LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE

Public Realm Implementation Framework

JUNE 2004

List of Contents FOREWORD INTRODUCTION The City Centre Strategic Regeneration Framework The Local Transport Plan The City Centre Movement Strategy PART ONE THE PUBLIC REALM FRAMEWORK 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Urban Form & Character The Pedestrian Network Creation of City Streets Creation of City Spaces Public Art Furnishing the City Lighting the City Greening the City 7 8 10 15 19 20 20 21 4 5 5

PART TWO PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 The Floor of the City Street Furniture Street Lighting Tree Pits Design Review Implementation Ease of maintenance 22 28 30 31 31 31 32 33 34

APPENDIX 1 REFERENCES

PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

FOREWORD
The purpose of this guidance is to set quality and performance parameters within which movement and public realm schemes are to be designed and implemented in Liverpool City Centre. It defines the functional requirements of the city centre public realm and establishes quality benchmarks for design and construction in the form of a Performance Specification. Liverpool City Council will administer this document through development control and through its programme of public realm implementation over the next decade. The objective is to provide continuity in the public realm quality across the city centre through the provision of a simple palette of materials and furniture, supported by generic detailing to meet the functional and sustainable requirements of the streets and public spaces. It has been produced to guide all public and private sector organisations and agencies engaged in the delivery of public realm works within the city centre. It provides a flexible briefing document incorporating minimum performance requirements and basic material specification. Design quality is the primary requirement and this document sets a high but attainable standard, which is based on good design and construction practice. Good design is non-negotiable and translates into increased values (DETR and CABE, 2001). Flexibility in the programme of implementation will be required to maximise benefit from available resources, but this should not compromise design quality. This Framework forms part of a heirachy of guidance documents, starting with the Liverpool Urban Design Guide (Liverpool City Council, 2003). Area-based guidance follows the overarching Vision for the city centre is described within the City Centre Urban Design Guide (Liverpool Vision, 2004) currently in preparation. The Framework has been prepared to realise the Vision for public realm contained in the Strategic Regeneration Framework for the city centre (Liverpool Vision 2000) and the draft City Centre Urban Design Guide. This Specification focuses on the Core of the city centre, as defined by the shaded area in Figure 1 and Figure 1 a. The specification also applies outside the core area to certain identified streets. The Framework will: Be approved by the City Council to guide all public realm projects in the core area. Inform emerging Local Framework policy and Development The public realm in general requires a consistent approach across the City Centre in both streets and spaces, although variations in function can generate different design responses. Designs that are deemed as low constructional quality, will not be acceptable.

Be applied to planning and grant funding applications in the City Centre relevant to public and private sector led public realm.

PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

INTRODUCTION
This sets the regeneration context for the city centre and describes the strategy within which public realm projects will be designed and implemented. THE CITY CENTRE STRATEGIC REGENERATION FRAMEWORK In July 2000, the partners to Liverpool Vision approved the City Centre Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) (Liverpool Vision, 2000) as the blueprint for focussed investment and action in the City Centre. The Vision encapsulated in the SRF is establishing Liverpool as a world class city for the 21st Century, building upon its identified potential to become one of Europes most liveable city centres, (Liverpool Vision, 2000). This Vision identifies 12 goals, which are directed through seven Action Areas and six Supporting Themes, which will: concentrate related activity; create a co-ordinated approach to project delivery and prioritise actions to generate the maximum regeneration & economic benefit to the City. can be prepared to deliver the priorities identified. It guides and capitalises upon the changes already occurring in the city centre ensuring the achievement of maximum regeneration potential in a co-ordinated way. The emphasis is for focussed action within the city centre over a 15 year period, primarily related to public sector investment with private sector partnering to pump-prime regeneration. The SRF has been endorsed by the City Council and its partners with agreement to support it through the statutory planning and funding processes. Liverpool City Council, in their capacity as the local planning and highway authority, will: Giveapproval to those strategic Action Areas and proposals which require planning support andadopt the appropriate mechanism (e.g. planning framework, planning brief or design guide) to give fuller planning support to the [SRF]. The movement and public realm objectives of the SRF are: the implementation of a balanced movement strategy that delivers an approachable and accessible city centre for all and The delivery of a unique, high-quality public realm that unifies the city centre.

The Action Areas Pier Head Commercial District Castle Street/ Live - Work District Cultural Quarter/Lime St Station Retail Core Kings Waterfront Hope Street Quarter

The Supporting Themes European Capital of Culture Movement Public Realm Community Engagement Reinforcing City Communities Business Development

It builds upon the strengths of the city: its business community, its vibrant youth culture, its impressive universities and its inherent physical quality. It also draws on the aspiration of Liverpools communities to see the city propelled into the 21st Century as a Living City an engine of regeneration for Merseyside and the Northwest, as identified in the North West Regional Economic Strategy (NWDA, 2003) and Liverpool Community Strategy: Liverpool First (Liverpool Partnership Group, 2000). The SRF is a flexible and dynamic document that provides the vital context against which detailed plans

The public sector will deliver a high quality and accessible physical environment in terms of movement and public realm, which needs to be supported and capitalised upon by appropriate private sector development. It is recognised, that there will be actions beyond the areas of focus, which will rely largely on incremental private sector investment.

PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

 Crown copyright. All rights reserved The City of Liverpool, LA076228, 2004.

Figure 1 - Key Plan Core Area

PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

THE LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN The ten year strategy and five year programme for transport improvement in the Merseyside Local Transport Plan (LTP) (Merseytravel and STET, July 2000) was an opportunity to co-ordinate a transport strategy with the Strategic Regeneration Framework for Liverpool City Centre. The Plan features four major schemes, two of which are in the city centre: Hall Lane Gateway, the main gateway to the city centre from the east, and improved road access from the M62, via Edge Lane; Merseytram Light Rail Transit (LRT), a three line network, starting with Line 1 from the city centre to Kirby development opportunities; and circulation and parking plans. revised traffic pedestrian friendly approach is key to creating a thriving and vibrant environment that will encourage people to use the city centre for a whole range of activities. As such, the concept of pedestrian priority spans across both pedestrian movement and the public realm and contributes towards the implementation of the Liverpool City Council Sustainable Development Plan.

Pedestrian priority areas aim to integrate the planning and design of both transport and public realm works. Incorporating pedestrian friendly urban design as part of the development of transport and infrastructure investment programmes. The development of a

THE CITY CENTRE MOVEMENT STRATEGY Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision and Merseytravel have prepared the Liverpool City Centre Movement Strategy (CCMS) (Merseytravel and Liverpool City Council, July 2000), which is a component of the Local Transport Plan and the Strategic Regeneration Framework. The CCMS is consistent with the SRFs theme of Putting People First. It advocates taking a balanced approach to the delivery of three key elements of the physical regeneration process: Transport and Movement; Urban Design and Public Realm and Development and Regeneration.
Figure 3 THE CITY CENTRE MOVEMENT STRATEGY PLAN
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The key elements of the movement strategy are pedestrian priority areas; high quality public transport corridors linking existing transport hubs and new

PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

PART ONE - THE PUBLIC REALM FRAMEWORK

Part one of the implementation framework presents a hierarchy of pedestrian networks, streets and public spaces and a public realm framework to guide future design plans for the Core Area. In its heyday Liverpool created public spaces and provided streets, squares and parks of the highest quality. Unfortunately high quality standards have not always been maintained. Today the city intends to deliver a step change in the quality and consistency of public realm design, implementation and management to meet the objective of delivering a unique high quality public realm. This will radically improve the image of the city, stimulating investment and fostering civic pride. The public realm includes streets, spaces, views, public transport facilities and public buildings. The public realm holds the city together and provides the backdrop and opportunity for social interaction. Public realm, is the most inclusive element of the city, as everybody uses it. A successful public realm provides a well-connected network of spaces that serves the needs of all. The nature of the public realm should reflect the character, history and aspiration of the city. Streets account for the majority of the public realm environment in the city centre. The CCMS will radically improve the quality of this environment through pedestrian friendly design. The implementation of the Public Realm Framework will improve the walking environment, creating opportunities for the rediscovery and development of public spaces and public activities. Together these policies should deliver an unrivalled public environment, visually stimulating, safe and sustainable, providing opportunities and accessibility for all.

