sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bradford

Bradford Centre Design Guide

DRAFT FOR CONSULTATION 26 27

Urban Design Framework

The remainder of this document provides urban design guidance for Bradford City Centre in three parts. The first part is an Urban Design Framework that sets the context for the more detailed guidance in the second part – the Urban Design Code. The third part sets out a public realm strategy which will be elaborated through more detailed work. The urban design framework in the section that fol- lows is based on the City Centre Masterplan and includes the following sections:

Repair and reinvention: In they meet a set of criteria set out in which we define areas of the city this section. centre where the quality of the built heritage requires a conserva- Building Line: In which we tion approach to repair the urban introduce the concept of a building fabric and areas where this fabric line on which much of the Urban is needs to be reinvented. These Design Code is based. We define areas are treated differently in the the concept and set out proposed subsequent parts of the framework building lines for the zones of repair and detailed guidance. and reinvention.

Neighbourhoods: In which we Street hierarchy: In which we describe how the four neighbour- define a hierarchy of streets in hoods defined in the city centre Bradford as a basis for developing masterplan should develop distinct a distinctive character and form for characters and a process by which each level of the hierarchy as the this can happen. basis for more detailed in the Urban Design Code. Stars and supporting cast: In which we make a distinction be- Tall building policy: In which we tween ‘star’ buildings and support- set out a strategy for the location ing cast buildings. The latter make of tall buildings in the city centre as up 95% or more of new buildings the basis for more detailed guid- and will follow the Urban Design ance on the design of tall buildings Guide. ‘Star’ buildings are to be in the Urban Design Code. exempt from the rules provided that Repair and reinvention

Bradford City Centre retains areas characterised by fine commercial consolidated into zones of repair and sons this character has been lost over of great architectural and heritage streets and 3-6 storey stone buildings reinvention as shown by the thick red time. In these cases the guide seeks value but also areas where the his- with ornate facades. lines on the plan. to re-establish the historic built form toric fabric of the city has been badly and building line so that over time damaged. These two types of area Victorian neighbourhoods: The Repair: In these areas the purpose of these areas can be reconstructed. require different approaches to design Victorian residential areas ranged the guide will be to repair the historic guidance. The plan on the facing page from tightly knit terraces to the well- fabric of the city. New buildings will be Reinvention: The area that flows therefore identifies areas where the to-do villas of Road and required to follow the height, massing along the valley bottom and up built heritage should be repaired and Manningham Lane. Their character and siting of the buildings that for- Road to the south east areas where it is so damaged that it is based on 2-3 storey buildings on merly stood on the site. This does not has lost its historic character. Rather needs to be reinvented. This is based a network of urban streets running mean historical pastiche - far from it, than reinstate a character that may on four components of Bradford’s along the valley sides. the guide encourages a contemporary never have existed in these areas, growth: approach to design provided that this they are seen as an opportunity to Industrial valley bottom: The happens within the historic building create something new as suggested Historic heart: In the centre of the industrial valley includes some fine envelop. This includes most of the ar- by the City Centre Masterplan. This city is the original core of the city. individual and groups of buildings. eas of solid colour on the plan where new character relates to the form of While few buildings remain the However generally it lacks structure historic character survives. It also buildings and the extent and character character of the core survives in the and form and is dominated by high- includes significant areas such as the of the public realm as set out in the historic street pattern - a tight irregular ways and low-density development. Education Campus and the Cathedral following sections. grid of narrow canyon-like streets. Precinct where, for very different rea- This exercise highlights the areas Victorian metropolis: The com- where Bradford’s heritage remains In the zones of repair new buildings will rec- mercial core of the city is Victorian intact (solid colour on the plan) reate the historic building form while in zones including stretching between Manor and areas where it has either been Row and Thornton Road and across severely damaged or never existed of reinvention they will create a new environ- the valley to Little . This is (hatched areas). These have been ment based on the city centre masterplan

28 29

This plan explores the historic origins of each The historic heart of the city where the historic Intact Victorian residential areas Images facing page: (from left to right) part of the city and the extent to which the historic character still exists Victorian housing on the edge to the centre show how character of these areas have survived. Former Victorian residential areas where the much of the surrounding neighbourhoods once looked. The historic city where the character has been character has been lost The conversion of the Exchange remains faithful to lost Areas that have traditionally been industrial along the historic character without resorting to pastiche. The Victorian commercial city where the charac- the valley bottoms A similar approach can be seen in this apartment building by Peter Cook in Berlin and... ter remains Frank Gehry’s ‘Ginger and Fred’ office building in Prague Victorian commercial areas where character has been lost Integrity of built form 2 X 2 Neighbourhoods

The role of this urban design guidance is to allow and promote the development of distinctive identities in each of the four neighbourhoods.

