kirkwall placemaking proposals
improving the public realm
september 2014
contents
Kirkwal l Placemaking Proposals
Willie Miller Urban Design20 Victoria Crescent Road, Glasgow, G12 9DD
t: +44 141 339 5228 f: +44 141 357 4642 m: +44 7799 066100www.williemiller.com | [email protected]
1.0 introduction 1
2.0 background and context 3
3.0 the kirkwall environment 17
4.0 traffic and shared spaces 21
5.0 consultation and engagement 37
6.0 design principles and themes 39
7.0 projects and proposals 51
8.0 summary 67
september 2014
improving the public realm
Orkney Islands CouncilSchool Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
t: +44 (0) 1856 873535www.orkney.gov.uk
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This report describes a range of new approaches
to improving the public realm in Kirkwall
through the delivery of placemaking initiatives in
the town centre and adjacent areas.
Orkney Islands Council has consistently
supported new initiatives in placemaking
since 2009, firstly through the Kirkwall Urban
Design Framework then subsequently through
Placemaking Training for elected members in
2012, a suite of placemaking principles approved
by the Council in April 2013, a fact-finding visit
to Poynton in Cheshire in 2013 and most recently
through the Orkney Local Development Plan
adopted in April 2014.
This mirrors a direction of movement in a
National Policy Context starting with the
innovative Designing Streets which was the first
policy statement in Scotland for street design
and marks a change in the emphasis of guidance
on street design towards place-making and away
from a system focused upon the dominance of
motor vehicles.
This was followed in 2013 by Creating Places
which was the Scottish Government’s policy
statement on architecture and place which
set out the comprehensive value good design
can deliver. This will be supplemented by the
forthcoming Place Standard which will be an
1 introduction
The Reel, Broad Street, Kirkwall
2
assessment tool aimed at creating greater
certainty around quality of place and it is
intended to support the private and public
sectors and communities.
Also relevant here is the External Advisory
Group led Town Centres Review, published in
2013 which proposed a fresh look at the function
of town centres, stressing their civic role rather
than just their retail function.
The report is in six main sections:
• Section 2 of the report outlines the
background to the development of the
strategy and proposals
• Section 3 comprises a critical look at
the Kirkwall environment outlining the
opportunities for change
• Section 4 describes the results of traffic
count surveys in the town centre
• Section 5 summarises the consultations that
have taken place in the preparation of the
proposals
• Section 6 describes the strategic concepts
behind the strategy and its hierarchy of
components
• Section 7 describes the projects themselves
Scotish Government’s Designing Places and Creating Places Reports
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IntroductionThis Kirkwall Placemaking Strategy has
developed from a series of local planning policy
documents and initiatives dating from 2009.
The following paragraphs set out the backstory
of how this Strategy emerged and what it is
based on.
Kirkwall Urban Design Framework, 2009The Kirkwall Urban Design Framework was
approved by Orkney Islands Council on 20
August 2009. The Urban Design Framework
(UDF) sets out land use planning policy and
development land allocations for Kirkwall,
along with details of the preferred design and
siting of new development within the Town.
The document was the subject of extensive
consultation throughout 2008 and early 2009
and extracts from its Vision Statement are set
out below:
• Shopping streets in the retail core will
be well paved in stone and good quality
paving which will create a strong sense
of place and express the hierarchy of
space from the harbour to an improved
civic space outside the Cathedral
• The streetscape will respond to the
architecture and form of individual
buildings and there will be frequent
benches and features.
• Kirkwall and Orkney shall be promoted
as an attractive place to live, work and
invest.
This echoed the Scottish Government’s
Regeneration strategy which states, ‘Scotland’s
2 background and context
Kirkwall Urban Design Framework
4
communities should be vibrant and inclusive – a
place where everyone feels they belong and can
achieve their potential.’
Placemaking Training for Elected Members - October 2012The programme was prompted, in part, by
the need for local development and planning
policies appropriate to the changing economic
and investment circumstances of Orkney,
as well as by the growing importance of
placemaking and public realm quality implicit
in recent guidance and advice. In addition, new
approaches to traffic in towns brings potential
benefits and opportunities for improving
safety, encouraging sustainable transport and
enhancing the quality of public space in towns
and villages – an issue especially important for
communities dependent on tourism but also, and
critically, of broader relevance to creating better
business environments. The publication of Traffic
in Villages, a toolkit for communities by Dorset
AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) has
particular relevance for a predominately rural
authority such as Orkney Islands Council, and
brings fresh thinking and opportunities to the
design, management, maintenance and decision-
making for smaller settlements. Combined with
Designing Streets, the new guidance establishes
a critically important framework for steering
private and public investment in the landscape
and built environment of one of the most
distinctive environments of the British Isles.
Pre-planning discussions explored a number of
potential applications and case studies to form
Placemaking Training for Elected members
part of the programme. These discussions led
to the selection of three or four key areas for
site visits and study to test and apply the key
principles. These included:
• the area in and around Broad Street and
St Magnus Cathedral, forming the key
focal point for the town centre
• the “West Central Area” developed
through land reclamation from the
Peedie Sea, including Junction Road and
Great Western Road, and consisting of a
8
order to achieve this;
• street design should be based on balanced
decision making and must adopt a multi-
disciplinary collaborative approach;
• all thoroughfares within urban settings
and rural boundaries should normally be
treated as streets;
• reference should no longer be made to
road hierarchies based on terms such as
local distributor/local access roads;
• the right balance between place and
movement requires to be found in each
circumstance;
• street user hierarchy should consider
pedestrians first and motor vehicles last;
• design should be used to influence driver
behaviour to reduce vehicle speed to levels
that are appropriate for the local context;
• signs and street markings should be kept
to a minimum and be considered early in
the design process;
• junctions should be designed with the
considerations of the needs of pedestrians
first;
• junctions should be designed to suit
context and urban form – standardised
forms should not dictate the street
pattern;
• streets should allow for and encourage
social interaction;
• street patterns should be fully integrated
with surrounding networks;
• streets should use appropriate Sustainable
Urban Drainage System (SuDS) techniques
as relevant to the context;
• the accommodation of utilities and
services should not determine the layout
of streets and footways;
• street design should aim to integrate
natural landscape features;
• materials should be distinctive, easily
maintained, provide durability and be of
a standard and quality to appeal visually
within the specific context; and
• the Strategy and Policies must provide a
technically robust and cost effective basis
for developing design solutions.