1.1 URBAN FORM & CHARACTER Clear visual structure defines the character and memorable image of a place and is an essential aid to orientation and connectivity. Liverpool has a densely built mercantile city centre with many fine public buildings, but few public squares and spaces. Over 2000 listed buildings across the city reflect the richness of Liverpools Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian legacy. This heritage culminates in the Core Area, creating a cityscape that eclipses that of other English cities. At least four highly individual character areas can be identified as of national significance the Pier Head, the Cultural Quarter (Lime Street Gateway), Castle Street conservation area and the Cavern Quarter. The first three are within the boundary of the current World Heritage Site nomination, based on their authenticity and connection to Liverpools 18th and 19th century maritime heritage. The built form of the city centre is very dense. A strong grid of principal streets developed organically from the function of the historic port and the underlying topography. Dale Street is the traditional spine of the Victorian and Edwardian commercial core, linking the Waterfront with the region via the lowest bridging point of the original pool at Old Haymarket. A series of east-west streets developed parallel to Dale Street, with a number of linking north-south streets defining a strong grid of urban blocks that are each served by an abundance of more intimate lanes. Although the physical fabric of the city centre remains largely intact, and is protected through Listed Building and Conservation Area designations, there is a lack of physical and functional connectivity within the city centre and between the city centre and the rest of the city. This is a result of economic changes and the imposition of an inappropriate transport plan in the 1960s, which was insensitive to the need of pedestrians. Physical Connectivity Taking the physical issues first, the Shankland plan of the 1960s imposed a transport plan on the city centre to support a comprehensive redevelopment that did not materialise. The result is a highway infrastructure that has isolated a number of quarters within the city centre. The Cultural Quarter, defined by William Brown Street, St Georges Hall and St Johns Gardens, is isolated from its surroundings, an island surrounded by wide streets with fast flows of traffic. The Waterfront is similarly cut-off from the rest of the city centre by The Strand. The area that links them, the Castle Street conservation area, favours the car over the pedestrian. The retail quarter (including the Cavern Quarter) is a pedestrian orientated area and offers a degree of respite from the domination of traffic. Although the general quality of public realm is low, the quarters are composed of intrinsically high quality streetscapes, places, spaces and buildings. Functional connectivity In terms of functional connectivity, the commercial and retail functions of the city centre were closely connected historically, both physically and economically. The economic standstill of the past few decades has meant that changing business requirements have passed Liverpool by, and the city centre has not physically evolved. This has had the positive effect of maintaining the historic urban form intact. The result is that the retail and commercial districts are now redefining themselves over a wider area and their centres of gravity are shifting apart. The core of the commercial district is moving north into the

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development land behind Mercury Court and upper Old Hall Street and into Princes Dock, whilst the Main Retail Area is moving south towards Chavasse Park. The traditional commercial district is redefining itself as a live/work/leisure destination that is attracting much needed investment to its historic building stock. To ensure that these redefined economic districts in the city centre function to their fullest capacity, a welldeveloped network of streets and spaces is essential. The retail district remains directly connected to the emerging live/work/leisure district centred on Dale Street, via a series of interconnecting north-south routes. The streets north of Dale Street are offset and less prominent than streets to the south, resulting in potentially very weak linkage between the new Commercial District and the Main Retail Area. These functional and resultant physical changes within the city centre demand a new movement infrastructure, which is proposed under the CCMS, including the following: traffic management measures; the creation of strong north south pedestrian linkages between the Commercial District and the Main Retail Area; improving general pedestrian permeability along pedestrian lanes in East and West Moorfields and Covent Garden and improvements to legibility and way-finding.

1.2 THE PEDESTRIAN NETWORK

The aspiration for the whole of the city centre is to ensure that the safe and enjoyable movement and interaction of pedestrians is given priority wherever feasible over other modes of transport, in particular over the car. In developing a pedestrian priority area, there is a general presumption against pedestrianisation. The aim is not only to create a pedestrian friendly environment, but one which continues to serve the wider needs of other street users such as car access, service vehicles and public transport. Pedestrian priority is also more than the introduction of a series of pedestrian crossings. It is about the creation of conditions that promote walking as an enjoyable and efficient way of moving through the city, establishing a Walkable City through the removal of extraneous traffic and the effective management of it. This allows for the reallocation of road space to pedestrians as well as the development of facilities that enable pedestrians to move around an area with ease and the removal of clutter in the public realm caused by unnecessary signage and street furniture. Increased city centre living and less distinction between leisure and work time has generated a need to address after dark requirements regarding safety, security, orientation and visual appearance. Emphasising key night-time pedestrian networks with improved qualities of light focused upon the pedestrian environment rather than traffic needs alone is required. Gateways to the city centre function differently at night. The first and last impression for a visitor will be a car park, train station, taxi rank, Merseytram or bus stop. Improving the night time environment by highlighting the architectural quality and character of the city centre will add drama and provide an added attraction to the city centre for both visitors and residents. This will be achieved through the City Centre Feature Lighting Strategy (Liverpool Vision 2002) and general street lighting improvements. Principal pedestrian routes, linking the main character areas, architecturally significant buildings and open spaces, form the Key Pedestrian Network (Figure 10). This network will incorporate clear signage so the routes are highly legible to visitors and tourists. Where a street is required to function as a major artery for traffic, including bus and Merseytram use, a solution that ensures maximum pedestrian compatibility will need to be designed. The areas coloured mustard and yellow on the plan are primary spaces. They will have bespoke briefs written for them. The mustard areas will have some flexibility in the palette of paving and furniture. The yellow areas will need to demonstrate continuity with the general palette of materials identified in the specification. The palette will continue to apply to the connections identified in figure 10, thus providing visual continuity through these special and individual areas.

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Figure 10 - KEY PEDESTRIAN NETWORK

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PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

1.3 CREATION OF CITY STREETS The CCMS presents an opportunity to replace the city centre one-way street system with highway management which will deliver an improved environment and promote economic regeneration. The design of these streets, their landscape, building frontages and the creation of quality public spaces are all dependent on an integrated approach, with individual streets only being addressed in the context of others. The streets in the city centre will be designed so that pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles can utilise these safely. This will incorporate the following principles: management of vehicles within pedestrian priority areas on a predominantly 20mph network; provision of safe and legible driving environments minimising the need for signs, especially those concerned with traffic direction and control; enhancement of all streets for pedestrians and cyclists; streets acting as shop windows to city centre quarters; and facilitating sustainable maintenance and management regimes. improving engineering design to create streets not roads, adopting a simple, high quality and continuous surface treatment; reinforcing pedestrian desire lines as an integral part of street design; improving way finding, including the introduction of visitor information systems on the street, principally through the Connecting Liverpool Iniative. removing superfluous and obsolete street items and rationalising those remaining; establishing urban design principles for frontages including the introduction of pavement activities eg. pavement cafes and well managed or presented street trading; introducing tree planting, public art and lighting in a strategic manner to enhance the public realm; incorporating the requirements of the Merseyside Code of Practice on Access and Mobility (SURFACE, 2002) into all designs and developing positive open spaces, including streets with clear definition, enclosure and no ambiguity or left over space or clutter. The balanced reallocation of highway space for pedestrians over vehicles is likely to result in the removal and relocation of some on-street parking. On-street disabled parking and managed off-street parking will maintain maximum access to the city centre. Allowing evening access and parking in some areas where restrictions apply during the day will maintain activity and security to support both the evening economy and access for the wider community. The streets in the city centre have been categorised into several types, classified and treated according to their functional and capacity requirements to provide a street hierarchy: Strategic Boulevards & Streets. Transit Streets. City Streets. Retail Streets. Pedestrian Lanes.