The second element to the Urban and between a series of blocks. Design Framework are the four neigh- Each of the neighbourhoods bourhoods identified in the City Centre will develop its own distinctive iden- Masterplan. These are: tity. The Market lies within the Zone of Repair and its character will be based The Bowl: The area around the City on respect for the historic grain of the Hall which is to be the commercial area. The other three neighbourhoods heart of the city and a major public are within the Zone of Reinvention and The Bowl open space around a pool. will create distinctive identities based on the City Centre Masterplan. This The Valley: The area along the area will be unified by the treatment of Thornton Road which was originally the public realm, based on the idea of conceived as a park and which has a park flowing along the valley bottom now developed into a series of blocks through the Valley, Bowl and Chan- in a parkland setting. nel. The distinctive character of these areas will be further shaped by: The Channel The Market: The retail core of the city stretching from a garden around the The star buildings commissioned mosque at the top of the hill down to in each neighbourhood. the new shopping centre with new housing along Manor Row. The scale of the built form and public spaces as defined by the The Channel: The valley running building line. northwards including a linear park along the reopened , a new urban The design of the public realm as The Market village and the Broadway Shopping set out later in this document. Centre. These elements have been refined and The detailed proposals in each of these shaped by the NDFs which include areas have been developed through more detailed guidance about the the Neighbourhood Development character and design of each of the Frameworks. The main changes have neighbourhoods. The role of the guide affected The Valley where the oppor- is to provide a context for this and to tunity for new development meant that allow distinctive characters to emerge. The Valley the proposed park now runs around

30 31

1. The Bowl: The commercial heart of the city 2. The Channel: The valley to the north east of 3. The Market: The retail heart of the city 4. The Valley: A linear open space along the reo- around a major public open space with a pool. the city centre which will be developed as an stretching from a garden around the Mosque at pened with blocks of development urban village around a park along the reopened the top of the hill to the Medieval core of the city within the space canal north of the new shopping centre.

2 X 2 Neighbourhoods Stars and supporting cast

In developing this urban design height, massing, siting and means of buildings such as the mosque. There That this is done through a design/ guidance we have made a distinction access. The urban design guide in the is also the potential for a number of development competition between ‘star’ buildings and the following section sets out these basic new stars such as the new central ‘supporting cast’. rules for the supporting cast as well library and magistrates courts, as well That the scheme is subject to an The supporting cast as encouraging design excellence in as the redevelopment of the Odeon external design review process are perhaps the most important these supporting cast buildings. corner. As with the Guggenheim buildings in any town and city. They However there is another Museum in Bilbao or, on a smaller That the building includes an account for more than 95% of all the type of building in any town - the star scale the Walsall Art Gallery. In order element of public use. buildings and they include most of building. Traditionally this was the to allow these buildings to ‘star’ it the businesses, shops and homes. cathedral, town hall, library or concert is proposed that they should not be These star builings should not be In urban design terms their role is to hall. These are normally, but not subject to the rules set out in this confused with tall buildings, that are enclose the public realm of streets, always, commissioned by the public guidance. This however is subject to covered on pages 42 and 52. The squares and other public spaces. If sector and are the buildings that these conditions: plan to the right identifies a series they do this it is possible to have a become symbolic of a place. The star of possible sites for Star buildings. beautiful city (such as Berlin) even building traditionally stood within the That they are commissioned by a These will change over time and the when many of the supporting cast town square and would be the only body that includes a public sector planning authority will decide whether buildings are in themselves fairly building that could be seen from all partner. a building project should classified in unexceptional. Of course in other sides. As such it was not subject to this way. cities such as Barcelona or Paris the same rules as the supporting cast the supporting cast buildings are buildings. It is vital that most of the new buildings beautiful and the city is all the richer Bradford has some fine in Bradford follow the rules in this guide. for that. However they still follow a star buildings - City Hall, the Wool simple set of rules relating to their Exchange, the Cathedral and the However in certain circumstances ‘star’ Alhambra Theatre as well as modern buildings may be exempt.

32 33

Mosque

Cathedral

Wool Exchange

City Hall

Alhambra

Existing star buildings within the city centre Images facing page: (from left to right) Provided that they are of sufficient quality ‘star’ buildings do Potential future star buildings not always need to be bound by the rule of urban design. Examples here include: Examples in Bradford include City Hall and more recently the Challenge College. Examples elsewhere include the Peckham Library by Will Alsop and the Ruskin Library at Lancaster University by MacCormac Jamison Pritchard. Star buildings Building Line