These principles were adopted following
a bespoke design training event that was
composed for Elected Members following the
2012 election. Following the design training,
the importance of placemaking has also been
acknowledged within the Orkney Council Plan.
To further raise awareness of the importance of
placemaking in community regeneration, Elected
Members and Council Officials visited the village
of Poynton in Cheshire to discuss the recent
experiences of placemaking with local elected
members, Council Departments and consultants.
Kirkwall: junction dimensions uncomfortable for pedestrians
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Visit to Poynton, Cheshire, October 2013On 23rd – 24th October 2013, Elected Members
and Officers from Orkney Islands Council visited
Poynton, Cheshire, where major changes have
been made to the road network and streetscape
in the town centre, to learn about Placemaking.
The trip included presentations from key
personnel involved in the design and delivery
of the project. The findings of the team were
documented and established recommendations
for measures to encourage the progress of
Placemaking projects in Orkney.
The team spent 2 days learning about the
Poynton scheme from key personnel involved in
its design and delivery, including the Town Clerk,
Elected Member, Landscape Architect, Traffic
Modelling Engineer and Street Designer. They
were also afforded the opportunity to speak
with local businesses, and experience the place
for themselves.
The lessons learned from the Poynton trip
included:
Project Background
• Poynton was not a traffic management
scheme – it sought to breathe new life into
the street
• The project cost £4,000,000, and a ‘cocktail’
of funding was used – Local, National and
International
Poynton: general layout of improvements
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Consultation
• Business and Disability Advisory Groups
are important and the Council took an
active role in organising these groups.
Engagement at an early stage is essential
• Engage with not only existing, but proposed
uses too, in the Poynton case, interested
developers were engaged with at an early
stage in the project to ensure that their
scheme complimented the aspirations of the
emerging projects
• Expect it to take time for the public to
embrace the concepts of Placemaking
- consult with smaller groups of people
gradually rather than large public exhibitions
• Record how the street was designed before
construction commences for reference
Design and maintenance
• It is impossible to design great streets if
design teams are segregated into different
groups of professionals
• Centimetres are important with detail and
materials being key
• British Standards are a useful source of
information on how to specify and construct
these types of materials
• Make sure that the work is carried out by
appropriately skilled people
• Increase local skills if necessary to be
capable of repairs and future work
• Legislation and policy supports this
approach to street and public realm design
– Designing Streets, Highway Code, ICE
Highway Risk
• Maintenance needs to be addressed at the
start with the detailing of the schemePoynton: implemented proposals for the main shopping street
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Operation
• Road users were educated, and this was
primarily achieved by liaising with children
at school. Tourists follow the example set by
local drivers
• Disability groups were assisted and shown
how to use the space
• At night, traffic speeds appeared to be
slightly greater, with fewer pedestrians
around, however it still felt a comfortable
speed for pedestrians
• Where detailed and constructed correctly,
the design stood up to large traffic volumes
and heavy vehicles
• Footflow and commercial activity has
increased in the street
• It continues to operate effectively when less
busy at night, therefore it can be assumed
that it will work in the less significant traffic
flows experienced in Orkney.
Relevance and applicability to an Orkney
context
• The consensus of the team was that the
Poynton example was an inspirational
example of how a place can be improved
through Placemaking. Although the design
developed in Poynton, and the materials
chosen, are not directly applicable to streets
and public spaces in Orkney, the design
process undertaken is of great relevance to
Orkney Island’s Council
Poynton: implemented proposals for the main traffic intersection
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Kirkwall Townscape Heritage InitiativeThe regeneration of Kirkwall town centre is a
key project for Orkney Islands Council over the
next 6 years who aim to incorporate the physical
regeneration of the historic core along with
placemaking through the wider public realm
and the general economic regeneration of the
town centre in partnership with the Kirkwall
Regeneration stakeholders, Kirkwall Townscape
Heritage Initiative (THI) and town centre
businesses. This report informs the public realm
element of the THI.
Kirkwall’s town centre with smaller independent
retailers, like many others in Scotland, faces
difficult times with competition from major
national retailers and internet purchases being
made by consumers at home, and needs to
adapt and change to combat this both through
marketing initiatives but also through creating
a town centre which is a lively and vibrant place
to be. The desire to regenerate and revitalise
the town centre’s retail core is central to the
proposals and the aim is to create a town
centre that is well laid out, safe, attractive and a
premier place to work, visit, live and shop.
The regeneration project will focus on public
realm placemaking in the Kirkwall town centre
initially around St Magnus Cathedral and later
at the historic harbour front. These works
will dovetail with other major regeneration
works on-going in Kirkwall and by providing
a cohesive backdrop and set of defined town
centre linkages work to bring cohesion to the
town. In addition, an element of the historic
core of the town is presently constrained by the
threat of coastal inundation. A coastal defence
system to prevent overtopping, and which will
utilise placemaking principles in its design to
provide areas of pedestrian shelter, is presently
being designed and will be the subject of a
consultation during the summer of 2014
A Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme
funded by Historic Scotland will run from
2014 to 2019 and a round two submission
for the Kirkwall THI (funded by The Heritage
Lottery Fund) was submitted in April 2014 with
commencement expected in July 2014 running
to 2019. These will both concentrate on the
historic core of Kirkwall and will focus not only
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on building repair and reinstatement but on
training, marketing strategies for businesses and
public realm. Any project which proceeded with
Regeneration funding would work in tandem
to augment and complement the present
overarching aspirations for public realm works
within these projects.
The area around the St Magnus Cathedral, which
incorporates part of Kirkwall’s key shopping
area, is primed for placemaking in the form of
creating a central focal point in the town where
visitors and residents can congregate adjoining
the A listed St Magnus Cathedral. This would
present opportunities for public events such as
local farmers markets and specialist markets and
fairs and also create an enhanced sense of place
for visitors to the town. The harbour front area
is a key entrance into the town centre and the
first impression of Kirkwall presented to cruise
visitors arriving by tender. This historic area has
to date not been enhanced or had its potential
realised as an asset in Kirkwall’s offering to
visitors and residents alike.
