The idea
The Flyover is the ultimate in urban re-purposing & regeneration, delivered by citizens coming together to conceive, develop & implement.
We will take an existing structure and create an urban walkway/park that costs less its proposed demolition. Our vision will deliver a public space of benefit to residents & visitors, connecting neighbourhoods & civic buildings with the rest of the city & world famous waterfront.
Churchill Way is 2 roads & 2 pedestrian routes; current plans to redirect traffic mean there is a proposal to demolish the structure. We don't feel it's right to spend £3-4 million & see nothing in return, so we used our design talent to propose something different.
We've held a series of public presentations & been overwhelmed with the positive response from councillors, council staff, museums, businesses & people from all walks of life throughout the city.
Our next step is a full feasibility study and this is what we are raising funds for with this Spacehive project.
What we'll deliver
- Provide spaces for small independent businesses to develop & trade
- Turn a city centre concrete flyover network into an urban park
- Create a new Trust or CIC to manage the structure & maintain it
- Create a new way for pedestrians & cyclists to connect to the heritage quarter of the city and 'dwell' there
- Develop a programme of live cultural events in partnership with the many festivals & creative agencies in the city
- Work with the outreach & education team at National Museums Liverpool to animate the space & promote learning
Why it's a great idea
We've been overwhelmed by the speed & enthusiasm with which people & organisations including the council have responded to our proposals.
The Flyover will be a space for arts, music, dance & education events as well as markets, shops & community gardening projects & home to small independent businesses. It will reconnect residential communities in north Liverpool with the city & allow visitors to our heritage quarter to extend their stay in the area; walking along a unique public space towards the waterfront. It will also provide connectivity between 3 campuses of LJMU for staff & students with zones suitable for cyclists & pedestrians.
The flyover wraps around the rear of our Museum, Gallery & Library, effectively cutting them off from the north of the city - our proposal gives them the opportunity to engage with this public space; using it as an outdoor classroom & gallery.
It will be delivered & looked after by citizens who care about & are committed to the city & the project.
Steps to get it done
- Continue to work with the council & their advisers to ensure our plans fit with the wider city transport strategy
- Undertake further surveys to produce detailed designs including plans, visuals & models
- Create content about The Flyover for We Make Liverpool public event for International Festival of Business June 2014
- Develop a vision for events & animation with partners including National Museums Liverpool, Sound City & others
- Ensure that residents and citizens are part of the process of design, implementation & ongoing delivery of the project
- Identify & explore business models which ensure the sustainability of the project, including capital & revenue plans
- To do this we need to undertake a number of pieces of work and small projects - these are:
- Work with partners including LJMU, National Museums Liverpool & Council on legal structure & any land transfer processes
The Flyover, is a highway gifted to the people.
By adding planting, kiosks, cafes, lighting & other infrastructure it will become a thriving oasis & green lung in the city centre, an iconic attraction for residents & visitors.
As visitors meander along the park, they will come across allotments tended by the local community including residents, students & school pupils, exhibitions, independent retail kiosks & stalls. Pedestrian routes, coupled with trim-trail equipment, offer a welcome space for residents & city workers to run & keep fit.
Just imagine yourself in this elevated park, having visited a farmers’ market, drinking freshly-made coffee & toast with a generous serving of honey produced by bees from hives within the park!
The Flyover has the potential to become a thriving promenade & meeting space within an important part of the city centre surrounded by our cultural museums & galleries.
With creative use of low cost materials, this great scheme won't cost the earth.