At the heart of the Urban Design Building lines in areas of repair: In buildings. This will, of course, take lowed by development. In some case Guide set out in this document is the zones of repair the building line years to implement. However as new this is a broken line (shown dotted). the notion of a building line. This is is shown in dark red. In the Market buildings in the Education Campus fol- The light blue lines show the form of the line followed by the predominant neighbourhood and Little Germany this low these building lines it could gradu- the buildings but are not intended to elevation of a building as it faces onto follows the existing building line. New ally be re-integrated into the structure fix the location of the building line. the public realm. This is the face of buildings in these areas are required of the city. The character of the build- a building that encloses the street or to build to these lines thereby gradu- ing line in the zone of re-invention is square and in urban design terms is ally repairing the urban structure of Building lines in areas of re-inven- different to the zones of repair. The the most important. Design guid- the area. The two exceptions of this tion: The blue lines on the plan show scale of the streets and public spaces ance for some Dutch new towns, for are large blocks such as the Kirkgate the proposed building lines in the is greater and the intention is that example, require only that the front of centre where the suggested building areas of re-invention. These are based the public realm will feel more like a buildings follow the building line and line would mean that, if the centre were on the City Centre Masterplan as park flowing between the buildings join to the buildings on either side. to be remodelled it would be built as amended by work on this guide and as described in the following sec- The position and integrity four blocks. The second exception are the NDFs. The plan shows two types tion and envisaged in the City Centre of the building line and the height of areas where the urban form has com- of building line - the dark blue line Masterplan. the building at this point creates the pletely broken down. In the Cathedral indicates key building lines to be fol- character and sense of enclosure of Quarter the identified building lines streets and public spaces. Building follow closely the previous built form The urban design guidance will fix the lines have therefore been identified of the area. In the Education Campus building line of new buildings throughout the for the whole of the city centre on the the proposed building lines are based city so that they contribute to the repair and plan opposite. This included the fol- on the former street pattern amended lowing elements: to accommodate the existing university recreation of a coherent public realm

34 35

Proposed building lines in areas of Repair Secondary building lines in Zones of Reinvention. Images facing page: (from left to right) These are based on the illustrative city centre The view down Godwin Street showing a strong building Primary building lines in areas of Reinvention. masterplan but will be determined by the detailed line that breaks as it reaches the bottom of the valley. The dashed lines indicate a non-continuous design of buildings and are not subject to this Examples from Europe of streets with strong building frontage - such as the ends of the Business For- guidance. lines. These can be informal and winding as in historic est. towns or straight as in Paris and other ‘planned’ cities.

Proposed building lines Street hierarchy

At the heart of every town and city routes. This relates to the size of or heavily restricted in terms of traffic. encouraging through traffic. This is a network of streets and public the blocks and number of public Nevertheless even without their traffic traffic circulation strategy needs to spaces. These are the areas where routes. The tendency with many the high streets, secondary streets be overlaid onto the street hierarchy. the life of the city takes place and an recent developments has been and local streets of a place retain their However in urban design terms the important role for the urban design to reduce the number of routes distinctive character which relates original functions of the streets are guide is to protect and enhance the and to make it more difficult to to the width of the street, the scale most important. quality of this public realm. This is move around (particularly in the of the buildings, the mix of uses and The exclusion of traffic partly about the design of the streets evening when shopping centres the degree of enclosure. The plan from the centre has created another - the paving, signage and street are closed). to the right therefore identifies the tier to the street hierarchy - the furniture. However it is much more street hierarchy of central Bradford Boulevard. These are major streets about the design of the building, their Street hierarchy: Not all streets as a basis for the urban design guide. carrying high volumes of traffic often position, height and the way that they are equal. Traditionally there is a This is based on a combination of running around the city (the original address the street. hierarchy of high streets - which the historic street pattern (see pages boulevards ran around line of the There are two parts to the public are the most important with the 18 and 19) and the City Centre former walls of Paris). The City Ring realm of a city, the streets and the largest shops and public facilities, masterplan. Road is a classic boulevard although squares and public spaces. The latter secondary streets and local The plan on page 45 identifies a currently with little of the character are dealt with in the final section of streets. large area where pedestrians will have and appeal of a French boulevard. The this guide, here we are concerned priority. This is likely to be linked to a guidance therefore sets out rules for with the streets. In the past the street hierarchy also series of loop roads bringing essential boulevards along with the other tiers The street network of Bradford, related to movement through the traffic into the city centre without of the street hierarchy. like all cities is made up of a grid city. High streets tended also to be of streets that allow people to more the main traffic streets which indeed The urban design guidance will set out around the centre. There are two was why they were so important. rules for new buildings and the treatment of important aspects to this street grid: This has changed as traffic is increasingly excluded from the city the public realm for each level of the street Permeability: The ability to move centre. This means that the original hierarchy including the . around easily by a variety of high streets are often pedestrianised