The climate in Orkney can be severe, with high
winds and heavy downpours, preventing the
public spaces from realising their full potential.
Kirkwall: St Magnus Cathedral
14
The interventions within the centre of town will
be designed in such a manner to incorporate
areas where pedestrians can shelter from
the environment to raise the desirability of
the commercial area and public spaces. The
regeneration outcomes linked to the project
include:
• Economic – increasing footfall throughout
the town centre to help local business and
delivering an enhanced offering for day
visitors whilst increasing the potential for
repeat visits. Where providing best value
for money, locally quarried stone will be
utilized and laying contracts will upskill local
contractors.
• Physical – The physical upgrading of the
public realm in some of Kirkwall’s key areas.
This will make the town more attractive to
visitors and shoppers alike, promoting a
pride in place as well as improving safety.
In addition, the coastal defence works
will release portions of the town centre
for residential use, which is presently
not possible due to the threat of coastal
inundation, to add vibrancy to the town
centre and increase footfall in line with the
recommendations of the recent ‘Town Centre
Review’.
• Social – improving the atmosphere in the
Kirkwall town centre is a priority for the local
community, including many local town centre
businesses, exemplified by the formation of
the Kirkwall Business Improvement District
which covers the town centre area.
Kirkwall: Broad Street in the 1930s
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Orkney Local Development Plan 2014The Orkney Local Development Plan 2014 (LDP)
sets out a vision and spatial strategy for the
development of land in Orkney over the next
10-12 years. In relation to Kirkwall the Plan has
the following as one of 9 objectives including,
‘ensuring that Kirkwall’s built heritage is
preserved and enhanced.’ Kirkwall is recognised
for the quality of its cultural heritage and
features approximately 200 listed buildings
of which St Magnus Cathedral, the Earls and
Bishops Palaces and Tankerness House Museum
are of national importance.
Five scheduled ancient monuments are located
within the town boundary.
The LDP also makes extensive reference to the
Kirkwall Urban Design Framework, especially in
relation to key design guidance as set out in the
following sections:
• Planning and urban design principles (pp.
14-19)
• Part A General design guidance (pp. 33-38)
• Part B Development zones and
environmental improvements strategies (pp.
39-77)
• Part C Character area design guidance (pp.
78-83)
• Townscape characterisation (pp. 78-83)
Kirkwall Placemaking ProposalsIt is anticipated that this document will become
Supplementary Guidance in due course as
an appendix to the Kirkwall Urban Design
Framework.Kirkwall: the fringes of the THI area
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Much has been written about the qualities of the
Kirkwall environment and the unique character
of this beautiful town. The intention is not to go
over this again in detail but to summarise the
key points in relation to placemaking and the
development of a strategy aimed at bringing
positive change to the town centre environment.
Land use
Placemaking relates to the way that a town
functions as much as how it looks. The
distribution of different land uses and building
functions is a key part of understanding a town
and considering how it might be improved.
Different uses such as retail, hotels, cafes and
3 kirkwall environment
Fig 3.1 Predominant Land uses
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civic buildings such as the library, museum, the
Cathedral and the Council Headquarters tell us
much about how the town works.
Heritage Assets
The town centre has a large Conservation
Area and many listed buildings together with
Scheduled Ancient Monuments which define the
core of the town centre.
Fig 3.2
Heritage Assets
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Vehicle and pedestrian environmentsKirkwall has a very typical street environment,
dominated by vehicles and roads infrastructure.
Although there are significant areas in which
the pedestrian takes dominance over the car
and other vehicles. These include Bridge Street,
Albert Street and Victoria Street. While these
three streets form a historic armature through
the town with a distinctive pedestrian scale,
their continuity is interrupted by the section of
Fig 3.3
Vehicle and pedestrian
environments showing
walking radii from
Travel Centre and
Orkney Ferries
Building
20
Broad Street which is a more traffic dominated
environment. This route deals with some of
the through-flow of traffic from west to east.
However it could be redesigned to function
more effectively for all road users without
reducing the flow of traffic.
Functional areasThe town centre can be thought of as having
four distinct functional areas. The Harbour is
a gateway to the town for local people as well
as tourists. The retail core is distinctive high
quality environment connected to the harbour.
The Civic core contains many of the town’s key
buildings. To the south lies the transitional area
of Victoria Street and to the west, a service area
which is home to many of the uses that help the
town to work. This is also a key arrival point for
mainland traffic and tourists with potential for
improvements between the town centre to the
east and housing/facilities to the west including
the Peedie Sea.
Fig 3.4
Functional Areas
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IntroductionA baseline traffic analysis of Kirkwall town
centre was carried out during the summer of
2013. The purpose of the work was to survey
and analyse existing traffic conditions in the
town centre to support the preparation of
placemaking proposals. This section summarises
the findings of the survey and presents an
expanded explanation of the shared surface
concept set out in the Council’s Placemaking
Strategy described in Section 2.
Baseline traffic analysis
Surveys Locations (see Fig 4.1)
Following discussions with officers at Orkney
Islands Council an initial set of traffic surveys
was undertaken at 11 key sites (shown in
blue) within the Harbour Front area between
Saturday 23rd June and Thursday 4th July 2013.
Volumetric and speed data was collected at the
following sites:
• A - Hatson Brae
• B - Grainshore Road
• C - Pickaquoy Road
• D - Ayre Road
• E - Ayre Road
• F - Burgh Road
• G - Harbour Street (next to zebra crossing)
• H - Junction Road (next to zebra crossing)
• I - Shore Street (next to zebra crossing)
• J - Shore Street
• K - St Catherines Place
An additional set of volumetric and speed
surveys (shown in red) were subsequently
undertaken at a further 11 sites within the Broad
Street area between Thursday 19th September
and Wednesday 25th September 2013.
A - Broad Street
B - Castle Street
C - Dundas Crescent
D - Junction Road
E - Junction Road
F - Junction Road
G - Palace Road
H - Palace Road
I - Pickaquoy Road
J - School Place
K - Victoria Street
Harbour Front Traffic Surveys
The following paragraphs provide a summary of
the traffic data collated for the Harbour Front
survey sites between Saturday 23rd June and
Thursday 4th July 2013.
