CovValleyBoy
Well-Known Member
Yeah & they are all in the UK I fear.
For a city this size, not many if any in the UK
It's a low bar isn't it ?Wolverhampton, Luton, Bradford, Stoke, Sunderland are just a few that are worse.
Yeah & they are all in the UK I fear.
It's a low bar isn't it ?
Our city centre is really small compared to most cities our size. The problem is nothing is connected together, or provides a decent, worthwhile route to get between them.The whole City Centre is a mess, it's too big too spread out and not enough roads. Nobody likes eating and drinking on concrete precinct and walkways. Traffic and roads adds vibrancy
Our city centre is really small compared to most cities our size. The problem is nothing is connected together, or provides a decent, worthwhile route to get between them.
The biggest problem is the RR, as it cuts off the connection between the surrounding suburbs so no-one just 'wanders' into town anymore. The biggest 'miss' of the last 25-30 years was the failure to pass the Swanswell Initiative levelling J1-3 of the RR.
A lot of the redevelopment post-war onwards has been a mess. The Gibson plan made everything disjointed and back-to-front. Rather than putting public squares at 'nodes' at interesting features or where many places intersect he just tried to force them in places where he wanted them even though they made no sense. Why the precinct needed to be precisely east-west when you could have built it following Smithfield St so it was a route that led somewhere I don't know.
The Phoenix Initiative is inside out. Supposed to connect the transport musuem to the cathedral, but doesn't offer a sightline or clear route between the two so you ignore it. The route looks more like an alley leading to service areas.
Talking of that I've got no idea what they think they'll achieve with the area off Hales St where the river runs. Again it will seem like a service area hidden behind tall buildings. I can't see anyone wanting to go there.
The one bit that has been a slight improvement is the route from the train station into the city centre, although overall I think it's a failure because it was never going to need that much office space.
It's so annoying that it doesn't seem to me to be that difficult to see potential routes between sites of interest, or sightlines to appreciate them and then the nodes that are formed between them from that. Yet somehow everytime the planners do almost the exact opposite.
For example I've long said that you could get a brilliant sightline/route from the train station into the city centre that incorporates a view of the three spires. The perspective is ideal. It would lead people towards the city centre and create a unique sense of place. You know you're in Coventry. But guess where was the one place the council decided tall buildings could be built in the city centre? Exactly on that route. Instead they decided to preserve 'sightlines' of the spires that are largely covered with modern structures and even cut off by the RR.
I agree entirely and the big problem is it's not finished. The new hotel looks so weird and small considering it was supposed to be the showcase route and make the city seem more built up.Lots of good points although I disagree slightly with Friargate. I think the area looks really good despite not fully being finished.
For me, that area should be full of residential apartments etc. It is next to a train station which can get you into London quicker than some Surrey and Kent commuter towns.
I agree entirely and the big problem is it's not finished. The new hotel looks so weird and small considering it was supposed to be the showcase route and make the city seem more built up.
Until it is it'll be a failure. And I foresee that being with a lot of residential apartments.
One thing I will say I don't like about Friargate are the streetlights. I know they're meant to look modern and interesting but it just looks like someone's crashed into them.They should have gone taller with the hotel but I still think it looks pretty good. The whole area is relatively clean and modern. Far better than what was before!
Coventry City Centre needs more residents. If people live in town, they will eat, shop and socialise there. That's why it's pretty quiet after 6pm.
nothing is connected together, or provides a decent, worthwhile route to get between them..
Wondered what this was all about until I got to this linePart of Coventry's old IKEA building could be demolished under new plans
A new planning application has emerged after a new contractor was appointed on the project to turn the former homeware store into a cultural hubwww.coventrytelegraph.net
Seems weird to knock the whole multi storey down.
Although why they think there is a need for that when half the city centre and pretty much the entire SkyDome is empty is anyones guess.Space for Future Commercial/Retail tenants will now be created at ground floor.
I guess it's to do with making a business case for it. And we have had far too many streets where the street level has no frontages. That part of Corp St for example has a wall for IKEA on one side and a car park on the other. Hardly a great streetscape.Wondered what this was all about until I got to this line
Although why they think there is a need for that when half the city centre and pretty much the entire SkyDome is empty is anyones guess.
This has all the signs of slowly morphing from something for the benefit of the public into another council disaster.
Great post.Our city centre is really small compared to most cities our size. The problem is nothing is connected together, or provides a decent, worthwhile route to get between them.
The biggest problem is the RR, as it cuts off the connection between the surrounding suburbs so no-one just 'wanders' into town anymore. The biggest 'miss' of the last 25-30 years was the failure to pass the Swanswell Initiative levelling J1-3 of the RR.
A lot of the redevelopment post-war onwards has been a mess. The Gibson plan made everything disjointed and back-to-front. Rather than putting public squares at 'nodes' at interesting features or where many places intersect he just tried to force them in places where he wanted them even though they made no sense. Why the precinct needed to be precisely east-west when you could have built it following Smithfield St so it was a route that led somewhere I don't know.
The Phoenix Initiative is inside out. Supposed to connect the transport musuem to the cathedral, but doesn't offer a sightline or clear route between the two so you ignore it. The route looks more like an alley leading to service areas.
Talking of that I've got no idea what they think they'll achieve with the area off Hales St where the river runs. Again it will seem like a service area hidden behind tall buildings. I can't see anyone wanting to go there.
The one bit that has been a slight improvement is the route from the train station into the city centre, although overall I think it's a failure because it was never going to need that much office space.
It's so annoying that it doesn't seem to me to be that difficult to see potential routes between sites of interest, or sightlines to appreciate them and then the nodes that are formed between them from that. Yet somehow everytime the planners do almost the exact opposite.
For example I've long said that you could get a brilliant sightline/route from the train station into the city centre that incorporates a view of the three spires. The perspective is ideal. It would lead people towards the city centre and create a unique sense of place. You know you're in Coventry. But guess where was the one place the council decided tall buildings could be built in the city centre? Exactly on that route. Instead they decided to preserve 'sightlines' of the spires that are largely covered with modern structures and even cut off by the RR.
The retail and business parks I can sort of understand at the time.Great post.
The mistakes made when regenerating Coventry is a very long list unfortunately.
Like the 90’s trend of opening out of town retail parks all over the city (including central 6), then wondering why no one shops in the city centre anymore.
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