36 37

High Streets: The former main roads through the Secondary Streets: The streets that give access Boulevards: The main routes today, diverting Images facing page: (from left to right) city, lined with shops. Now often pedestrianised to different parts of the city, These tend to be traffic around the centre. These should not be Ivegate in Bradford, an example of a high street that has within the central area, these are still the most narrower with less high-profile shops and hous- designed as motorways but as grand boulevards now been pedestrianised through the city centre. The important streets symbolised by their width ing or offices on the upper floors. lined where possible with commercial buildings. City’s street hierarchy can still be seen on the aerial and the fact that they house the most important photos. shops and public uses. Local streets: The minor streets that make The hatched streets are, or will, become pedestrian The hierarchy dates back to Roman towns where the up the majority of the street network. Outside priority. This does not mean pedestrianisation in all high streets run from the gates, secondary streets bisect each quarters. This can be seen in the aerial photo of NB - The dotted line shows the indicative extension the centre these are where the housing and work- cases. Barcelona except that the high street that runs diagonally space is found, they tend to be quieter and with of the City Ring Road to Thornton Road this Also shown are indicative streets arising from zones across the grid (and is called Diagonale) . few shops however is to be designed as a high street rather of reinvention than a boulevard. Proposed street hierarchy Tall buildings strategy

There is currently a great deal of The most important of these in Bradford of buildings getting taller the tall building strategy with the interest nationally in tall buildings. is the view from Wakefield Road towards the bottom of the hills. ‘Star’ buildings. Tall buildings are The consultations undertaken as (View A) because as part of the Ring However this would impact on the not Stars, neither are they part of the part of the development of this guide Road it is experienced by a large views analysed on the facing page. supporting cast. Because they will be did not revealed great enthusiasm number of people. The views from Instead the preferred strategy the most prominent structures in the for tall buildings in Bradford. There Road and Road locates tall buildings in valleys on the city centre they will be subject to the was however an acceptance that it are less important because they are edge of the centre. These zones are most rigorous control as set out in is unrealistic to resist tall structures from low ground. There is a further shown as four red-lined areas on the the Massing and Tall Buildings section altogether. The tall buildings strategy set of important views from the North facing plan. It suggests tall building of the urban design guide. The policy is therefore designed not to encourage East on the high ground rising to zones on Thornton Road, Valley Road, should not therefore be seen as a tall buildings, but to accommodate . From Manor Manchester Road and Wakefield green light for all tall buildings in these them in a way that respects the Row and the education campus there Road. In these locations the buildings zones. topography and character of the city are glimpsed view but these are again would create gateways into the city There are also a number of centre. less prominent. centre without intruding on any of the existing but rather undistinguished This builds upon the topographical There are a number of potential key views. The strategy would also tall buildings in Bradford. The analysis on Page 20. As this strategies for the siting of tall building. help visually link the valleys into the refurbishment and remodelling of described, Bradford is built in a bowl One possibility would be to site tall city centre. these buildings is encouraged and will creating a series of excellent views buildings on the tops of the hills It is important not to confuse be subject to the same tall building from the approach roads looking around the centre emphasising the criteria as new buildings. down into the city centre. The town topography. This however would Tall buildings will be located outside the hall is central to these views, rising mean locating towers in sensitive from the lowest point of the bowl areas such as Little Germany and the centre in the valleys and will be subject to with a backdrop of the city and Market. the guidance in the massing section of the Manningham Mills on the hill to the Another would be to locate tall rear. An analysis has been undertaken buildings in the valleys. This would urban design guide. of these views on the facing page. continue the common building form

38 39

K

F J

G

E H I

C A1

D B A Key views and tall building zones 40 41

Urban Design Code

In which we set out a series of rules to guide the development of new buildings The enclosure of space: In which Design Quality: In which we in City Centre Bradford. Thse rules are based on the framework set out in the we set describe rules about the seek to promote buildings of the previous section and is intended to provide guidance both for developers and their size and positioning of buildings highest quality of contemporary consultants and for development control planning officers. to create an attractive public realm design in a way that respects the made up of well-proportioned historic townscape of the city. streets and public spaces The street network: In which we Animating the public realm: In Street Character: In which we set out a series of rules to ensure which we set out rules about the Massing and tall buildings: In provide guidance of the design that new development contributes way that buildings relate to streets which we provide guidance for the of each type of street to create a to the creation of a pleasant walk- to create a city centre that bustles height of new builings to ensure strong hierarchy of streets with able city centre with a permeable with life and where buildings spill that they respect the historic distinctive characters network of streets and squares. their activity onto the streets. parts of Bradford while creating opportunities for landmarks and a Critical Mass: In which we set out dramatic townscape elsewhere. rules of the density of new devel- opment to ensure a lively diverse city centre with a critical mass of residents and activities The street network Aspiration