Other issues requiring full consideration will include: daily servicing of and access to buildings and public spaces, including emergency access; intermittent access to commercial and residential buildings for deliveries and removals; provision for disabled persons parking permit holders; provision of adequate taxi ranking facilities and provision of secure cycle parking facilities.

In addition, these streets will be transformed into high quality urban environments by: development of active frontages and pedestrian focussed lighting schemes along key pedestrian routes to increase perceptions of safety; creating balance through reallocation of highway space to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport;

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Strategic Boulevards & Streets Strategic Streets will tend to direct vehicles on route to other centres around the city on their approach to key gateways. The Strategic Road Network in the Core Area will include the Strand and King Edward Street in the west; St Anne Street, Norton Street, Seymour Street, Copperas Hill and Renshaw Street in the east; Byrom Street and Hunter Street to access the Queensway tunnel from the north and east. The SRF requires the creation of a new strategic link between Leeds Street and St Anne Street, which will remove extraneous traffic from Byrom Street and Hunter Street in the future, allow Byrom Street and Hunter Street to become Strategic Boulevards, whilst maintaining access to the Queensway tunnel. Chapel Street, Tithebarn Street, Great Crosshall Street and the Churchill Way flyover (north) will be downgraded from the Strategic Road Network to City or Transit Streets with 20mph limits, two way with contraflow bus lanes to ensure that this route is not a rat run for through traffic. The SRF requires the creation of a maritime boulevard along the full length of the Strand (continuing along Leeds Street in the north and Parliament Street in the east), providing pedestrian priority throughout its length. The objective for The Strand is to create a boulevard in a city streetscape with enhanced pedestrian crossings to support desire lines and alleviate the barrier between the waterfront and city centre. It is proposed that the boulevards and strategic streets including those outside the core identified in Table 1 will have black asphalt carriageways, with granite kerbs and channels. The Strand in particular provides an opportunity for extensive tree planting and public art.
Figure 11 - STRATEGIC BOULEVARDS & STREETS

Strategic Streets:
St Anne Street Norton Street Seymour Street Copperas Hill Renshaw Street

Strategic Boulevards:
Strand King Edward Street Byrom Street Hunter Street

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City & Transit Streets City and Transit Streets in the Core Area are characterised by a mix of uses. They will be open to all traffic, have a 20 mph speed limit and a preference for two-way running. They will have asphalt carriageways, granite kerbs and granite paving flags. Tree planting and public art will generally be restricted to respect the quality of the architecture and reduce clutter.

Public transport in the form of Merseytram or bus will be concentrated in Transit Streets through partial or complete removal of private traffic. Paving materials will match City Streets and incorporate public transport requirements. Where these routes include Merseytram there will be specific details and infrastructure to consider. Some streets will have a dual role as both transit and city streets, and will need to strike a firm balance between public transport, vehicle access, cycling and pedestrians. These include Whitechapel, Dale Street and Water Street, Tithebarn St. and Chapel St

City Streets:
Brownlow Hill Brunswick Street Castle Street Chapel Street Cheapside Churchill Way Cook Street Covent Garden Crosshall Street Dale Street Exchange Street East Fenwick Street Georges Pier Head Georges Dockway Great Crosshall Street Hale Street Hanover Street Hatton Garden James Street Johnson Street Lime Street London Road Lord Street Mann Island Moor Street Moorfields North Street North John Street Pall Mall Ranelagh Street Rumford Street Sir Thomas Street St. Johns Lane St. Nicholas Place Stanley Street Tithebarn Street Trueman Street Vauxhall Road Vernon Street Victoria Street Water Street Whitechapel

Transit Streets:
Brownlow Hill Eliott Street Chapel Street Charlotte Street Churchill Way Dale Street Great Crosshall Street Hood Street Lime Street Roe Street St Johns Street Tithebarn Street Water Street Whitechapel

Table 2 Figure 12 - CITY AND TRANSIT STREETS

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Retail Streets Retail Streets are characterised by predominantly retail uses, are largely pedestrianised with shared surfaces for service, maintenance and emergency access during restricted hours. These streets provide the flexibility for additional public space functions such as markets and festivals to occur without disruption to city centre traffic management. It is proposed that the streets will be paved with large granite setts to demarcate service vehicle areas, granite kerbs and granite paving flags. These streets provide some opportunity for tree planting and public art. Retail Streets:
Basnett Street Bold Street Church Alley Church Street Dawson Street Houghton Street Leigh Street Lord Street Parker Street Richmond Street South John Street Tarleton Street Whitechapel Street Williamson Street

Table 3

Figure 13 - RETAIL STREETS

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Pedestrian Lanes:
Buttun Street Cheapside Alley Cumberland Street Cunliff Street Davies Street Drury Lane South Drury Lane North Erberle Street Hackens Hey Harrington Street Hockenhall Alley Leather Lane Lower Castle Street Matthew Street

Pedestrian Lanes
Old Haymarket Peter Street Preston Street Progress Place Queen Avenue Ryleys Gardens Stanley Street Sweeting Street Tempest Hey Temple Street Temple Court Temple Lane Tower Gardens Vernon Street

Pedestrian Lanes are the small-scale streets in the city centre used for accessing local buildings. They will be pedestrian dominated environments with very limited vehicle access for servicing and access to properties, preventing the existence and creation of rat-runs. The Lanes should be enhanced to create more inviting and higher quality pedestrian places, encourage development and address servicing issues.
Table 4

It is proposed that the lanes will be paved in a variety of ways depending upon their function. Lanes that provide key linkage in the wider pedestrian network will be renewed with granite pavements, kerbs and sett carriageways where vehicles are expected. Other lanes will be repaired and renewed as appropriate to their function and appropriate budget allocation.