Volumetric data
Volumetric traffic data was collected at all the
survey sites. The results of these counts are
summarised in Figures 4.2 - 4.4. Harbour Street
is the busiest location within the Harbour Front
survey area, carrying on average 8,345 two way
vehicle movements during a 24 hour period,
which equates to a 7 day average 2 way flow of
583 vehicles in the AM peak (08:00 - 09:00 hrs)
and 621 vehicles in the PM peak period (17:00 -
18:00 hrs). Vehicle flows on Ayre Road are also
relatively high leading towards Pickaquoy Road
roundabout.
4 traffic and shared spaces
24
Fig 4.3 Harbour Front - vehicle class distribution
Broad Street Area Traffic Surveys
The following paragraphs provide a summary
of the traffic data collated for the Broad Street
area survey sites between Thursday 19th
September and Wednesday 25th September
2013.
Volumetric data
Volumetric traffic data was collected at all the
survey sites. The results of these counts are
summarised in Figures 4.5 - 4.8. Junction Road
is the busiest location within the Broad Street
30
What is Shared Space?
The label of ‘shared space’ is often
misunderstood; the objective is to create an
all-inclusive Place with unique identity. In
Scotland the publication of ‘Designing Streets’.
signalled a fundamental shift away from the
segregation of traffic and pedestrians towards
closer integration of movement with other social
activities. Kirkwall already has environments like
this – in fact Bridge Street, Albert Street and
Victoria Street have many of the qualities which
the shared space concept aspires to.
In contrast to the familiar segregation of
motorised traffic from other road users by
physical controls and barriers there is a growing
acceptance that the principle of greater
integration of streets and the relationship
between different users as described in
Designing Streets can have a positive influence
on the behaviour of drivers.
The clutter of road marking, signage and other
management devices erode the identity of a
place and the human response to its context.
Adopting an all-inclusive approach to design
which encourages low vehicle speeds changes
the perception of risk and safety restoring the
civic function of streets and urban spaces.
This approach to design has evolved most
rapidly in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the
northern part of Holland and there is a growing
range of examples in France, Spain, the UK and
other European countries.
successful implementation of shared space at Park Lane, Poynton
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The late Hans Monderman’s work emerged from
rural village schemes, principally in Friesland,
a rural province of the Netherlands. As Head of
Road Safety for the northern Dutch provinces,
his experiments with simplifying streets and
removing clutter began in small communities.
Only after many successful rural schemes did
he start to test the principles with busier, more
urban, intersections and streets.
Why Shared Space?
Shared space schemes tend to be focused at
locations where the quality of place takes a high
priority. City centres, major shopping streets,
the forecourts of public transport interchanges,
waterfronts and key intersections tend to be the
places where traffic movement forms part of a
wide range of important functions. Such places
tend to imply the use of higher quality, robust
materials and street furniture.
Most examples of shared surface projects have
been designed and configured as a deliberate
response to particular urban challenges and
traffic problems, but it is worth remembering
that shared space is not a new concept. Informal
negotiations and social conventions provided
the foundations for all streets and urban spaces
until the advent of the motor car at the start
of the 19th Century, before the need for formal
regulation and control had been identified. To
this day, many older villages, towns and cities
contain shared spaces consisting of an informal
mix of vehicular movement and activity.
new shared space traffic intersection at Park Lane, Poynton
32
Whilst the volume of traffic and daily flows are
clearly critical to the character of each space,
there does not yet appear to be a specific upper
limit of vehicle numbers to the creation of
shared space.
Key Principles
Some consistent principles can be identified
from many, if not all, of the schemes listed. The
most significant characteristics and qualities
include the following:
• Place-making – In contrast to the linearity
of the highway, shared space schemes
rely heavily on emphasizing the spatial
characteristics associated with a sense of
place. Many examples use intersections,
and especially cross-roads, to create place
qualities and to break down the linearity of
long streets. When designed well, junctions
require drivers to slow and negotiate with
others (including other drivers), and this has
safety and place-making benefits.
• Absence of barriers – shared space appears
to require the recreation of coherent, well-
connected spaces, free from any artificial
barriers to movement. This not only applies
to the removal of pedestrian guardrails,
but also to the use of steps and long ramps
serving underpasses and overbridges. High
kerbs, lines of bollards or unbroken lines of
linear parking can also act as barriers.
• Low speeds – every example requires
and fosters lower traffic speeds than
conventional highway designs. Although
lower formal speed limits are sometimes
introduced, such limits do not seem to be
essential.
By contrast, designing environments that
prompt drivers to adopt lower speeds
through visual or tactile cues seem to
be more effective than formal limits, and
appears to be essential to establishing
shared space. Some research indicates that
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when traffic speeds are around 15mph or
less, there is greater propensity for drivers
to yield to pedestrians.
speed legibility tend to be redundant and
inappropriate in the slow speed context of
shared space and require drivers to interact
positively to other users and the space as a
whole.
• Absence of traffic signals – automatic
signals remove the discretionary decision-
making from drivers and transfer control
to the state via automated lights indicating
priorities. Traffic signals are not compatible
with the creation of shared space, where
drivers rely on responding to specific
circumstances and individuals rather than
taking their cue from red or green lights.
• Absence of signs and road markings
– the shift from the regulated highway
world of rules and priorities towards more
integrated, informal layouts implies a loss of
standardised traffic signs and road markings.
Thus centre-lines, priority markings
and large signboards designed for high
• A close relationship between buildings
and streets – in contrast to the relentless
uniformity of segregated highways, shared
space relies on a strong visual connection
between key buildings, and the activities
they generate, and the design of the streets
that serve them. Thus a street fronting
a church, or a school, a park or a public
34
building may be configured to emphasise
such a relationship.
• Transition spaces / Entry points – most
successful examples of shared space rely on
establishing a clear gateway or transition
between the higher speed qualities of
the road, and the low speed context of
the public realm. For well-defined towns
and villages, the road design can help to
emphasise the urban edge, through changes
in lighting, paving, street widths and
dimensions, verge details, trees and planting,
public art, and through many other elements.
Traffic Flows and Capacity
A common misunderstanding associated with
shared space concerns the implications for
traffic flows and capacity. This can be expressed
in concerns that certain areas or parallel streets
will suffer increasing traffic impact where shared
space is introduced, as a result of displacement.