To create a pleasant walkable city centre with a permeable network of streets, squares and public spaces. The street network of Bradford is largely established. However 1e. In the central parts of large developments that include a number of city blocks will be the city the street network responsible for changing and reshaping the street network and should be a predominantly public realm of the centre. Where this happens it is important that traffic free environment: the street network is enhanced. The following guidance will therefore Streets and spaces in the zones apply. shown to the right will be pedestrian Zones of Repair priority, through traffic will be excluded and vehicles will be restricted to The street network is largely delivery vehicles and cars accessing established in the zones of repair. 1a. All new streets will end 1c. Covered arcades or city centre car parks. penetration There may be occasions (such as in other streets: Developments malls are acceptable as to the city centre is to be maintained if the Kirkgate Centre were to be should not create cul-de-sacs or dead- a way of opening up the while reducing the impact of on redeveloped) where new streets could ends for pedestrians, although traffic centre of urban blocks: the main pedestrian streets by creating be created. However generally the will, of course, be restricted in parts of Arcades are a traditional part of city a bus circuit. implication of these policies will be the centre. centres and allow the public realm of the widening of the pedestrian area in a city to be extended into the heart of 1f. The streets outside the Market and the gradual lifting of 1b. The scale and urban blocks. the pedestrian zones will traffic restrictions in surrounding areas proportion of the new be permeable to traffic such as Little Germany, the Cathedral streets should relate to 1d. Where arcades or malls movement: The streets around the Precinct and Goitside but avoiding use their role in the wider street replace a current public fringe of the city centre are enlivened by through traffic. hierarchy: The plan on Page 35 street they should be and made safe by the activity that indicates the proposed street hierarchy open in the evenings and traffic creates. Unless it is absolutely Zones of reinvention. and page 54 provides guidance on the at weekends: In recent years unavoidable all streets in these areas design of each type of street. shopping centre developers have should be open to local traffic. The redevelopment of Broadway, the privatised the public realm of many canal area and Thornton Road together with the proposals for the Bowl create cities by creating large covered malls. 1g. Urban blocks will be When these are closed they create ample opportunity to recreate a street kept small so that streets network in these areas along the lines dead areas around them. Malls that are not too widely spaced: replace public streets will therefore set out in these rules. Urban blocks should be no larger than be designed as public spaces, 120m on their longest dimension. with natural ventilation and outdoor Blocks should present their shortest materials. They will be open, where elevation to high streets in order to possible, 24 hours a day seven days feed activity onto the most important a week. streets. Blocks should become smaller towards the centre of the city.

42 43

Pedestrian priority areas

Areas where the public realm should be pedestrian priority. Outside these areas traf- fic movement should be restricted as little as possible.

Pedestrian priority zones

Top left: Cities such as Edinburgh and Bilbao have very dif- ferent character but are both based on a permeable network of streets. Top centre: Arcades such as those in central (drawing) and Milan (top centre) are a good way of creating a pleasant shopping environment provided that they are well designed. Above: The street hierarchy plan indicating the zone which would be pedestrian priority together with good examples of pedestrianised and traffic streets in Bradford. Active streets and arcades Animating the public realm Aspiration

To create a city centre that bustles with life and where buildings spill their activity onto the streets.

Traditional town and city centres bustle with life because of the 2d. The ground floor of will depend on the role of the space way that they are designed. By contrast many of the town centres buildings should present ranging from major events around the of recent years have concealed activity within buildings so that an active frontage to the City Hall to buskers pitches in smaller the public realm feels deserted and dead. It is therefore important street: The activity and life within spaces (use of the public realm in this that the design of buildings allows the activity within to animate a building should be visible from way may still require a licence). the surrounding streets and spaces. the street on all high streets and secondary streets. Retail units should Zones of Repair have shopfronts on all high streets and secondary streets (especially around In commercial areas such as Little the edge of shopping centres). None- Germany the configuration of can active frontages are acceptable on warehousing make it difficult to 2a. All new buildings will 2b. Buildings should tertiary streets if this is unavoidable. create active frontages. However the front on to the public realm create ‘eyes’ onto the Office and residential buildings should traditional buildings in these areas of the city: The public fronts of street: All elevations of buildings animate the street with generous follow all the other rules in this section buildings will face onto the street facing onto high streets and foyers and atria. and it is important that new buildings while the private back will face into secondary streets should have do the same. the centre of an urban block. Where windows on the ground and 2e. Street cafés are a development has more than one upper floors. Black facades will encouraged: All café, Zones of reinvention. street frontage, the main entrance not be acceptable even for retail restaurants and bars are encouraged to the building will be taken from the development. This supervision to provide tables on the pavement or These rules are particularly important most important street as defined by increases the security of streets. pedestrianised areas. This is possible in the new retail, commercial and the street hierarchy on page 39. There within the zone where there are on- residential developments proposed should also be at least one entrance 2c. Buildings should street drinking restrictions provided in this area. While the character of on each of the other street frontages include a vertical mix of that the pavement area is redesignated. the Zone or reinvention is based on a presented by the building. uses: In city centres housing and landscape flowing around and between buildings the rules about active offices are upper floor uses while 2f. Public spaces will frontage should still apply. retailing, eating and drinking, services contain opportunities for and cultural uses are best on the events and performance: As ground floor. In most of the city described in the public realm section, centre a vertical mix of uses should all new and refurbished public spaces create active ground floors. This will will incorporate opportunities for be a requirement on high streets. public performance. The nature of this

