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Executive Summary | Public Realm Strategy Public Realm Strategy
INTRODUCTION
The essence of a successful shopping environment is the freedom to
move between shops, window browsing, without the noise, smell, danger or
disruption of traffic. Regent Street is dominated by its traffic.
Moreover, the street is laid out to maintain four lanes of moving
vehicles without impediment from shoppers. This perpetuates a divide
between the east and west sides of the street. For pedestrians, crossing
the street is a major undertaking. Even crossing the side streets at
their junctions with Regent Street is difficult and dangerous.
This public realm strategy seeks to redress the balance between
pedestrians and drivers in order that Regent Street can better fulfil
its purpose as a shopping destination of international recognition in
accordance with the Regent Street Vision. It also includes policies to
ensure that the special character of Regent Street is protected and
enhanced. Alongside this strategy attention is drawn to the
English Heritage publication, Streets for All: A Guide to the Management
of London's Streets (March 2002). TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
The appearance of Regent Street is largely determined by the street
furniture installed to maintain the flow of traffic, as it is by the
traffic itself. Heavy balustrading that channels pedestrians into
confined crossing points may also encourage drivers to move at speed
through junctions, confident that pedestrians cannot step into the
roadway. Thus, furniture that may be intended for pedestrian safety also
encourages driver behaviour that is inconsistent with a pleasant
shopping environment. Similarly, the signage and road markings,
the traffic lights and junction layouts, all are consistent with a major
London traffic artery - nothing distinguishes Regent Street as a special
place in terms of its retail status or its architectural importance.
Nothing induces a change in driver behaviour in response to the special
character of Regent Street or in recognition of the need for greater
pedestrian freedom. The CABE/ODPM publication Paving the Way
identifies the possibility and desirability of designing and managing
streets for shared use in a manner that does not prioritise the
interests of motorists over other sections of the community. It
recommends that local authorities adopt a cross-sectoral approach to the
management of streets. Regent Street would be an ideal case study for
pioneering this approach. Policy 1
The Crown Estate will work with Westminster City Council on a cross-sectoral
approach to the design of Regent Street with a view to managing it on a
shared-use basis where there is a better balance between the needs of
the retail businesses and their customers, and those of passing
motorists and transport undertakings. This policy may involve
The Crown Estate in commissioning a study to examine the potential for a
shared-use approach as the initial basis for discussion with the
Council. The work could examine the scope for, inter alia,
- Reduction in the prominence of traffic furniture (traffic signals,
carriageway markings, etc.).
- Removal of pedestrian guard rails and staggered crossings.
- Alternatives to standard black top as the surfacing material for
the carriageways.
- Introduction of continuous pavements along both sides of Regent
Street with ramps for traffic entering from side streets.
- Raising the carriageways in Regent Street to footway level to
provide a continuous surface enabling pedestrians and wheelchair users
to move more freely without kerbs, differentiating the street from the
general highway network and recognising its role as an important
shopping centre.
Policy 2
The Crown Estate will commission a study into the redesign of Regent
Street, evaluating the practicality, effectiveness and cost of a range
of measures that would adjust the priorities between pedestrians and
motorists in favour of the former. Ultimately, the greatest
benefit to Regent Street's shoppers will come from a reduction in the
number of vehicles using the street. Full pedestrianisation is not a
desirable objective for Regent Street (without the regular presence of
some traffic, a street of its dimensions will appear deserted and
unfriendly for most of the time). However, restricting use of Regent
Street to public transport - buses, taxis and essential services - could
enable the carriageway to be reduced to one lane in each direction,
freeing up far more space for pedestrians and significantly reducing the
pollution and intrusion of traffic. Imminent changes in traffic flow
arising from congestion charging and the implementation of Phase 1 of
the "World Squares for All" project, will provide an opportunity to
reassess the role of Regent Street in the highway network.
