Perth City Centre Development & Design Framework

The Challenge 

Develop a framework based on good design principles and identification of development opportunities which aims to support and build upon the significant investment already made in Perth over the past 20 years, including: existing planning guidance and economic development strategies and plans, including the Perth City Plan. 
 

Our Role

We worked alongside the client and were supported by recommendations from retail experts, The Retail Group.

Its objective is to stimulate discussion about the future of Perth city centre, to encourage investment and to shape development. The work focuses on a series of designated investment areas, or quarters, where there is potential to effect change, underpinned by a series of streetscape enhancements and property improvements. 

The Outcome

We developed a framework for an ambitious set of proposals for a number of potential developments and intervention opportunities within Perth city centre, including streetscape and building improvements.

The Framework also proposes a series of projects, including short-term 'quick-wins' to long-term project opportunities, which are spread over several investment areas within the city centre. These include:

Mill Quarter.  Redeveloping the Thimblerow car park either for housing in line with the current Planning Brief, or subject to Council agreement, for a new swimming pool and gym/fitness centre driving up city centre footfall and supporting more evening expenditure in the city centre.

Culture Quarter. Building upon what has been achieved by renovating the Lower City Mills as a new visitor attraction and commercial space, relocating the bus stances, removing the now vacant toilet block, re-exposing the Lade to create a new linear park and completing the vennel improvements.

Station Quarter. In partnership with Network Rail, a radical reimagination of the station to re-expose the original building, designed by Victorian architect Sir William Tite, to create a new public square in front. A multi-modal transport hub would be developed, and the existing bus station site potentially redeveloped for housing and enterprise. Network Rail will shortly commence track and signal engineering works in preparation for future electrification and this work will ultimately reduce the number of platforms. Enhancements to the route between the Station and the city centre are also proposed and potentially a connection to the current Leisure Pool and Dewar’s site which could become a new residential village if the leisure facilities are relocated.

Harbour Quarter. A reimagination of the Harbour requiring some long-term leases to be bought out to create space for leisure-based uses such as water-based activities, micro & small businesses, and community facilities. A new bridge would connect the Harbour to Moncrieffe Island. On a larger scale a similar transformation has been achieved in other places around Europe including Copenhagen where the new quarter is connected to the city centre by dedicated electric bike lanes.

University Quarter.  UHI Perth and the Council have a shared aspiration to make better use of the existing campus for a wider range of learning opportunities and to also relocate some teaching to the city centre, for example creative industries. The project initially focuses on improving access between UHI Perth and the city centre, allowing the journey to become part of the experience and making the campus itself connect better with the surrounding residential areas.

Currently, the Perth City Centre Development & Design Framework has been approved by councillors at Perth and Kinross Council as a draft and we are currently undertaking consultation with local residents and key stakeholders to review, test and develop further the proposals within the Framework.