Figure 14 - PEDESTRIAN LANES

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1.4 CREATION OF CITY SPACES

There are a range of public space types within the city centre that will require varying design approaches in response to both the requirements of adjacent building users, transient city centre users and visual settings. Bespoke design briefs will be prepared for each of these spaces. Some general principles, which should apply to bespoke designs are: 1. natural stone floorscapes; 2. paving sizes, which reflect the scale of the space eg. the over-predominance of small scale setts is inappropriate for large spaces; 3. artists should be involved in the design from concept stage; 4. lighting should be an intrinsic part of the design. The spaces have been illustratively categorised into several types: Gateways and approaches Major Squares & Gardens Water Squares City Squares Garden Courts Public Buildings

Major Squares & Gardens The major squares and gardens are the Face of Liverpool and include the spaces around St. Georges Hall and the Pier Head. These are the most complex spaces in the city centre and perform many functions. Within them are gateways and entrances, spaces that provide a setting for important buildings, spaces that functionally serve important buildings and those that provide for informal recreation or serve a civic function. To be successful, they must be designed with enough flexibility to accommodate multiplicity of use or the staging of events. Water Spaces Liverpools waterfront provides the most familiar image of the city and is a principal economic asset. The city needs to further capitalise upon its historical dock system. This dock system provides the potential for the creation of water squares that provide concentrated pedestrian activity at their edges and water-based activity in their centres. The development of the 4th Grace and public facilities at Kings Dock will be a catalyst for public realm activity around the dock system that will revitalise this unique waterfront. It is also important to remember the origins of Liverpool, which is the now culverted Pool that linked the Cultural Quarter with the Mersey via Whitechapel and Canning Place. The river has long gone but the valley remains, providing a potential context for reinterpretation through public arts that re-establishes this link and reinforces pedestrian movement. City Squares City Squares include Williamson Square, Queen Square, Derby Square, Castle Street and Exchange Flags, as well as a number of sub-spaces within the major squares. Williamson Square has been provided with a new fountain, which will enliven the space,

Gateways & Approaches Gateways and approaches are points of arrival and transition that can be transport interchanges and car parks, or important points on the edge of the city centre or city centre quarters where a functional change occurs. It is important to clearly mark these changes to prevent the indistinguishable blurring of the edges and to provide a sense of arrival.

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whilst leaving a multi-functional area for staging events. Derby Square, Castle Street and Exchange Flags must be designed as one place, which will provide a backdrop to the unique setting of Castle St. A new commercial square is proposed within the Commercial District as part of a masterplan, which seeks to create a new high quality business address. Each of these squares will generate their own unique set of requirements and identity, dependant upon the city quarter in which they are located. Each space will also be part of a public space network and as such must contribute to the legibility of the city centre. Garden Courts Garden Courts include small gardens within the Castle Street Live/Work district. They are intimate spaces, primarily serving their adjacent buildings and communities and are usually discovered, which creates a richness of experience for the visitor and citizen alike. They may be semi-public/private spaces. Public Buildings All accessible parts of public buildings are public spaces. Properly considered, this experience can be extended beyond the front door of the building into the public realm. This can include the provision of outside exhibition/performance space, meeting or lunching space or even the linking of related buildings or activities. These relationships should be exploited where appropriate.

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Figure 15 - CITY SPACES

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Figure 16 - COMPOSITE FRAMEWORK PLAN

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1.5 PUBLIC ART

A Public Art Strategy (Modus Operandi, 2002) has been prepared for the city centre that identifies a range of connective themes and starting points physical, infrastructural, elemental and interpretive - that provide the context for specific project recommendations. These contextual themes include artists involvement in the design process of: Spaces: Streets, squares and gardens. Gateways: marking points of arrival and departure. Connections: linkage across the city, serial artworks, layering the city, vistas. Transport & Interchange: structures and infrastructure, routes and journeys. Water: Light: Street furniture. Monuments and memorials. Interpretation: legibility; access; documentation; mapping the city. Environment: archaeology; ecology; sustainability. Interactive works: the media; the digital city. Live art: celebratory events and festivals. This flexible framework of conceptual approaches provides a context, against which a range of specific projects can be identified, funded and organised. Independent public art initiatives by individuals or organisations must also be co-ordinated within this framework. Public art can play an important role in creating a sense of place. It needs to be integrated with the public realm programme to be successful. A single point of co-ordination and responsibility is required for public art, with officers from the arts and public realm working closely together in conjunction with those experienced in commissioning arts projects. Public art should be an integral part of all bespoke design briefs for public spaces, with artists commissioned to work with the design team from concept stage.

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1.6 FURNISHING THE CITY

There is little traditional Liverpool street furniture remaining in the city centre, but there is an emphasis on heavy-duty metal fittings as would be expected in a maritime city. Apart from the moorings at the waterfront, original Corporation of Liverpool bollards tend to be square section, often with a ribbed finish. The repaving of the city centre will create a simple uncluttered environment and the cluttering effects of poorly considered and sited street furniture must not destroy this clarity. As with paving, there are functional requirements that should direct the choice and siting of street furniture. The aim is to create a harmonious environment between buildings, floorscape, tree planting, public art and furniture. It is possible to create an environment that can anticipate additions to the street scene over time (telephone boxes, additional signs etc) by creating zones for these elements with appropriate paved surfaces such as edging strips to minimise damage. As with paving, street furniture must be fit for purpose, simple and unifying and sustainable through life-time costing. It should be of a scale appropriate to its location. The waterfront may require larger, more robust furniture, whereas small public open spaces may require smaller individual items. Designs must be robust to cope with intense usage, weathering & potential vandalism. Street furniture should be designed at the outset with DDA requirements in mind, rather than the requirements being applied retrospectively. The design should aim to achieve a balance between the requirements for contrast and the quality of visual appearance. To promote a sense of place, local solutions based on Liverpool types should be used where such examples exist. Where this is not possible, bespoke designs should be used. More details are given in Part Two.

1.7 LIGHTING THE CITY

Lighting is now recognised as an important component in creating a successful city, particularly in stimulating the evening and tourist economy. There are two aspects to lighting the city, feature lighting and street lighting. The Feature Lighting Strategy for the City Centre (Liverpool Vision, 2002) has developed from best practice established in other European cities, but is unique to Liverpool, recognising the inherent opportunities and constraints. Feature Lighting The most important aspect of the proposed strategy is to keep it simple and thus deliverable and sustainable. Liverpool is famous for the quality of its architecture and the first principle of the lighting strategy is to enhance and emphasise this unique feature. White light will be used extensively throughout, with the sole intention of unifying the urban fabric and reinforcing routes through it. The Feature Lighting Strategy has four simple components that will deliver a step change through the concentration of resources. The first component is the lighting of beacons. This includes all the recognisable symbols of Liverpool (Cathedrals, Graces etc) that are seen from a distance and experienced on approaches to the city centre. The second and third components are the Cultural Quarter and Waterfront, again recognisable symbols of Liverpool and gateways to the city centre. The fourth component is the Core Area between the Cultural Quarter and the Waterfront. There is scope for more inovative and artistic lighting design and this will be developed along with public art features. Street Lighting In support of this strategy, each public space and street should be lit in a complementary manner to support the concept of continuity and connectivity in public realm design. It is important to note however, that sustainability (including energy efficiency), reduction in light pollution, recognition of highway safety standards and ease of maintenance are prerequisites of any design proposal. The daytime appearance of lighting columns, lamps, fixtures and fittings must be carefully considered. Streetlights can be one of the strongest influences on the appearance of a street, dominating the streetscape and creating clutter. In general, a contemporary approach to lighting design is promoted.