Although shared space schemes are often
associated with a traffic reduction measures
after the event, there is little evidence that the
principles necessarily imply a loss of capacity.
Compared to traffic flows for other shared space
schemes in the UK the traffic flows recorded
during the Kirkwall surveys outlined above are
comparatively low, with daily two way vehicle
flows on Harbour Street at the heart of the
study area in the order of approximately 8,000
vehicles per day. This is roughly comparable in
traffic flow terms to Exhibition Road in London
which carries approximately 9,000 vehicles per
day.
Cultural expectations
Discussions surrounding the introduction of
shared space invariably raise questions about
driver behaviour and expectations. Many people
will assume that different driving habits, or
different cultural traditions, may restrict the
application of shared space in some parts of the
world.
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The European Shared Space Research Project
(2004-2008) could find no measurable
differences in responses to new shared space
arrangements across a range of European
countries. Similarly, concerns arise that those
familiar with shared space will respond in
different ways to newcomers or visitors. Again,
such concerns do not seem to be borne out
from observations around the world, and the
speed of public adjustment is often remarkable.
Nevertheless, such concerns need to be
addressed if scepticism is to be addressed.
Legal frameworks
Concerns are often raised that differing legal
or regulatory frameworks may hinder the wider
application of shared space schemes, or cause
difficulties for highway authorities. However
shared space has been successfully adapted
to a range of varying legal contexts, and the
principles appear to be workable within a variety
of regulatory frameworks.
A number of countries have decided to
formalise the highway status of shared space
through the introduction of identified zones
with lower speed limits and pedestrian priority.
Austria, Switzerland, France and Belgium have
introduced the formalised Begegnunszone or
Zone de Rencontre. Other countries including
the UK and The Netherlands, rely on the existing
legal arrangements.
an emphasis on quality and detailed design at Poynton
36
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Following the Placemaking Study Trip to
Poynton, where notional sketch ideas for Broad
Street and the Harbour Front were discussed,
the Council held a series of consultation and
engagement workshops with small focus groups
in December 2013. These workshops were held
for local business and the BID; local disability
groups; local transport providers and emergency
services; utilities providers; Kirkwall Harbour
Working Group; and OIC Elected Members and
Officials.
A further workshop was held for local businesses
and a representative of the Ba’ committee
that had been unable to attend the December
meeting. These workshops were generally well
attended, and were found to be an effective
method of communicating with these specific
interest groups in an environment which
facilitated meaningful discussion of the concepts
and ideas.
Some of the themes emerging from each
workshop are outlined below.
Local businesses and the BID
• buses on Palace Road
• parking/loading bays/light deliveries
• buses at pier head
• timing of construction period is vital for
businesses
5 consultation and engagement
consultation held on the Cathedral Green in May 2014
38
Local disability groups:
• consistency vs local distinction
• Broad Street/Castle Street junction
• smooth surfaces and maintenance
• blue badge parking
• pedestrian comfort
• visual clues
• seating and benches
Local transport providers and Emergency
Services:
• lighting on harbour front
• location of taxis
Kirkwall Harbour Working Group
• meet and greet service
• fisheries and other industries - the proposals
must be compatible with the working
harbour environment
Following these workshops, the Council held a
Placemaking Open Day on the Cathedral Green
at Broad Street on 13th May 2014. The purpose
of this event was to provide the General Public
with an opportunity to make comments on the
ideas at a pre consultative draft stage.
The Open Day was well attended, with 80 –
100 people visiting the tent to learn about the
proposals and have their say. The key themes
coming forward at the event are outlined below.
• discussion and learning about the concepts
of placemaking
• car parking – location, numbers and
management
• vehicles currently dominate Broad Street
• an uncomfortable pedestrian and cycle
environment
• negative impact upon shopping
• more public space, shelter, tree planting,
seating, signage, bike stands needed in the
town centre
• bring more facilities into the town centre
• design appropriate for various disabilities
and road users
The themes and comments from these events
are represented in the proposals of this
document. Further contact with the established
focus groups and a second Open Day formed
part of the formal consultation.
Between 8 July and 19 August 2014, the Council
consulted on a draft version of this Kirkwall
Placemaking Proposals report: feedback
received has informed revisions to the final
document.
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IntroductionResponding to the different character and
functional areas of Central Kirkwall, a hierarchy
of design principles was developed that
performed different functions and also worked
within different scales of ambition and budget.
LaTheme 1 - Large Elements
Orkney Islands Council are committed in
principle through their Placemaking Strategy
approved in April 2013, to investigating three
major projects – two within the THI area of
concentration and another at the western edge
of the town centre area. These are:
1. Broad Street including Castle Street and
Palace Road: the civic and historic heart
of the town with St Magnus Cathedral and
other significant historic buildings as its
centrepiece. Public realm work in this area
has the potential to connect two areas of
high quality environment, namely Albert
Street and Victoria Street. The improved
environment would provide opportunities
for local businesses to populate external
spaces and use new pedestrian priority
areas and provide a much more appropriate
environment for St Magnus Cathedral itself.
This could be achieved by wider footpaths,
a series of obvious crossing points along
Broad Street and a revised entrance to
Victoria Street, The work would include
reworking the junctions of Palace Road and
Castle Street to create a different priority
system for vehicles and pedestrians. This
work would also create a new civic space
south of The Reel which would be used for
events and car parking. The proposals will be
6 design principles and themes
Broad Street looking south
40
developed that try to get a better balance
between vehicles and pedestrians without
inconveniencing either.
2. Harbour Street including the Old Harbour
area: an important entry point for cruise
liner visitors as well as the daily passengers
from ferries from the northern islands.
Breaking down the dominance of traffic
along Harbour Street through reducing the
width of the street, providing a median strip
and increasing the widths of footways on
either side of the road would make it easier
for pedestrians to use the cafes and bars
along the street as well as improve access to
the old harbour. The proposals here aspire to
create a more positive relationship between
the working harbour and the edge of the
retail core of the town.
3. West Central: being the commercial and
industrial area abutting the Conservation
Area and forming an entry point to the
retail and civic core of the town. This is an
important area and very much a working
part of town that feeds into the rest of
the town centre with activity through its
car parks, supermarkets, civic buildings
and commercial/industrial premises.