44 45

Active Frontages

Sections of building line which should have active frontages

Left and above: Lively streets in Manchester and Groningen in Holland - Streets where the buildings spill their activity onto the streets. Above left: In the traditional parts of Bradford City Centre these principles create a lifely bustelling street life Top right: A plan showing which building lines should have active frontages Active Frontages The enclosure of space Aspiration

To create an attractive public realm made up of well proportioned streets and public spaces

The character of the street network and public spaces is created 3e. The height of the Zones of Repair partly by the way the space is designed. However when they are building on the building full of people all the street furniture and surfacing is hidden. What line should be scaled The building line and massing in matters is the way that buildings address and enclose the space. The to create an enclosure these areas is pretty much fixed buildings are the walls of public spaces and need to be designed to ratio appropriate to the by the existing buildings and new enclose and enliven the space. The following guidance will therefore character of the street: development will be expected to apply: There are a number of factor to take respect this. account of to achieve an acceptable ratio. In zones of repair new buildings Zones of reinvention. should respect the height of their There is less existing urban structure 3a. The front elevations of 3c. Buildings can be set neighbours and those across the in these areas which makes it more all buildings will be sited back from the building line street. The enclosure ratio of streets important that building lines and within 1m of the defined only where this is justified in these areas will generally be greater than 1:1 (ie the buildings heights and massing are respected. building line: The guide shows in terms of design of the are higher than the street is wide). However the siting of buildings in the building line for the whole of building: Traditionally, important In the zones of reinvention there is these areas is not yet fixed and is likely the city centre. In most cases this buildings were set back from the more flexibility both in the heights of to be determined following further is defined by the existing buildings. building line for greater impact. In this buildings and the enclosure ration of masterplanning work. However in the zone of reinvention case the building line will normally spaces. the a new urban structure is being be marked with railings or another created. A digital version of the boundary treatment. building line plan is available from the Planning Authority to enable this rule 3d. The building line should to be assessed. be largely unbroken: The Enclosure ratios: The ratio of the height of buildings to the width of a street determines the character of the space. 1) A 3:1 ratio appropriate for minor 3b. Building lines can be façade of buildings should joint to the streets in the heart of the city, 2) A 1:1 ratio typical of most high streets, 3) A changed provided that this buildings on neighbouring sites to 1:2 ratio, appropriate to residential streets on the edge of the city centre. is part of a masterplanning create a continuous wall to the street. process. The building line on This is a requirement in the zones of the plan, especially in the zone of repair and on high streets. In the zone reinvention, may change. This is of reinvention there is more flexibility, acceptable provided that it is done however buildings should occupy at as part of a masterplanning exercise least 60% of the building line frontage. approved by the Planning Authority. 1. 2. 3.

46 47

Building lines

Building lines in Zones of Repair Primary building lines in Zones of Reinven- tion. Secondary building lines in Zones of Reinvention.

2.

Top: The effect of different levels of enclosure. Middle: The width of a street and the height of buildings cre- ate a very different in Vienna (left) and Bordeaux (right). Above: An intimate street in the Victorian heart of Bradford where the streets are about one and a half times taller than the width of the streets. Right: The character of squares, such as Park Square in Leeds, also depends on the enclosure ratio. Top right: The proposed building line in Bradford (see page 39 for a larger version. Building line Massing and tall buildings Aspiration

To respect the height and massing of the historic parts of Bradford while creating opportunities for landmarks and a dramatic townscape elsewhere.

The height of buildings in the city centre will be determined in part by Architectural quality: Because Microclimate effects: Tall the enclosure of space described in the previous section. However of the prominence of the building buildings applications will be there are other issues to consider particularly with tall buildings so they should be of the highest accompanied by wind and that the following guidance will apply: architectural quality. shading assessments.

