALTH
QUALITY EDUCATION
While we can't eradicate poverty completely, the addition of a new extensive tram network helps with the fight against time-based poverty. By enabling people to travel to and from jobs more quickly and affordably, we can help alleviate the severity of the situation.
We have provided a brand new mental health centre in the heart of Central Drive, which can be reached from afar through a much-extended tram network.
Although we are not providing new educational facilities, we are improving connections to primary schools, secondary schools and colleges in order to ensure the education available is more accessible.
A 1km long green belt spanning from the promenade to Blackpool College, alongside half a mile of greenery along Central Drive. This new green infrastructure is an example of biophilic design, intended to improve mental health and get people outside!
We had originally targeted Gender Equality, but the scheme does not hit the same points as the UN.
41
The scheme does not integrate renewable energy by itself, and solar panels could not power the trams due to the high voltage required.
WATER CYCLE
DECENT WORK
Our sustainable urban drainage system ensures that more rainwater is filtered back into the earth instead of through the sewer system. It will also naturally filter the water, keeping it clean.
The newly developed Central Drive provides plenty of retail jobs and good work for those in Blackpool that need it the most. Our new transport network means they can travel to work without relying on cars.
Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone introduces new industry and innovation, but not the Revoe masterplan.
United Nations (2015). Sustainable Development Goals, s.l.: United Nations Development Programme
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
SEA POLLUTION
Trams reduce the reliance on cars, and subsequently reduces the CO2 emissions in the town. With a boost to the local economy, Revoe can become more economically sustainable, too.
The sustainable urban drainage system means that water is allowed to drain back to the ocean without being contaminated.
NO INEQUALITY
LOWER CO2 EMISSIONS
New jobs can bring a boost to the local economy, and a more affordable transport network will lead to an overall reduction in income inequality.
By lowering the CO2 emissions around Blackpool, and reducing the urban heat island effect by introducing new green infrastructure, we can reduce the negative impact on the environment.
PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY Less pollution and an increase in the surface area of green infrastructure means that more species can thrive, including birds and insects. Instead of just using grass, sedum provides a variety of plants including moss, flowers and succulents, which provide a far greater positive impact on the lives of different species than simply having grass.
A Better Blackpool: Revoe Review can have a direct impact on 7 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. It also provides the opportunities to improve Goals 1, 4 and 10, but does not directly instigate change - we are providing people with the opportunity to change their own lives. It is our hope that by having a positive impact on these goals, we can begin to build an urban design framework which can positively impact the lives of people in other towns and cities.
HAVE WE HIT ALL OF OUR GOALS?
2. 3.
42
IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE
MORE GREEN SPACES AND LOWER CO2 EMISSIONS
BETTER CONNECTIONS TO RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
BETTER ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
LOWER LEVELS OF INCOME & EMPLOYMENT DEPRIVATION
LOWER DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE RATES
LOWER CRIME RATES CREATES SAFER STREETS
SAFER STREETS IMPROVES OVERALL QUALITY
More green links across Revoe and Central Drive increases the connection to the natural environment, boosting mental health through biophilic design.
Links to the promenade and Blackpool College provide connections to recreational and educational facilities, such as sporting and leisure centres.
More accessible educational facilities will help with long-term unemployment and income deprivation.
Goals like this cannot be directly affected by the masterplan, but we can provide jobs and affordable, clean transport to enable long-term change.
The new Bethesda Health Centre provides support to people with addictions and mental health problems.
This is a knock-on effect of safer streets and lower drug abuse rates, another long term goal to work towards in the future.
Safer streets are achieved through new street lighting, more green infrastructure and natural surveillance through building facades.
PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES
IMPROVED CONNECTIONS TO JOBS AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
IMPROVED HOUSING STOCK, INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING
SUPPORT FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION
SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN A CENTRAL LOCATION, EASILY ACCESSED BY ALL
Accessibility and connectivity are key - if people cannot reach facilities then they become deprived of them. With pedestrian links and more tram networks, accessibility is no longer an issue.
An expansion of Foxhall Village and new housing in Central Park allows for new social housing for those most in need of homes in a central location.
Bethesda Health Centre is the kingpin of the overall masterplan. Its central location, architectural prominence and biophilic design principles make it a safe space for those suffering from mental health issues, substance addiction and physical health problems. It also doubles as a youth centre and provides recreational activities that contribute to the local community.
This was a crucial development goal for The Revoe Review, so it was important to make this a big focal point for the Central Drive redevelopment.
TOWARDS A BETTER BLACKPOOL...
THANK YOU!