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1.8 GREENING THE CITY

Liverpool City Centre has a dense form, to both maximise land use and provide shelter from the harsh maritime environment. The greening of this environment must be carefully considered and executed to protect the visual quality of the architectural heritage as well as ensuring that the planting survives. Many streets in the city centre would be ruined by the indiscriminate planting of trees whilst others such as the Strand would greatly benefit. The following principles must be considered when contemplating any planting: Trees should provide for the functions of enhancement, focus and or intimacy. They should positively contribute to the quality of space that is being designed and should not be incorporated arbitrarily. The overall aim should be for quality rather than quantity, achieved through the creation of strategically located planting and the creation of green oases. Planting maybe inappropriate in many locations. Where it is undertaken, it should have real impact, in terms of its scale, location and nature. Planting should not be used where it would obscure important features and facades or traffic sight line requirements. Planting must be sustainable. It must be in a position where it will be able to survive in its environment and flourish. Large specimen trees are less vulnerable to vandalism. It must also be remembered that trees grow and the choice of species must match the availability of space for the tree when mature. provide ideal conditions for plant growth and should be discouraged. Opportunities for appropriate planting are limited and it is anticipated that the only opportunities for such planting within the city centre, would be in St Johns Gardens, Chavasse Park and along the Strand corridor. Undertaking planting in the city centre in a strategic and thoughtful manner will positively contribute to the delivery of a unique and high quality public realm. This can be enhanced through the inclusion of temporary arts and planting displays that are seasonal or related to particular festivals, if delivered with skill, sensitivity and style.

Trees in cities contribute enormously to physical and psychological well-being, yet the city is a hostile environment for trees. Street trees are best planted directly into the ground. Even so, their roots are likely to be cramped by buildings and street foundations, and constrained by underground cables and pipes. They face damage from vehicles and vandals, and contend with air and soil pollution. Surrounding pavements typically allow neither air nor water to reach the roots that extend below them. Tree planting locations must consider light and shelter requirements and coordinate with underground services to promote successful establishment. Suitably protected and off the main circulation route, survival rates are further enhanced by planting rows of trees in extended pits rather than in individual holes. If sufficient space cannot be found, it is better to forego trees altogether. Tree grilles maintain the continuity of paving around trees, protect and aerate tree root systems and allow rainwater irrigation. Tree grilles are also an important visual design element. When trees are planted they should be high quality semi-mature specimens, placed in locations and conditions where they can flourish. Other forms of planting should only be used where they can positively enhance a particular urban environment. All too often they are used as space fillers or barriers, instead of being an integral part of the overall design. Permanent planters, containers or raised beds are comparatively expensive, they incur high maintenance costs, they do not always

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PART TWO PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION

This section of the document concentrates on the establishment of design principles and construction quality parameters for the city centre. It presents specifications for paving, furniture, planting and lighting supported by a defined palette of robust materials and generic details. The previous section established a street and public space hierarchy based on varying functions, movement patterns and aspirations. This section identifies how this should be transferred physically to the streets and spaces within the city centre. The formulation of a palette of materials and image of the streets and spaces initially requires the establishment of objectives on a cross-centre scale. The palette choice needs to address how to reflect intrinsic street character whilst also achieving continuity of movement, flow and, with it, connectivity. The streetscape objectives can therefore be summarised as being: Continuity unification of built fabric to reinforce legibility. consistent quality design outcome. Connectivity consistent street treatment along major transport and pedestrian spines. reinforcement of legibility to aid orientation. Character townscape, not street treatment, defining character. respond to character through simple unifying palette of complementary materials. It is accepted that that these objectives are not always mutually reinforcing, so there will be a degree of compromise with priorities being established through a street by street reconciliation of issues. Overall, continuity will be the major objective, and therefore the strongest deciding factor, followed by connectivity and finally character. The design of the public realm should not exaggerate the diverse character of the city centre further. Using a simple palette of complementary materials, the architecture of an area and the activities of its inhabitants should be encouraged to give character to the streets instead. Character should be reflected in the streetscape through the quality of materials (in both design and workmanship) and variations in scale and the use of area quarters, with branding restricted to subtle design intervention to better achieve continuity. The size and scale of materials within individual streets will vary according to the relative position within the hierarchy from larger units within City Streets to smaller within Pedestrian Lanes.

2.1 THE FLOOR OF THE CITY

The city centre contains some of the finest 19th Century architecture and ornamental cityscape in the World, an asset that demands a high quality response in the public realm, particularly in the design of the floorscape. The floor of the city is the element upon which this architecture sits and therefore will be unified or fragmented by it. Traditionally the floorscape unified the city and the continuity of this tradition is the major objective of this implementation framework. The predominant traditional paving materials within the city centre were granite and Yorkstone. Granite was widely used in the city centre for road surfaces and kerbs, specialist purposes such as surrounds to pavement lights, the base and entrance steps to buildings and for dockside copings and edges. In common with other ports, the roads of Liverpool were surfaced with granite sets of varying size and type. The kerbs and channels traditionally used in Liverpool were predominantly sourced from North Wales granites. These sources are now rare and uneconomic, although similar stone is economically available from other countries. The Yorkstone paving flags traditionally used in the city centre were riven (split) hard sandstones finished in random sizes, demanding great skill and labour intensity to lay them. These traditional hard sandstones, and the skills to lay them, are now in very short supply making it an uneconomic and unreliable material to specify. Although technology has expanded the available range of paving materials, the modern sandstones offered are soft and not durable enough to withstand the pressures of the modern city and the climate in Liverpool.

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Traditionally the pallete of materials in the city centre has been simple and robust, as has the pattern of their design layouts. Analysis of successful traditional paving in the city centre illustrates that rarely is there a change in material or surface pattern without a practical purpose. Building upon this tradition, a number of paving functions have been identified to set the specification for this implementation framework. The most important is to provide a hard, dry, non-slip, durable, easily maintainable surface that will carry the load of traffic asked of it. In achieving this function the sub-base construction quality is as fundamental as the surface material. This is supported by several less tangible functions: To reinforce character. Paving brings unity to diverse places or gives character to nebulous areas that need a common background or idea. Successful paving reinforces the latent character dictated by the space and its activities, which should not be usurped by alien paving patterns or an infinite variety of materials. Design detail consolidates and creates character and an immense variety is obtainable within a limited range of materials. Detail design should respect and enhance existing character where it meets quality thresholds. Whatever the character, the surface must be tough and durable and improve with age. To guide people by providing a sense of direction. Examples include pedestrian routes across squares and parks, or, service vehicle routes through pedestrian areas. To be successful, routes must be direct. However, if the unity of the space is to be preserved, the change of colour and texture must be subtle.

To provide a sense of repose. Neutral, nondirectional paving has the effect of halting people. Areas of sitting, meeting or gazing to distant views should be paved in this way. To indicate a hazard by change of material or pattern. This technique must be used consistently to provide its own language. For example, paved junctions at side streets warn drivers that they are crossing or entering a pedestrian environment. The change in material should also be responsive to the requirement of a tougher material for vehicles in the pedestrian environment. To reduce scale. Introducing a change of material to affect the scale of a space requires care and subtlety to avoid making the paving overly important. Paving should not aggressively proclaim its presence but provide background to the city centre streets. Practical requirements provide an aesthetic means of reducing scale. Drainage channels across pavings provide a classic example.

Considering the above requirements, natural stone has been selected (in preference to concrete products with replica finish) for its traditional relevance to Liverpool, its robustness in serving these functions and its value for money over its design lifetime. Where streets are to be completely renewed, granite paving, kerbs and channels are recommended. Where streets are to be refurbished / repaired (Pedestrian Lanes only) reclaimed kerbs and setts may be used. Other materials may be appropriate within squares and public open spaces, and will be considered within the context of individual designs, although continuity is expected throughout the city centre. For example, it will be appropriate to pave the areas around the Cultural Quarter with reclaimed Yorkstone, but with granite paving demarking the key pedestrian routes, providing a harder wearing surface, legibility and continuity. It is essential that these high quality materials be properly laid. This requires the highest standards in public realm design, specification, installation and supervision including both the surface material and underlying construction and fundamentally, the interface between the two. Traditional Liverpool details will be used in creating a new paving vocabulary for the city centre with a simple Liverpool paving layout that consistently addresses functional requirements.