Massing: The scale, form, Night-time appearance: proportion, silhouette and Proposals will need to be 4a. In Zones of repair 4c. Tall buildings are relationship to other structures accompanied by a lighting the height of buildings acceptable in the areas should be considered. This will strategy. The computer will be determined by the indicated on the plan need to be assessed through visualisations, described below, surrounding buildings: The opposite: A tall building in this computer visualisations as should include night-time views. predominant height in these areas context is defined as any structure of described below. is 4-6 storeys and it is unlikely that 9 storeys and over and will be subject Views: The buildings will need to buildings taller than this will be to the special guidance set out in this Materials: Quality materials and be subject to a views analysis. acceptable. Respect for built context section. Buildings below this will still finishes are essential. Render is This should identify the key views will override all other factors in these be subject to the usual assessment of unlikely to be acceptable. of the building (including all of the areas. massing. The tall building zones have views the plan to the right). For 4b. Buildings will get larger been defined so that tall buildings do The top of the building: The each of these accurate, photo- towards the centre of the not interfere with key views in the city design of the top of the building realistic computer visualisations centre. Each is positioned in a valley is critical. It should be designed will be required. city. It is a distinctive characteristic and will serve to ‘bookend’ the city as an integral part of the building of Bradford that the buildings get centre. rather than a mass of plant and Zones of Repair taller towards the centre. However masts. because the centre is in a bowl this 4d. All tall buildings will be The massing of existing buildings is the often creates a level roof line. This subject to a tall building Contribution to the public realm: overriding issue in these areas. characteristic should be respected in assessment based on the Many tall buildings are designed new development. CABE/English Heritage as objects and damage public Zones of reinvention. guidance: Tall buildings are not realm. They, or their podium ‘star buildings’ as defined on Page 30. should respect the building line There is more scope for flexibility here. Indeed because of the prominence of and where possible they should While tall buildings will be confined to these buildings they will be subject to include active ground floor uses. the zones, there is scope for a variation more stringent assessment based on of building heights elsewhere in these the following criteria: areas.

48 49

Tall building zones

See larger plan on page 41 Tall buildings zone

Tall buildings zone

Tall buildings zone

Tall buildings zone

Top left: Distinctive Towers in Switzerland. Above centre and right: Three towers next to the Thames in London - Brewery Wharf by PTE architects, Montivetrio by Richard Rogers and Limehouse. Drawing: The Coin Street Tower and Oxo building by Lifshutz Davidson Architects in London. Top right: Tall builing zones (see larger version on page 41) Tall buildings Design quality Aspiration

To promote the highest quality of contemporary de- sign in a way that respects the historic townscape of Bradford has inherited many fine buildings from previous 5d. Buildings in zones of the city. generations, particularly the Victorians. The city is currently in repair should respond a period of great change and it is important that an equally fine to the context set by architectural heritage is passed on to future generations. However surrounding buildings: This Zones of Repair this will not be achieved by rules and regulations. So, unlike many includes the tripartite structure of other design guides that go into great detail about design, this guide buildings (base, middle and top) and There has been a tendency in the past is based on the view that design is the responsibility of architects and the vertical emphasis of fenestration. for new buildings in these areas to their clients. If the urban design parameters detailed in this guide are be a historical pastiche - which has followed buildings will fit into their context allowing greater freedom generally not worked. By following the for designers to innovate. The following guidance is designed to 5e. Contemporary design guidance on massing and siting in this encourage rather than regulate for quality design. solutions are encouraged: Architectural pastiche (by which we guide it is anticipated that we can give mean buildings that are poor copies greater freedom to designers in these 5a. Star buildings should 5b. All planning of historic styles) is not acceptable areas without undermining the quality be procured by design applications covering in any part of the city centre. In both of the townscape. competition: Developers are more than 1ha will need zones of repair and reinvention a required to procure star buildings via to be accompanied by a contemporary approach to design is Zones of reinvention. architectural competitions. They are masterplan and realised by encouraged. also encouraged to use architectural more than one architect. In the zones of reinvention there is competitions on other prominent Bradford like most cities is made up 5f. Quality materials should more opportunity for architectural developments. of hundreds of buildings by different be used: Materials should be expression. The danger however is architects creating a rich and varied durable and appropriate to the that the large scale of development townscape. This is not possible where Bradford climate. These include opportunities will lead to a lack of a large area is designed by one hand. stone, steel and glass and slate. variety and interest. It is therefore In these cases a number of designers Other materials are not ruled out but important that development in these should work within a framework design justification will be required for areas is led by masterplanning created by a masterplan. the use of materials such as timber, exercises and that the buildings are metal, brick and render. realised by a variety of architects.

5c. Prominent buildings 5g. All planning should be designed to applications for new create landmarks: Strong buildings will require a corners are a feature of Bradford. design statement: The design New prominent corner buildings or of all new buildings needs to address buildings that terminate vistas should these issues and a design statement be emphasised. However this should will be required to show how they not be seen as encouragement for have been addressed. towers on every corner.