The emphasis here will be on improving
pedestrian and cycle connections into the
core of the THI area, making road junctions
less vehicle dominated and improving
opportunities for local businesses to use
the public realm by widening footpaths at
appropriate places.
Shared spaceA key element in the Council’s approach to
placemaking is the idea that the divisions
between what are exclusively pedestrian spaces
and vehicle space should be broken down
Harbour Street looking west
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La-Large Project areas
to create a better environment containing
the benefits of both types of space. In other
words while there is still access for vehicles,
their domination of spaces should be lessened
where pedestrians require a higher standard of
environment.
42
Appropriate materials: Surfacing materials in
Kirkwall in the mid to late 19th are likely to have
been stone paving slabs for pedestrian areas
with a trim of cobbles or setts used in gutters
or other drainage tracks. From old photography,
most roads would have had a compressed earth
or gravel surface on some form of hardcore. At
the turn of the 19th and beginning of the 20th
century, cobbled or setted road surfaces became
more common. As the 20th century progressed,
asphalt surfaces replaced setts and slabs as the
dominant surface.
In the context of the THI, authentic materials for
public realm improvement are essential and so
stone paving and setts offers the best response
in this historic environment. At the same time,
the cost of re-laying roads in slabs or setts is
likely to be prohibitive and it is likely that areas
Central West street scene
of asphalt will remain. In some circumstances,
the asphalt could have coloured chippings or
aggregate appropriate for their immediate
environment. Outwith the Conservation Area,
coloured aggregates could be used more
extensively to define shared surfaces while
reducing costs.
Priorities: Given the cost of implementing these
large projects, it is reasonable to assume that
priorities have to be established and a phasing
plan for the works agreed. The priority project
area is generally agreed to be Broad Street and
within that area, the first area to be tackled
should be the southern section between the
Town Hall and the start of Victoria Street. The
two other large element projects are likely to
have significant cost implications however the
following themes outline smaller scale proposals
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which could be more easily achieved and make a
real improvement in the public realm of Kirkwall.
SsTheme 2 - Social Spaces
This theme deals with the idea that smaller
spaces can also contribute to the general feel of
the town centre through positive interventions
to create opportunities for a more comfortable
pedestrian environment for crossing roads, for
stopping to chat or better facilities for shelter
and sitting down.
Initially fifteen of these interventions have been
identified (Ss-01 to Ss-15) and shown on the
plans. The majority of these are street junctions
where changes should be made to kerb radii and
widths of footways will make a critical difference
to pedestrian comfort. In other examples,
tidying up interesting features – for example
the traditional telephone kiosk and letter box at
Central West street scene
44
the junction of Albert Street and Bridge Street
is a popular spot for tourists from cruise liners
but could be improved by providing seating
and tidying up the gable end and surrounding
facades (Ss-02). A larger example is Ss-05
at the Wireless Museum and the Pet Shop
Ss-Social spaces projects
premises at the intersection of Junction Road
and the entrance to the Albert Car Park to the
rear of Bridge Street. Here it would be possible
to create a much more appealing pedestrian
environment which provided a friendly threshold
for the Wireless Museum and local businesses.
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NwTheme 3 - Networks
This theme deals with the varied nature of
street layouts, linkages and connections in the
town centre. The theme explores opportunities
for encouraging visitors to stray from the well-
Nw-Network projects
trodden main axis of Bridge Street, Albert
Street, Broad Street and Victoria Street into
circular routes that explain more of the history
of the town or which brings them into contact
with other buildings and scenes of historical or
46
architectural interest. For example The Laing
Street Loop (Nw-01) is an obvious starting point
taking people through a sequence of four streets
off the main north-south axis which features
fascinating townscape and four remarkable
listed buildings including two which are key
priority projects in the THI (see below under EX
existing assets).
Signage and interpretation will be required to
make the most of these opportunities.
Other possibilities include more loops to the
east of the main axis including the Strynd (Nw-
03) and potentially the Copland’s Lane loop
onto Palace Road. To the west of the main axis
there are many other possibilities for improving
routes into the centre of the Conservation Area
and the entry points to the historic core as well
as connections to the Peedie Sea through the
Central West area (Nw 06-07)
the core pedestrian network connecting major projects -
courtesy of Malcolm Fraser Architects
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GrTheme 4 - Greenspace
The centre of Kirkwall has important greenspace
associated with the Cathedral and Palace and
also with Tankerness House. To the east of
the main axis, there are many mature trees in
gardens and other private properties which
make a positive contribution to the environment,
Gr-Greenspace projects
the historic streetscape and public realm. This is
in contrast to the western side of the axis where
the general street environment is harder and
with few trees and areas of greenspace.
A greener environment is not just about trees.
There could be more opportunities for seating
48
areas and for play areas that introduce softer
elements into the public realm. This theme
identifies areas where positive steps should be
taken to provide these elements. Lines of street
trees are not necessarily the intention as that
might run against the informality and organic
nature of the Kirkwall historic environment.
Rather it is proposed that in the areas shown,
opportunities should be explored for green
interventions in a number of forms – from
trees in gardens or trees at work schemes to
opportunities for sitting or play areas around
new planting.
ExTheme 5 – Existing Assets
Kirkwall’s historic core has many strong
assets in terms of public realm. In addition to
the physical and visual benefits of retaining
older buildings and street patterns there are street trees softening the Central West area
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potentially other positive benefits deriving from
making the most of cheaper property as a driver
for new businesses in the town centre, using
heritage as an additional marketing strategy
and developing skills in traditional building and
construction. All of these could contribute to
employment generation and an increased sense
of civic pride and community involvement in the
fabric of the town centre.
In the context of the Kirkwall THI and addition to
the public realm works outlined above, there are
currently five priority building projects where
early funds are targeted on conservation works
to particular important buildings. It is logical to
propose that in addition to these building works,
the external environment of these structures
should be brought up to an appropriate
standard, where appropriate or feasible.Ex-Existing Assets Projects
50
Two of these buildings are on the Laing Street
Loop (Nw-01) identified above and in both
cases, an intervention including changes in road
surface, wider footways and encouraging the use
of the public realm would be desirable.
