BDP to redefine Liverpool's waterfront story
Image: Liverpool aerial view courtesy of BDP
BDP has been appointed to help set out the future vision for developing Liverpool’s world-famous waterfront. Alongside urban design and landscape architecture firm, West 8, BDP’s urban design and placemaking experts have been chosen by Liverpool City Council to work on creating an ambitious and visionary plan for Liverpool’s iconic waterfront over the next 25 years.
In the last 20 years, Liverpool’s waterfront has been transformed, enabling it to host major international events from European Capital of Culture in 2008 to the Eurovision song contest last May, and now draws in millions of new visitors to the city every year. Popular family-friendly events such as the upcoming River of Light arts festival are also seen as a key element in providing an all-year round cultural offer.
More major regeneration projects are due to come to fruition, most notably a potential significant housing scheme at Festival Gardens to the south of the city and Everton’s new football stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, to the north, which is being delivered by BDP Pattern.
Designing with local knowledge, the team will engage with Liverpool’s communities, residents, and businesses and key stakeholders, such as Liverpool BID Company, Grosvenor, Tate Liverpool, and major land-owners such as Peel Land and Property, National Museums Liverpool, the Canal and River Trust, General Projects, and Liverpool Yacht Club.
Whilst Liverpool’s waterfront is a thriving destination there are challenges around inequality and deprivation in adjoining neighbourhoods, and there are disparities between the demographics of the wards along and adjoining the waterfront.
This new plan will form part of an approach to ensure developments coming forward are more inclusive, and the strategy will identify key challenges and opportunities for change to maximise benefit for communities along and adjacent the waterfront.
In addition, there are key challenges and opportunities around making the most of investment opportunities and economic activity in the docks, connectivity and linkages – north/ south and west/east, public realm and quality of place, conservation and enhancement of the natural and historic environment, as well as climate change and the city’s ambition to deliver net zero by 2030.