50 51

Top left and right: The Needle by Ian Ritchie Architects in Dublin and public art in Berlin show how inspired commissioning can create a sense of excitement. Above and right: Extension to the Wool Exchange and National Museum of Photography, and , examples of success- ful contemporary design in Bradford. Below and right: Further examples in Berlin, Bristol and the Nether- lands show how contemporary buildings can contribute positively to a historic townscape without resorting to pastiche.

Design Quality Street Character Aspiration

To create a strong hierar- chy of streets each with a distinctive character

On pages 36 and 37 we described a proposed street hierarchy for the city centre based upon four categories of street. New develop- ment needs to reinforce the distinctive character and form of each of these street types. The following rules will therefore apply:

6a The City Ring Road will 6b. High streets are the 6c. Secondary Streets will 6d. Tertiary streets make be treated as a boulevard: most important streets. provide access into each up the remainder of the Development that front onto the ring The High streets indicated on the plan part of the city centre. The streets in the city and road should contribute to the gradual on page 39 will be developed with streets leading off high streets will be will provide access to taming and urbanisation of this route. a continuous frontage (ie. buildings less urban. In the heart of the city they residential and commercial All development should front onto should join to those on either side). should have continuous frontages, buildings: These are less the street and should be of sufficient Ground floors should be populated however on the fringes of the centre prominent streets. They will generally scale to create a sense of edge and with active ground floor uses. In most this may drop to a 75% frontage. At not have active ground floor uses. enclosure. A buffer zone should be cases the width of the street and the least 30% of the ground floors will be Within the centre they should achieve created with street trees and in some predominant height of buildings is active. Where new streets are being at least 60% frontage enclosure cases a service road can provide already fixed. However where a new created, the street should be 12-17m and outside the centre at least 40%. access and parking. high street is being created it should wide and the buildings will be 3-5 The street width will vary - in the be 17-22m wide and will be bounded storeys. heart of the city these streets will be by buildings of 4-6 storeys. narrow (9-14m). Outside the centre, particularly in residential areas, the streets may be wider.

52 53

Different types of streets have a distinctive design and character: Above: From left to right - Lord Street in Southport one of the best UK examples of a Boulevard, a continental boulevard in Amsterdam, Trolly Streetm a high street in Lisbon Portugal and a secondary streets in Barcelona Old Town Right: Ivegate and Hall , two fine streets in Bradford. Drawing: Grey Street and Grainger Street in Newcastle - Grey Street was voted by Radio 4 listeners as the best street in Britain

Types of streets Critical Mass Aspiration

To create a lively diverse city centre with a critical mass of residents and activities

The vitality and diversity of a city is based on the density of uses in the centre. It is this that creates life and bustle and ensures that the centre does not die at 6pm when the offices workers and shoppers go home. A density of residents and commercial uses ensures that the streets and spaces are animated and safe as well as that there are enough people to support shops and local services.

7a. Densities should rise 7c. Residential 7e. In the city centre a 7g. Plot ratios on towards the centre of the development in the heart residential privacy distance commercial development city: Traditionally densities are of the city centre should be of at least 15m will apply should be at least 2:1: greater in the centre of a city. The built at a density of 100- on dual-aspect apartments This means that the floor area of density and plot ratio guidelines below 250 units/hectare: This is a and 20m on single-aspect the building is twice the site area. If should therefore be applied with this broad density range. It does however units: This is a lower standard the building covered half the site it in mind. imply apartments of 5-6 storeys than applies in the rest of the city would therefore imply a four storey and is sufficient to create . but is appropriate for urban living. building and will ensure that low 7b. In mixed use blocks Schemes at densities greater than this The privacy distance will apply to density commercial buildings are not the density guidelines will need to show that they can be the main living rooms of the home. acceptable. below should be applied in built without undermining residential This guidance does not overide the proportion to the floor area standards such as privacy and natural guidance on the width of streets. 7h. Large areas of of each use: A broad mix of uses daylight. surface parking are not is encouraged in the city centre and 7f. Care should be taken to acceptable: Parking should be will ensure activity at different times 7d. Around the fringe of avoid single aspect, north- accommodated at basement level, in of the day. the centre housing can facing flats: Where possible courtyards and on-street. be built at lower densities double-loaded flats should be oriented provided that these do not with eastern and western aspects fall below 60 units/ha. This to ensure that living spaces receive is allows a mix of town houses and adequate daylight. flats. Large family housing is not appropriate here.

54 55

Critical mass of development is essential to the creation of a lively city centre: Top centre: Italian cities are built at far greater densities than UK cities. Top right and bottom right: New high density office and residential development in Bradford. Above: New high density apartments in Salford in Manches- ter are starting to reanimate the city centre. Drawing: A vew of Edinburgh New Town showing the density of development despite the streets and public spaces of the area feeling comfortable.

Critical mass