Similarly the setting of the building on the
Albert Street and Strynd corner would benefit
from public realm improvements and these
could be carried out as part of the Broad Street
project.
The Existing Assets plan also shows the Kirkwall
Conservation Area and Listed Buildings which
contribute to the stock of assets.
The five themes described above combine into a
strategic public realm concept for the centre of
Kirkwall. The diagrams shows the locations of
potential projects under each heading although
this is not a finite collection of proposals. Rather
these are the themes under which a range of
proposals should be pursued.
Kirkwall and St Ola War Memorial
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The following pages contain a range of
conceptual proposals for Broad Street, the
Harbour Front and Central West, together
with smaller projects, particularly the Social
Spaces projects outlined in the previous
section. These conceptual proposals will
inform a detailed design stage that will follow
the production of this document between
December 2014 and March 2015, as referenced
within the Kirkwall Placemaking Proposals Work
Programme on p65, and a further consultation
on detailed proposals will take place. A series
of Overarching Requirements have been
established to underpin the detailed design
process. These have been identified through
the consultation during July and August 2014,
and the appointed consultants at the detailed
design stage will be tasked with addressing
these points. The conceptual drawings and
visualisations included represent a basic
interpretation of how the requirements might
be met, but are not detailed and should not be
mistaken for a final design solution, either in
terms of layout or materials.
7 projects and proposals
Broad Street conceptual proposals - with civic space next to The Reel
52
Broad Street conceptual proposals
Overarching Requirements for all proposals• existing traffic flows will be retained
• existing access and movement for various
vehicle types will be accommodated
• deliveries and servicing access to retail and
commercial properties will be retained
• locally significant and traditional events in
the town centre will be accommodated
• design proposals will be inclusive of all
street users
• locally distinctive materials will be used
which are fit for purpose
• short stay parking provision will be retained
at Broad Street
The Council will establish a Stakeholder
Group to represent the views of local interest
and community organisations. It will be a
requirement of the detailed design stage that
consultants engage with this group to ensure
that the views of stakeholders are considered.
As part of the detailed design stage, The
consultant team will be required to devise
a methodology for training road users upon
completion of the works.
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Broad StreetThe proposals for Broad Street will ensure the
safeguarding of valuable elements of the town’s
cultural heritage which make a significant
contribution to the quality and character of
the Conservation Area, and will benefit the
townscape of Kirkwall. The scheme will involve
the use of locally sourced natural materials
where possible, in particular flagstone which can
provide a hard-wearing and durable finish for
use in roads and paved areas.
Broad Street conceptual proposals - indicative concept - after
Broad Street - existing
54
Improvements to the public realm will improve
the quality of the environment, enhancing
the central core of the settlement particularly
around St Magnus Cathedral giving a distinct
sense of place and improving pedestrian and
cycle movement across the street to shops. By
demarking the entrance to the Conservation
Area, it will give a sense of understanding to the
boundary of the historic core of the town and its
centre.
A higher quality environment will attract more
visitors and this can have a positive impact on
economic activity. In particular, the project will
seek to reduce the impact of vehicles in what is
the historic, civic and cultural core of the town.
It will connect the existing areas of pedestrian
dominated environment of Bridge Street and
Albert Street to Victoria Street.Palace Road - existing
Works undertaken will remedy the negative
effects of many years of neglect of the public
realm and will also introduce additional features
sympathetic to their context and the distinct
historic built environment. The projects will be
sustainable, following a place-making theme,
and the benefits will therefore be long lasting,
visual, and valued equally by the resident
community and by the many visitors to Kirkwall.
The programme of funded projects will be
subject to extensive community consultation at
various stages and the views and opinions will
shape the future development of the town.
Responsibility for the long-term maintenance
of the project’s public realm outputs will lie
with the local authority and local community
organisations, and the outputs delivered will be
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designed to be durable and low-maintenance in
line with the Council’s Placemaking Principles.
Summary of main proposals:
• shared space along Broad Street
• defined pedestrian crossing points opposite
the Cathedral, at the junction with Castle
Street and on Palace Road
• improved junction arrangement at Broad
Street/Palace Road to reduce vehicle speeds
and make crossing easier for pedestrians
• enhanced visual and functional connection
between Broad Street and Victoria Street
• retention of short stay parking on west side
of Broad Street
• relocation of taxi rank to Castle street
• creation of a larger multi-purpose public
Palace Road - conceptual proposal
space which enhances the setting of the war
memorial and incorporates existing short
stay car parking
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HarbourfrontThe proposals for the Harbour Street area
seek to create a more attractive waterfront
environment and a positive entrance to the town
centre from the harbour area for residents and
visitors.
The proposals seek to reduce the impact of
the considerable road width along the harbour
by introducing two 3.1 metre wide lanes with
an integral median strip. This provides an
opportunity to create wider pedestrian areas
and enhanced opportunities for people to enjoy
the harbour.
Being within the Kirkwall Conservation Area,
the surface finishes would use the same three
materials as the Broad Street area, namely stone
flags, setts and asphalt. Apart from the main
area of Harbour Street, it is important to deal
with the entry point into Bridge Street and the
Junction Road roundabout. In the case of the
former, a clearer and more convenient crossing
point from the harbour into Bridge Street is
desirable. In the latter case, the visual impact of
the roundabout needs to be reduced through
increased pedestrian realm and a more positive
use of materials.
Harbourfront - existingHarbourfront - concept visualisation - proposed
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Summary of main proposals:
• reducing the impact of the existing road
space along the harbour
• providing more pedestrian only space
adjacent to the building frontages along
Harbour Street
• making Harbour Street easier to cross
• providing opportunities for positive use of
the public realm through cafes and hotels
using outdoor space either on the south side
of the street next to the buildings or across
the road at the harbourside
• removal of 16 car parking spaces on the
south side of Harbour Street with potential
replacement spaces in the median strip or in
adjacent car parks
• retention of bus parking spaces outside
hotel
Harbourfront conceptual proposal
58
Central WestThe Central West area is very different from
Broad Street and the Harbourfront. It arguably
has less civic importance but is a critical part of
the town in terms of traffic movement, parking,
service industries, larger retail premises and
employment.