The extent of quality architecture across the city centre demands a commensurate first-class public realm across the same area. This dictates that there can be no tailing-off of quality. The choice of paving materials and design detailing must be capable of satisfying all of these functions. They can be summarised into the following requirements: Be fit for purpose and hard wearing. Be simple and unifying. Be sustainable through life-time costing / valuing.

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Table1: Hierarchy of preferred Street Surfacing

Street Type

Carriageway

Kerbs/ Channels
Granite

Footway Paving

Paving Trim

STRATEGIC STREET

Thin wearing course Bus Tram Thin wearing course Thin wearing course Thin wearing course Setts (Large)

Granite (Type 3)

Yes

TRANSIT STREET

Granite Granite Granite

Granite (Type 3) Granite (Type 3) Granite (Type 2)

Yes Yes No

CITY STREET

RETAIL STREET

Granite

Setts (Med)

No PARKING BAY DETAIL STRATEGIC AND CITY STREETS

PEDESTRIAN LANES

Servicing Pedestrian

Thin wearing course Setts (Pedn)

Granite Granite

Granite (Type 1) Granite (Type 1)

No No

Carriageways
Note 1 Retail streets are shared surface and so have no footway paving. The streets do however have a edge treatment which for the propose of this schedule is classed as the footway. Note 2 Refer to appendix for more detail and footway paving catagories.

Pavements To meet the criteria outlined above, it is recommended that flame textured granite paving should be used throughout the city centre street and Table 1 summarises the hierarchy of street surfacing. Table 2 (in appendix 1) summarises the surface specification based upon recommendations from the Natural Stone Surfacing Good Practice Guide (SCOTGUIDE, 1999). Service covers must be re-set to align with the prevailing paving pattern where practicable. Paving

inset and high quality metal covers are preferred. Plastic covers are not acceptable. Where a number of small covers occur together (notably water stop cocks) they should be framed and set in a cement matrix matching the surrounding paving. Where buildings discharge rainwater drainage onto the pavement, an appropriate channel detail will be required to transfer the water across the pavement into the street gutter.

Strategic Streets Asphalt remains the most appropriate material for streets used by all vehicles. The strategic and transit streets have a skid resistance requirement that will only be satisfied by using black asphalt. The city streets that specify all traffic access should also be black asphalt. Retail Streets These are largely primary streets where public realm quality should be highest. They are shared surface with footways distinguished by the use of medium setts and defined by channels. Large unit granite setts are proposed for the paving of the carriageway, which defines the service road within the street.

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Pedestrian Lanes Some Pedestrian Lanes will be paved in granite setts (newly laid and repaired existing) and some in asphalt depending upon the level of traffic, pedestrian priority, use/quality and available budget. The size of setts specified will depend upon availability of reclaimed setts from the city centre or historic precedent. It may be appropriate to raise some Pedestrian Lanes to the level of the pavements to create complete shared carriageways. Kerbs and Channels New granite kerbs 200mm deep, 300mm wide with a bevelled edge or pencil round sufficient to remove fragile arises and a standard length of 1.0m are proposed for all streets in the city centre. The nominal height of these kerbs will be 100mm. A complementary channel is also proposed, replicating historic detailing. The cross-section of the channel will be similar to the kerbs but a standard length of 0.5m. Junctions & Cross-overs Traditionally where side streets meet primary streets the hierarchy and pedestrian priority was reinforced using granite paving. Bespoke details at street junctions were the norm, historically. This included broader kerbs, and changes in paving size and texture catering for the tremendous wear at these points. The use of robust standard details, incorporating drop crossings at street junctions, is crucial for durability and to satisfy DDA requirements.

PARKING BAY DETAIL PEDESTRIAN LANE

VEHICLE ENTRANCE DETAIL ENTRANCE LEVEL WITH CARRIAGEWAY

LAYOUT OF TACTILE PAVING

PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN MID PAVEMENT

VEHICLE ENTRANCE DETAIL ENTRANCE LEVEL WITH FOOTWAY

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CORNER DETAIL

NOTE Flexibility will be required at corners where one or both footways are narrow (less than 4 metres in width), since in these cases the typical details illustrated here may not be possible. When designing corners where footways are less than 4 metres in width regard should be had to the requirements identified on page 23.

CONTROLLED CROSSING DETAIL

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Signs, Lines & Other Highway Markings Taking care in the design of the public realm to deliver an uncluttered and high quality environment can be immediately undone through the application of highway regulations and standards for signage and road markings. Dealing with these issues at the design stage will eliminate most if not all of these deficiencies. English Heritage has also published documents on the subject and many urban centres have successfully incorporated a more sensitive approach to this issue. The range of options includes the mounting of signs on buildings or concentrated on one pole / lamp column; using minimum width line-markings in more muted colours; or in some cases, replacing line-markings altogether with unobtrusive signs. For example, where double yellow lines are necessary, these should be 50mm wide in primrose yellow throughout the Core Area to provide consistency with conservation area planning guidance. Yellow or double yellow line-markings, which restrict parking may be replaced with controlled parking zone signs on entry to an area. Bus Stops Smartbus requires higher granite kerbs set at 160mm, profiled to match Kassel KK160 kerbs. The profile of the kerb is designed to withstand abrasion from vehicles and guide buses into the bus stop. The 160mm kerb height allows passengers to embark/ disembark level with the bus. Incorporating these kerb requirements into the urban environment needs each case to be treated on its own merits to ensure that the design is sympathetic to local circumstances. Wherever possible, design will seek to minimise the kerbs visual impact on the street scene, comply with DDA and maintain a visually flat pavement. The optimum design solution maintains existing back of

pavement levels at building frontages and provides a nominal 2.5% cross-fall towards the kerb for drainage. This avoids both the need for drainage channels at the back of pavement, potential water ingress to properties and minimises slip hazards. Paving materials are to comply with this specification, for which granite paving and kerbs will be required. Funding will need to be identified when this specification is required. Access and Mobility All public realm must be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The Merseyside Code of Practice on Access and Mobility (2002) advises on the application of details designed to overcome common public realm problems in existing situations, including continuous level changes and traffic priority over pedestrians. All designers must adhere to this reference document, which is periodically updated. DDA 1995 Part 1 covering employment further rights of access came into force on 1/10/99 and the final Rights of access part III will come into force on 1/10/04. it is this third part that will most affect highway functions in that service providers have to make reasonable adjustments to overcome physical barriers to access. Pedestrian priority is at the heart of this Implementation Framework and through a comprehensive approach to the regeneration of streets and spaces, most access and mobility issues will be addressed at scheme design stage. Where there is a need for intervention it will be incorporated into designs in a high quality manner.