Policy 3
The Crown Estate will work the with the Greater London Authority,
Transport for London and Westminster City Council in pressing for a
review of the local highway network with a view to restricting traffic
flows on Regent Street. STREET FURNITURE
An attempt was made in 19-- to distinguish Regent Street and reflect its
architectural status by commissioning a special range of street
furniture. The design was intended to complement the Edwardian
architecture, but the heavy, traditional style and dark colour scheme
tends to be intrusive, and does not help to generate a bright, modern
shopping environment. Recent lightweight designs using steel,
glass and wood have proved successful in other historic shopping
environments (eg Graingertown in Newcastle) creating a bright, modern
style that works well alongside classical stone buildings. The
replacement of the present Regent Street furnishing with well-designed
modern fittings would refresh the appearance of the street and enhance
its image as a dynamic high quality shopping centre. Policy 4
The Crown Estate will explore the options for a range of modern, high
quality street furniture to replace the present traditional designs, in
consultation with Westminster City Council. SIGNAGE
Successful leisure and tourist environments (including shopping
malls) have high quality, integrated signage. By contrast, in
traditional streets like Regent Street, the signage has accrued on an
incremental basis over many years without the benefit of an overarching
strategy or design discipline. Regent Street is an important
visitor destination with major shops, hotels and historic buildings, but
for the millions of visitors arriving at Oxford Circus or Piccadilly
Circus, there is very limited information to help them explore the
street and locate its key attractions. A review of information
signage for visitors could examine the scope for new on-street
electronic information systems to work alongside traditional street
signs. It could prioritise the attractions to be signposted and analyse
the best locations at which to sign specific destinations. It could
consider the introduction of plaques on buildings to provide interesting
historic profiles. It could review the scale and prominence of traffic
signs, street name plates and building numbers, and recommend
appropriate design codes addressing size, location, materials, colours,
lettering, etc. Policy 5
The Crown Estate will commission a wholesale review of signage and
information for visitors to Regent Street in consultation with
Westminster City Council and Transport for London. LIGHTING
With improving retail attractions, Regent Street may increasingly become
an important visitor destination into the late evening hours.
Imaginative floodlighting can ensure that the rich architecture of the
street continues to attract visitors after dark, and retail tenants
should be required to maintain lighted window displays at night.
Floodlighting of individual buildings should conform to an overarching
scheme for Regent Street that reinforces the continuity of its
architectural design. Such a scheme has been devised by lighting
consultants for The Crown Estate. For maximum effect, this scheme
would require the removal of the street lighting fixtures from the
building facades. This in turn would require the introduction of new
street lighting columns to replace (or augment) the existing lamp
standards to achieve the appropriate level of highway illumination.
Street lighting for functional highway purposes has to be considered
alongside decisions on traffic management and street furniture as part
of an holistic approach to the design of the day and night time
environment. Existing street lamps fixed to building facades cannot be
removed and replaced by lamp standards on an ad hoc basis.
Policy 6
The floodlighting scheme designed by Imagination will be adopted and
introduced incrementally as individual blocks are refurbished.
Floodlighting proposals that do not conform to this scheme will be
rejected. The present street lamps attached to Regent Street facades
will remain (alongside the new floodlighting) until such time as a
replacement street lighting scheme has been prepared in conjunction with
future proposals for traffic management and street furniture.
PAVING
The quality of materials used for the buildings of Regent Street should
be reflected in the quality of the paving. The present stone paved
footways meet this standard, but adjacent to the buildings themselves,
the pavement lights and their surrounds are often in a state of
disrepair. Similarly, the paving of side streets is not to the same
standard. These are matters that should be addressed on an ongoing basis
by The Crown Estate. Policy 7
Whenever a building is refurbished, the programme of work will
include the replacement of inferior quality or damaged paving materials
and the repair of the pavement lights. PUBLIC ART
Public art can enrich the public realm and take many forms, from
freestanding objects to the subtle detailing of street furniture. Great
care is needed to relate the work to the size and scale of its setting.
Choice of materials, durability, visibility, lighting and ease of
maintenance are all critical considerations. Traditionally, public
art in Regent Street has been incorporated within the facades of major
buildings. There are no freestanding monuments or artworks in the street
itself. The introduction of street art might conflict with the
traditional character of Regent Street, and (at least until such time as
carriageway widths are reduced) there is insufficient space on the
footways for freestanding works of art. Policy 8
The Crown Estate will encourage the involvement of artists in the
design of building facades, signage and street furniture, but will not
support the installation of freestanding works of art in the street
itself, at least until such time as the footways are widened, following
a reduction in traffic. LANDSCAPING
The essential character of Regent Street is that of a formal urban
composition in which street trees are not appropriate. This will
continue to be the case, even if the pavements are widened and traffic
reduced. At that time, the opportunity to introduce small pockets of
planting, including planting boxes filled with trees or shrubs, should
be resisted as it would detract from the grand scale and urban formality
of the street. Hanging baskets are a more appropriate way to introduce
colour and greenery to this street. Policy 9
Tree and shrub planting will not be accepted in Regent Street.
MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT
A successful street environment depends upon regular and vigilant
maintenance and management, including the rapid repair of damage (using
the correct materials and techniques) removal of graffiti and attention
to unauthorised advertising. This depends on effective arrangements
within the Council, but can be augmented by an active approach on the
part of tenants identifying and reporting problems. Tenants may also be
encouraged to take direct responsibility for the cleanliness of the
footway outside their premises. Policy 10
The Crown Estate will encourage a proactive approach to maintenance
and management with a positive role for tenants in support of the
Westminster City Council.
Strategy Contact:
Les Sparks - architect/planner, specialist advisor to The Crown Estate
les.sparks1@lineone.net
0121 415 4547
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