The Council approved a Development Brief for
the area in July 2011. The primary purpose of
this document was to establish a comprehensive
planning and design framework for the area
which ensured common approaches to the
delivery of the key masterplan strategies over
time. The document was drafted through a
process of regular contact with landowners
and development interests to help ensure that
the proposals it contains are workable and
deliverable.
The placemaking proposals for Central West
do not supersede or alter the Development
Brief. Instead they work within the context set
down by the brief and provide additional detail
and aspirations for the public realm, especially
in relation to the potential for Social Spaces
Pickaquoy Road/Gt Western Road - existing
Pickaquoy Road/Gt Western Road - conceptual proposal
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(Ss) - two of these spaces are illustrated in
this section, Network proposals (Nw) such as
footpath improvements and proposals for new
Greenspace (Gr) such as pocket parks and tree
planting.
One of the major issues in the Central West area
is the degree to which the area is dominated by
traffic - or by roads to support more traffic than
there is. Junction Road and Pickaquoy Road
are both busy streets, sometimes with wide
junctions at critical points – for example at the
Pickaquoy and Gt Western Road junction.
Summary of proposals:
• narrower traffic lanes with median strips
approaching junctions
• surface treatment differentiation to create
obvious shared surface crossing points
• tighter kerb radii to make crossings more
comfortable for pedestrians
• tree planting to create shelter along main
pedestrian route from west to east
A similar approach could be implemented at
the Clay Loan / Union Street / Junction Road
intersection using median strips and surface
Pickaquoy Road/Gt Western Road - indicative conceptual proposed layout
60
material changes to define pedestrian spaces
and crossing points as well as helping to
regulate turning movements at the junction.
One of the most obvious places where a new
Clay Loan / Junction Road intersection - existing
Clay Loan / Junction Road intersection - conceptual proposal
comfortable pedestrian space could be created
is in the environs of the Post Office on Junction
Road. The options illustrated show a shared
surface running across the street opposite the
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Post Office, Junction Road - conceptual proposal Scheme A (Scheme A) - reference Ss09 on page 44
Post Office, Junction Road - existing
Post Office, and in the circumstance where the
Jewson’s Yard site is developed, a small civic
space and car park directly opposite the Post
Office.
Summary of proposals:
• slowing traffic through change of surface
and narrower vehicular lanes
• option for creation of a civic space and short
stay car park to compensate for loss of on-
street parking
• linkage through development site to Gt
Western Road
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Post Office, Junction Road - proposal plan (Scheme B)
Post Office, Junction Road - conceptual proposal plan (Scheme A)
POST OFFICE
POST OFFICE
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Social Spaces
Examples of potential change to two important
areas demonstrate how the treatment of
relatively small spaces can result in significant
improvements in the urban environment.
One is the entrance to the Albert Car Park
off Junction Road near the Wireless Museum.
This is an area where median strips, narrower
carraigeways and defined pedestrian crossing
points would improve pedestrian comfort. There
should be a consistent treatment of footways
on the east side of Junction Road between the
Wireless Museum forecourt area, the frontage of
the pet shop and to the south towards the Post
Office. Also, a change in the surface of the car
park, removal of yellow lines and definition of
parking bays would improve the environment
entrance to the Albert car park off Junction Road - existing
entrance to the Albert car park off Junction Road - conceptual proposal
of the Wireless Museum and this important
entrance to a popular car park at one of the
gateways to the town centre. The Centre
For Nordic Studies, based at Kiln Corner, is
another attractor of pedestrian movement and
opportunities to enhance its connection with
the public realm should be considered.
64
entrance to the Albert car park off Junction Road
- conceptual proposed plan
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A second space is outside the Old Library
Building in Laing Street where the opportunity
exists to deal with prominent car parking and
provide a shared public space at the entrance to
the building where internal activities could spill
out into the public realm.
the Old Library in Laing Street - conceptual proposal
the Old Library in Laing Street - conceptual proposal
Both are examples of small projects that could
make a substantial difference to the town centre
environment and ideas could be developed for
each of the social spaces in this report.
the Old Library in Laing Street - existing
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The proposals described in this document
represent an opportunity for Orkney Islands
Council to continue the development of
placemaking initiatives and to start a process
of implementing public realm improvements in
Kirkwall. A detailed design process would need
to follow the outline proposals contained in this
report. The suite of projects ranges from large
scale transformational projects with significant
costs to relatively inexpensive but much positive
and effective proposals for the improvement of
key parts of the town centre.
The focus on Broad Street as a key major
first project is a sensible way forward which
will maximise the impact and visibility of
placemaking initiatives. The proposal lies at the
civic, historic and cultural heart of the town and
will be a key project in the Kirkwall Townscape
Heritage Initiative. The opportunity to create a
pedestrian friendly environment between Albert
Street and Victoria Street in the environs of St
Magnus Cathedral is a highly desirable objective.
Smaller proposals can also bring about
positive change in the town’s environment and
contribute to a better public realm to benefit
businesses and for residents to enjoy. The
projects described in this report are significant
and worthy of support by the Council and
community.
Successfully implementing some of these
projects at an early stage will give the Orkney
community the confidence to proceed with more
complex proposals outlined in this report that
involve new development and the support of
the private sector. Moreover, involving the local
community not just in the choice of projects but
also to an extent in their design is an important
factor for the future. Residents, businesses
and the Council can continue to develop future
ideas together and manifest these in physical
form. Vulnerable users will be considered in all
circumstances and local stakeholder groups
will be consulted on specific proposals where
improvements to the public realm are to take
place.
Some of the proposals outlined in this report
may take many years to implement. They will
require much discussion between residents,
local businesses, public agencies and the
Council. This report suggests that the proposals
will make a genuine difference to Kirkwall and
represent a positive, effective and achievable
way of creating an improved public realm for
residents, businesses and visitors.
Town centres are the focus of much attention
at the moment from the Scottish Government.
There is much support for and interest in the
range of initiatives which Orkney Islands Council
are pursuing. The time is right for Kirkwall to
push on with these proposals for its town centre.
8 summary
Willie Miller Urban Design20 Victoria Crescent Road Glasgow G12 9DDt 0141 339 5228 f 0141 357 4642 m 07799 066100www.williemiller.com