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Reclaimed Materials The majority of traditional materials in the city centre are now over 100 years old. To be successfully reused they need to be removed from site and professionally re-dressed. This process will use modern equipment and will include the tumbling of granite setts, the resizing of Yorkstone slabs and granite kerbs, and the salvaging of special details. Stockpiling these materials at Liverpool City Council depot will provide both a source of repair materials for existing streets and spaces as well as identifying the exact quantities of reusable materials before designs are drawn-up. Recycling of these historic materials is both sustainable and provides an opportunity for training programmes in public realm paving skills. However, the salvaging and use of reclaimed materials involves a greater level of labour cost and supervision to achieve the desired result. Variance in the thickness and finish of Yorkstone slabs and kerbs, even after redressing, will make it difficult to achieve the right results on the main streets of the city centre. The Cultural Quarter from Lime Street Gateway to Old Haymarket and the Town Hall, set on its existing Yorkstone plinth, will continue to reinforce the Yorkstone setting of these set pieces. The use of reclaimed Yorkstone and granite kerbs and setts should therefore be restricted to either public space designs in the Cultural Quarter, the Town Hall setting or the streets in the Georgian Canning area to the south east of the city centre. Where Pedestrian Lanes are being repaired and not replaced, it will be appropriate to re-use kerbs. The re-use of setts will also be appropriate for the Pedestrian Lanes for both repairs and replacement.

Variants to the Palette There are situations where a slight variation from the proposed palette may be desirable in order to reflect a local feature, character or need. Great care should be taken to avoid departing from the palette completely, as there will be a general presumption against the introduction of new surfacing materials. In particular, the granite kerbs, channels and robust corner details will be a constant. Places where variants may be appropriate will include bespoke designs for public squares and spaces.

Kiosks, Shelters and Canopies There is a requirement for a range of structures in the city centre that are pieces of architecture in their own right. These concession structures, automatic public conveniences, bus shelters and Merseytram shelters or canopies line the principal transit and city streets and appear in public spaces. These buildings must preferably be architect designed, appropriate for their location, sited with consideration for their environment and well co-ordinated. Where appropriate, such structures may provide more than one function so long as it does not create conflict of interest that would discourage their use. For example, transport interchanges will host a number of facilities including information points, telephones, toilets, concessions, cycle facilities and utility boxes. The rationalisation and grouping of street furniture in this way reduces clutter and maintenance and creates a critical mass of facilities. Cycles Secure cycle racks should encourage demand and be placed where they are likely to be used without causing obstruction or clutter. They must be overlooked and well lit at night to make them secure. Larger concentrations of cycle parking will create a destination in their own right, therefore other facilities could be concentrated around them. The standard detail shown will be in stainless steel. To comply with DDA requirements this will be fabricated with recessed details at the top of the cycle rack posts, which will be painted matt black prior to delivery on site.

2.2 STREET FURNITURE

The colour for all street furniture should be dark grey. The specified product will be R8050 (micacious iron oxide paint by Leighs Paints) or equal approved, unless street furniture is specified in stainless steel. Seating Seats are the most important pieces of furniture in the city. They must be plentiful and well placed to attract use; comfortable; ergonomically designed; provide wind shelter and protection from noise and danger. Seats must be accessible, particularly for elderly or disabled people and should comply with DDA. Where seating is intended for short periods, natural stone seats and benches should preferably be used. This allows for robust designs, which are likely to stand the test of time in terms of both wear, tear and fashion. They will provide a strong unifying link to the floor plane and are visually simple, reducing the appearance of street clutter. In squares and green spaces, timber slatted benches may be more appropriate as they offer increased comfort for longer periods of use. Finally, the seating arrangements should provide for sociability.

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Information Points and Signage Signs contribute more to visual clutter than anything else in the public realm. Pedestrian signage is required at key arrival and destination points to provide general visitor information, transport connections, directions to adjacent attractions and facilities. Connectivity throughout the city centre will be reinforced through the introduction of a communication and interpretation strategy that will navigate pedestrians through a hierarchical programme of signs and convey information more coherently. Thoughtful selection and location of signs will create visual order and convey information coherently. Signs must be kept to a minimum and where possible, should be mounted on other constructed elements such as buildings, walls and other street furniture. Where several signs are required at a single location, they should be mounted on one support and the size of sign reduced to the statutory minimum. Traffic signs have three separate functions directional, warning and regulatory. The Highways Authority sets out the statutory requirements, but working within these regulations there is scope for reducing the subsequent visual clutter by combining these signs either together, or by placement on street furniture. Wherever possible signage should be positioned within the 600mm granite trim detail proposed within wider pavements. Designs and colours should also be co-ordinated with darker neutral colours used for poles and the back of signs. Guidance to better practice is contained in Traffic Advisory Leaflet 01/96: Traffic Management in Historic Areas (D&T) and Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment

(ODPM). English Heritage has also published documents on the subject and many urban centres have successfully incorporated a more sensitive approach to this issue. Highway Equipment Boxes The impact of these boxes can be minimised by thoughtful siting against buildings or incorporated into other structures. These artefacts can also be painted neutral colours and coated to prevent fly posting. Where several are required in close vicinity, they should be placed adjacent to each other to reduce their impact on the surrounding public realm. Guard Rail There will be a presumption against the use of pedestrian guard railing. Road Safety Audits should be carried out to prevent the use of arbitrary pedestrian safety features. The introduction of a pedestrian friendly city centre and 20mph-priority zone should reduce the requirements for such facilities. Bollards The primary function of bollards is to restrict vehicular movement and for this purpose, they need to be robust. Mercantile Maritime Bollard The most appropriate bollard design for the City Centre is the traditional one implemented by the Corporation of Liverpool, which should be copied in ductile iron, painted dark grey in R8050 with a gloss finish. Care must be taken to avoid excessive street clutter through over use. In order to meet requirements of the DDA, the top three ribs of the mercantile bollard may be painted with a white gloss strip.
TYPICAL BUS SHELTER
TYPICAL INFORMATION POINTTYPICAL FINGER POST

TYPICAL CYCLE RACK

PUBLIC REALM / IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

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Contemporary Bollard In public spaces with contemporary design, a simple contemporary bollard in stainless steel will be provided. The top of the bollard will be fabricated with recessed details and painted matt black prior to delivery on site, in order to meet the requirements of the DDA. Suppliers: Machan Engineering Ltd./JK Fabrications or equal approved. Litterbins Litterbins need to be neutral in design to reduce their impact on the public realm but conveniently sited to attract use. They must be of an appropriate size to conveniently service and clean. They must be of a robust design to cope with heavy usage and potential vandalism. Typical litterbins will be specified in a dark grey R8050 matt finish. They may be painted with a matt white strip around the top rim of the unit, to meet with DDA requirements. Suppliers: Broxap (Pier Head) or equal approved.

2.3 STREET LIGHTING

Column Mounted Light Where lighting columns are necessary they must be designed in scale with their setting and have sufficient strength to perform more than one function which may include the carrying of signage and other necessary street furniture. The layout and spacing of units should respond to the requirements of the street/space, both functionally and aesthetically, minimising street clutter whilst ensuring adequate levels of illumination. Pedestrian Lanes - In Pedestrian Lanes and narrower Retail Streets where column lighting is required, the selected unit is the Urbis ZX1, 2 or 3 or equal approved. Strategic, City and Transit Streets - In Strategic, City and Transit Streets and wider Retail Streets, where greater lux levels are required, the selected unit is Dover by DW Windsor or equal approved.

COLUMN MOUNTED LIGHT FOR STRATEGIC, CITY & TRANSIT STREETS (Dover - dark grey)

TYPICAL LITTERBIN (dark grey)

CONTEMPORARY BOLLARD

Wall Mounted Light Building mounted lighting should be encouraged along Pedestrian Lanes or Retail Streets, where streets are narrow and columns would create a pedestrian obstacle on the pavements or shared surfaces. Opportunities to accommodate lighting from buildings in other areas will help to reduce street clutter. Effective building owner consultation and relevant statutory consents will be required. The selected building mounted unit is the Urbis Neos Floodlight 1,2, or 3 or equal approved. All lighting columns and fittings will be dark grey in a matt finish, selected to match other street furniture painted in R8050 dark grey or equivalent. Lighting columns will be pre-painted with a white matt stripe at the appropriate height to meet DDA requirements.

