ABSTRACT
However, when traffic reverted back to the more direct route out of the city, New Road, despite its grandeur, became a bit of a backwater. In the 2000s work was commissioned to revive the fortunes of the street. Gehl Architects were appointed together with the Manchester practices Landscape Projects and Martin Stockley Associates. They mapped pedestrian and traffic movement across the city to understand the hierarchy of routes and the role of New Road. Their conclusion was that New Road could become a lively public space. However, rather than exclude traffic, the decision was taken to create a shared space for both vehicles and pedestrians. The street reopened in 2007 with a granite surface and no delineation between the pavements and carriageway. Street furniture includes a long bench along the Pavilion railings incorporating a lighting scheme by the artist Esther Rolinson. Trees have been cut back, allowing views of the Pavilion. At the same time many of the local businesses, the Theatre Royal and the Unitarian church included, have invested in their premises so that the western side of the street is now lined with cafes. Much of Gehl’s work is based on
survey and observation. Their initial survey registered virtually no activity on the street, whereas in 2008 they registered more that 500 ‘staying activities’ (people spending time in the street rather than passing through). Pedestrian activity had risen by 162% and cycling by 22%, while traffic had fallen by 93%. The safety audit stated that ‘motorists appear to behave as though they are intruders in the street; give almost total priority to pedestrians; and most drive at the lowest possible speeds’. The reality is that the street has effectively been pedestrianised, so this is not a typical shared space as understood in the European context. However, it is undoubtedly a huge success. In contrast to many new public spaces that fail to attract activity, in New Road careful analysis of the life of the city has allowed pedestrian activity to coalesce in a space that was previously largely deserted. One local businessperson on the Academy assessment team’s visit wondered aloud where the thousands of people had come from. It may seem as if they have appeared by magic, but it is an alchemy borne out of a deep understanding of the workings of public space.
