City Centre Strategy Nicki Jenkins, Director of Economic Development Nottingham City Council Over Recent Years Cities Have Thrived Across the Globe
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City Centre Strategy Nicki Jenkins, Director of Economic Development Nottingham City Council Over recent years Cities have thrived across the globe • There has been a growth World cities by population in 1950… in city centre living. • The population living in large city centres in the UK doubled between 2001 and 2011, • With the number of 20-29 … and in 2018 year olds living in them almost tripling. Source: The Economist But in Nottingham our City Centre faces some challenges… • Lower city centre population growth than every other core city • Traditional retail under pressure • Shortage of grade-A office space in the city centre. • Low business & employment density in the city centre compared to key comparator cities • Underutilised public realm – not busy enough • A perception problem – too few people know what Nottingham has to offer. …and we also have some opportunities • Major redevelopments all due for completion 2020-2021. (Broadmarsh, Central Library, Castle Redevelopment, Southside) • The largest digital tech industry in the East Midlands. • A best-in-class public transport system, with strong growth in ridership and revenue over recent years. • The lowest transport emissions per capita of any core city. • Nottingham’s population is bucking the national trend and becoming younger, as its universities continue to grow. Now is the time to act • 2021 Nottingham’s opportunity – the platform from which to accelerate growth • Key developments due for completion (Castle, Library, Broadmarsh, Southside), NFFC development • Residential developments coming forward, new office space more viable for Grade A, as lower grade office space gets soaked up by change of use. • Pull existing and future assets together into one coherent vision is backbone of strategy to renew the city centre. • To catalyse new wave of growth, as Nottingham benefits from urbanisation trends that are accelerating in major cities. The size of the prize £18.4bn (+4.1bn) Nottingham hasn’t yet had rapid agglomeration benefits that Manchester has experienced. Manchester has grown at 3% per year over the last twenty years – Nottingham has been half that, at 1.5%. At its current rate of growth, Nottingham will have a £14bn economy in 2040. But if key developments catalyse change in 2020/21 then growth could pick up to 3% over the following five years. City Centre Strategy - Key proposals 1. We need more people living, working and enjoying the city centre. 2. Environmental sustainability needs to be at the heart. 3. We need to pull all of the development strands together. 4. Connectivity is crucial 5. We need to get the basics right – clean, safe etc. 6. This needs to be a partnership. Reframing the city centre offer Reopened Castle Island site Reopened Broadmarsh Unity Square Nottingham College Hub New Central Library Waterside (Trent Basin) Reframing the City Centre • The city centre offer fits neatly into five “zones”. • Zones are concepts to help understand how different parts of the city centre are working, and what is needed to help them succeed. Urban Create campus Shop, visit, and dine Work and learn Live and relax More walkable – better people access Within the city centre there are barriers to walkability which make it a less attractive and healthy space. These barriers cut off important parts of the city centre – like the Castle, the station, Nottingham Trent University, and Sneinton. Creative approaches are needed A city centre where more people want to live • We need to catch up with other core cities, increasing the number of people living in the city centre. • Needs to be a place where families want to come. • To do this we need more and different types of residential space • But also concerted efforts to make our city centre more liveable and sustainable. To become UK’s most liveable and sustainable city centre in the UK More people working in the city • At the moment, not enough people work in Nottingham city centre. • It has the lowest peak employment density of any core city – but research shows it is this which is vital for long term city centre success. • A lack of office space, in particular grade A offices. • An over-focus on retail. • Low graduate retention – too many graduates are looking to leave the city after university. Opportunities: • Prioritisation of the Southside Regeneration area –. Creation of a business district around the train station. • Brokerage – working with funders and professional companies to agree deals for top end office space in the city centre, • A burgeoning digital tech industry in the city centre – maximise potential to grow employment and turnover. More people experiencing the city • Nottingham is blessed with an iconic square, historic architecture and a walkable city centre. • But we have a declining retail offer and tourist visits have remained static over the last decade. • We need more to be happening, more often, in more places. • With more attractive, green spaces across the city centre. Between the Victoria and Broadmarsh shopping centres is a clearly defined North- South retail corridor of big brand shops. Highest monthly footfall is seen at the Victoria (1.5m) but this drops to 300,000 near the Broadmarsh. There is also a more diffuse East-West retail corridor of independent shops between Derby Road and Sneinton Market. This independent sector is a real strength of the City Centre – but footfall levels are lower – between 300,000 and 600,000. Victoria Centre Derby Road West End Cobden Arcade Sneinton Chambers Market Target: Target: 1.5 million 1 million On north-south On east-west Broadmarsh corridor corridor We need to maximise our assets. Opportunities: • Animating 13 public squares across the city centre – events and public realm. • Joined up events strategy. • Work with landowners to maximise the potential the Caves offer as a visitor destination • The reopening of the castle, which a chance to use our most famous connection – Robin Hood – to draw much greater numbers. • Establish Nottingham as a city of light, with at least one new “showstopper” light feature installed annually. But to achieve all of this we need to think differently BID • There are a number of key Marketing NG Creative stakeholders who have an active Quarter interest in making Nottingham City Centre a success. Key Growth • No one group can deliver strategy on Businesses Company Universities their own. • So partners with ‘skin in the game’ Strategic Cultural Nottingham need to make the sum bigger than Partnership Castle the parts. Nottingham City Council • Work together to create new ‘corporation’ for the City Centre. Deliver for the city – cleaner, greener, safer • Active City Centre Management a key function of the Corporation • Getting basics right – ongoing work to ensure that the city centre is safe, clean, green and welcoming • This is the starting point, from which we can build to more ambitious schemes: ❑ Land assembly for key developments ❑ Licensing linked to coherent zoning ❑ Events Strategy ❑ Co-investment in new opportunities ❑ Marketing and visitor attractions Key targets 80,000 (+20,000) City centre population by 2025 0 Net Grams of carbon dioxide 1.5 million (+900k) produced in Nottingham by 2028 Footfall between Victoria centre and the Broadmarsh per month 80 (+20) Green space access points within 30,000 (+15,000) a kilometre of the centre, with Nottingham the UK’s leading Peak city centre employment green city density (per sq. km) 25 million (+8m) Tram ridership following extension £25 (+£10) of network eastwards Rent per sq. ft for grade a office space in Nottingham 500,000 (+200,000) rd 3 (+2) Tourist visits in 2025, following the UK core city for digital industry reopening of the castle Thank you.