WALL MOUNTED LIGHT (Neos - dark grey)

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2.4 TREE PITS

With the emphasis on high quality tree planting, the detailing of the tree pits is fundamental to success. Tree pits should be as large as possible. Ideally trees should be planted in groups, with the tree pit forming a continuous trench or island of soil. It is also preferable that trees should be planted in uncontained, free draining tree pits. To sustain tree growth, it is essential that good quality, nutritious urban tree soil is used to backfill the planting pit (e.g. Amsterdam Tree Soil or Metro Sand) and the tree receives continuous maintenance. Tree pits should incorporate watering and aerating facilities and all trees should be supported by under ground guying.

2.5 DESIGN REVIEW

The following procedures shall be adopted to ensure compliance of all public realm projects with this Framework: Compliance with the Framework should be included in all design briefs. At design review for scheme design stage, the scheme proposals should be checked to ensure compatibility with the Framework. Before progressing detail design, typical details should be discussed to test compatibility with or identify where local circumstances dictate alternatives to the Framework. At design review for detail design stage, detailed proposals should be checked to ensure compatibility with the Framework. Detailed drawings shall be produced by landscape architects, at a scale not less than 1: 200, based on up to date topographical survey information, prior to tender. Schemes should not be tendered based on typical details.

2.6 IMPLEMENTATION
This Framework recommends a granite specification for the Core Area, commensurate with the quality aspirations defined in the Strategic Regeneration Framework for a World Class public realm for Liverpool City Centre. Where budget constraints limit the use of granite in the Core Area, the management of the programme for implementation is flexible enough to allow for the following options: paving to streets being omitted until sufficient funding is available to implement the granite specification; where possible, kerbs, channels, corner details and carriageway works implemented in granite, with existing paving made good adjacent to the kerbline or, if by exception, alternative materials are considered, which satisfy the performance requirements in section 2.1, the sub-base must be designed in accordance with the Scotsguide to cater for future replacement in granite. If materials other than natural stone are considered, they should be reinforced to limit cracking.

TREE PIT DETAIL BDP St Peters Square Liverpool

The Journal of The Landscape Institute 2004

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2.7 EASE OF MAINTENANCE

There are a number of maintenance issues that must be considered at the design stage of each public realm project, particularly where there are departures from the standard palette of materials and furniture. The following is not an exhaustive list of issues to be considered: Paving must be fit for purpose, easily cleaned and detailed to allow for ease of repair. Furniture must be sited where it can be serviced and cleaned around. Where vehicle access is required (bins; lamp columns), the paving leading up to it must be capable of carrying the vehicle weight. Tree planting thought must be given to the eventual size of the tree, its maintenance requirements (watering; pruning), vehicle access as above and seasonal impacts (including autumn leaves on pavements, tram lines etc and drip from trees onto tram / bus queues). Planters where planters are used, consideration must be given to maintenance access and the impact of vehicles on pavings leading up to them. It is also important that planters do not leak over pavings when watered. Lighting when specifying bespoke light fittings, consideration must be given to long term maintenance using common parts. Water siting and design of features must consider safety, public health and maintenance issues, including access, overspill / spray and proximity to Merseytram (overhead lines). For all the above, consideration must be given to the speedy repair and availability of materials following abuse or accidental damage.

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Notes: 1. This dimension falls outside Cat 2 length rating of 250 to 500. 2. This dimension falls outside Cat 2 width rating of 150 to 400. 3. Random length spec must be further specified using percentage of certain sizes and minimum joint distances. 4. Kerbs should be 1.0m long. Where make-up pieces are required these should not be less than 600mm and not greater than 1200mm. 5. Cat 2 stone with cat 3 foundation to provide robust surface to address possible vehicular over-running. Colour Refs for paving materials: NB These are Chinese references not individual supplier codes: Light Grey Mid - Grey Silver Grey Light Pink (G603) (G654) (G623) (G617)

APPENDIX 1.

Summary of street surface specification.

Material

Category (Scotguide) Type 3 Type 2 Type 1 Corner Detail Cat 2 Cat 2 Cat 2 Cat 3 Cat 3 Large Cat 3 (Block)

Depth

Width

Length (min max) 400 900 random 1 300 700 random 1 300 500 1 1200 600 1200 random 4 150 - 350 random

Colour

Top surface finish Flame Flame Flame Flame Flame Flame

Footway Paving

80 80 80 200 200 150

400 & 6002 400 200 400 300 150

Mid Grey Mid Grey Mid Grey Mid Grey Light Grey Mid Grey (94%) Silver Grey (3%) Light Pink (3%) Mid Grey Silver Grey Light Pink Mid Grey Mid Grey1 Mid Grey (92%) (4%) (4%)

Kerbs/ Channels Setts

Medium

Cat 3 (Sett)

150

100

100 - 200 random

Flame

Pedn Paving Trim Corner Detail

Cat 3 (Sett) Cat 2 Cat 3

150 100 150

100 100 150

200 100 150

Fine Picked Flame Flame

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REFERENCES
Urban Task Force Report: Towards an Urban Renaissance, DETR (1999) Our Towns and Cities: The Future, DETR By Design: urban design in the planning system, towards better practice, DETR and CABE (2000) Planning: Delivering a Fundamental Change, DTLR (2001) Sustainable Communities: Delivering through Planning, DTLR (2002) Urban Design Compendium, English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation (2000) The Value of Urban Design, DETR and CABE (2001) From Design Policy to Design Quality, RTPI (2002) Urban Design Guidance: urban design frameworks, development briefs and master plans, Urban Design Group (2002) Design Review: guidance on how CABE evaluates quality in architecture and urban design, CABE (2002) Liverpool Urban Design Guide, Liverpool City Council (2003) Liverpool City Centre Urban Design Guide, Draft for Consultation, Liverpool Vision (January 2004) SRF Liverpool City Centre Strategic Regeneration Framework, Liverpool Vision (2000) Northwest Regional Economic Strategy, NWDA (2003) LPG Liverpool Community Strategy: Liverpool First, Liverpool Partnership Group (2000) Merseyside Local Transport Plan, Merseytravel and Liverpool City Council (2000)

Liverpool City Centre Movement Strategy, Merseytravel and Liverpool City Council (2000) (CCMS Section 5, Integrated Solutions) Liverpool Sustainable Development Plan, Liverpool City Council Merseyside Code of Practice on Access and Mobility, Liverpool City Council, Knowsley Council, Sefton Council, St. Helens Council, Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseytravel and Kasway Ltd. (2002) Natural Stone Surfacing Good Practice Guide, Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTGUIDE) (1999) Traffic Advisory Leaflet 01/96: Traffic Management in Historic Areas Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment, ODPM Liverpool City Centre Strategic Regeneration Framework by architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) http://www.liverpoolvision.com/publications1.html North West Regional Economic Strategy (NWDA, 2003) http://www.englandsnorthwest 2020.com/supporting-documents.htm Liverpool Community Strategy: Liverpool First (Liverpool Partnership Group, 2000). http://www.liverpoolfirst.org/doc/ OurCommunityStrategy.pdf City centre lighting strategy Liverpool Vision 2002 Public art strategy 2002 Modus Operandi http://www.modusoperandi-art.com/cur.html

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