Hi all, I've mentioned before that I've been working on my own masterplan for Hull - as the topic of our city's future often pops up on here, I hope some of the ideas are of interest to you and hope some may even be used in the future. There are 2 or 3 Hull City related ideas in there too. After spending years of thinking and creating ideas for the regeneration of Hull - submitting them to Hull City Council, and discussing ideas on numerous forums - I have decided to create my ultimate Kingston Upon Hull masterplan - collating all my ideas into one place. I have spent the last 18 months putting this together during my spare time on weekends - I hope that some may be of use, and would be happy if even just one idea gets used and helps make a difference to Hull's future. The three main reasons I have created this masterplan are: 1. I have given many ideas to Hull City Council previously with no recognition when they're used - so I'm putting all my ideas out there for everybody to see, and the council to use if they wish to do so. 2. Philanthropy - I doubt I'll ever be in a monetary position to be able to give back to Hull, so I wanted to give in the means of intellectual property. The city was my great-gran's home and served her well for 101 years - I want to help and improve the city where she was happy for all those years. Her stories of Hull throughout WWI and WWII were what got me in to the city's history and from that, it's future - which then led onto regeneration ideas. 3. I love the city and generally want to see it thrive and reach its full potential. I appreciate it's a lot of pages, but feel free to have a read, and discuss. http://issuu.com/darrenspence/docs/hullregenmasterplan1
Strange - what are you viewing it in? I'm viewing in Chrome - not signed in to my account on Issuu either - I can read it all and only get 1 pop-up ad to the side of the document.
The link works fine using Firefox. It's a good read, with a lot of really interesting ideas - If 50% of it came to fruition the transformation would be incredible. Nice one D86!
Daft question - are you clicking on the arrow on the right to turn the page? Just looked on my phone too - loads fine. Swipe screen to turn the page.
Alternatively... You can download it here: https://www.wetransfer.com/download...c8ce409ef8841cbb6b7380e420150704155717/b58034
It opens fine on my PC using IE 11. I try and avoid too much involvement in debates on here as I get enough of them at work without getting into an argument with a stranger about something irrelevant when I get home. But given this is quite close to some of what I do I'm going to comment for once before going back to my general lurking. I work in the private sector in the East Riding so have little to do with HCC, but I do a lot of work on development of quite high budget building projects locally. So I spend a reasonable amount of time in my day job reading as well as writing and occasionally commissioning stuff not too dissimilar to that. I've skimmed it to be honest, but versus similar things I've read in the past I'd say your passion shines through and there are some genuinely great ideas in there. The only real difference from a more 'professional' job is the quality of the mock-ups, but they aren't cheap to create and don't stop you communicating your ideas so that's fine. Equally I have to be honest and say that some bits work less well or need more development and it is probably too long if you want someone at HCC to read it and consider it seriously. For me you really need an executive summary at the start or possibly even as a separate 'flyer' that you could use to promote the ideas to someone in Development Control, or higher up the ladder at HCC. Just 3 or 4 pages that get your main points across. Back to lurking now. I hope this wasn't too patronising
Dazzer you're a genius. Fantastic ideas and as another poster said the passion shines through. I like the idea of moving some historic buildings brick by brick and putting them in a higher profile area. When do we march on Guildhall?
Hi, not at all - I understand it's quite long and was all a bit rushed. I have a full-time job and have just moved into my first home, so everything has been done in my spare time and as fast as possible, and as some of the ideas other people were starting to hint at in the press (which would then make my ideas unoriginal), and other similar ones have appeared while putting the finishing touches to it. I mean, even the Hull Stingrays have folded since I created this and there is a piece about them for the Hull Arena section. It was more a case of wanting to put every single idea I have for the city into one place, one document so if the council are ever wanting to look at ideas, at least they may use my masterplan as inspiration.
Have you thought about sending it to agencies other than HCC too? Love em or loathe em there are a number of local developers with the ear of HCC, there's also a central government with a lot of rhetoric about regenerating the north. They're only an email away...
It's difficult to criticise the sentiment or the enthusiasm. However the problems of Hull can't be solved by imagining it is possible to play Sim City in real life. There are three fundamental problems with your suggestions. 1. The assumption that if you build it, they will come. The reason Hull does not attract large retail and food chains is that the local economy can't generate sufficient revenue for them. 2. Where is the money coming from? The Government is about to impose even more austerity measures particularly on centrally funded budgets. 3. Many of your suggestions would require consent/permission of existing private property owners or tenants.
1.I disagree - as I've mentioned in the retail section of the masterplan: The retail units which are empty in Hull are poor and dated to get the big names Hull needs to attract - no modern brand wants a tatty looking store representing them. Hull's retail offering is also in a catch-22 scenario, as the people who do have plenty to spend go to Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and York to spend their money instead - why?! Because the brands they want aren't in Hull. Hence the suggestion of a 'Boxpark North' - it would allow modern brands to have a presence in the city, in a modern environment that suits their brand without having to overly commit to the city, as the units are small-scale. 2. I didn't say we should build all these tomorrow - they're simply ideas for now AND the future. Money always seems to be found if something is seen as needed, and not everything has to come from the government/local council - look at the C4DI building with Wykeland. Private developers can get involved in Hull's future too. 3. As will many of the other regeneration projects in the city - St.Stephen's being a prime example.
A really well thought out offering to undoubted challenges we have within Hull and the surrounding area. As has previously been commented funding, ownership, planning, commercial viability and in some cases fact v theory have to be considered but some of the ideas are well worth seriously considering.
Even if the "York/Leeds/Meadowhall" day-trippers could be persuaded to spend in Hull, there's still not enough of them to generate the income those brands need. But it's not just about the brands. My wife goes to the same brands that are in St Stephens when shes in York or Leeds. She doesn't go to Hull City Centre because it's depressing.
I don't know what your day job is, but you're wasting your passion and talent. Fantastical well thought out, designed and presented.
Some great ideas Dazzar, I'm only half way through it, I'll read it in full when I have more time. Put me down for a Boxpark unit.