Aberdeen City Vision, Aberdeen, for Aberdeen City Council, with LDA Design, Fairhurst and Systra

The £150m project will see the rejuvenation of over 65,000sqm of public realm, split across seven key development areas. Aberdeen City Vision aims to improve the sustainability of Aberdeen by reducing private motorised traffic, congestion and pollution, and making a more enticing environment for active travel, mitigating carbon use during implementation. The design includes play areas, public art, events spaces, and greening the area with trees, planters and rain gardens.

Who is on the project team? (designer, consultants, etc)

Landscape architect: LDA Design

Lead Consultant: Fairhurst

Transport Planning: Systra

Engagement Consultant: StreetsUK Ryder

Please describe your approach to this future public realm. How does it knit into, and serve the needs of the wider area?

The way that Aberdeen city centre is experienced by people is critical to its future success. The City Vision seeks to attract visitors and increase footfall within the heart of the granite city by enlarging and enhancing its public realm, making it pedestrian friendly and more sustainable. The City Vision was framed by analysis of the policies and objectives of the city and the qualities of the physical environment. It makes the most of key heritage and cultural assets. It capitalises on the substantial investment made recently in restoring Aberdeen’s most important and distinctive park, Union Terrace Gardens. This has set a benchmark for the regeneration and animation of the city centre and how it has transformed access for all. The Vision demonstrates the value of focusing on the public realm, prioritising pedestrians, active travel and accessibility. It seeks to ensure that the public realm is resilient and adaptable in the face of climate change and other environmental pressures. An extensive programme of community and stakeholder engagement was critical to gaining insights into people’s experience of the place, and to foster city-wide support for transformation. Each of the seven development areas has its own character and these are all enhanced within the Vision with new spaces to dwell, spill-out, rest, play and display public art, contributing to their attractiveness and animation. The aim is to strengthen identity and sense of place and increase the interest and appeal of the city centre as a home, workplace and destination.

Describe the social impact of the project: How will it contribute to the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of the wider place and its community?

The Vision has unlocked £20m of ‘Levelling Up’ funding. During implementation, 223 construction jobs will be created, spring boarding a further 428 permanent jobs in the city. A large multinational is already moving back into the city centre, anticipating improvements. Space is provided for businesses to spill out, encouraging activation and business growth opportunities. The new public realm strategies create spaces more suitable for residential use, should the city centre pivot this way as retail uses reduce. Consolidation of bus stops creates active and public transport hubs, simplifying travel. 

What is the sustainability strategy for the project? How will the carbon use and material impact of the development be mitigated?

A full framework of processes will ensure an integrated approach to the wellbeing of the city, now and for future generations. Codes of practice being developed by the design team and Council will ensure a robust ethos of supply chain management and project stewardship, encompassing social, economic and environmental factors. These include a Responsible Sourcing Code of Practice, Zero Waste Plan and Carbon Energy Management System protocols. During design, the majority of new surfacing is proposed as locally available natural stone. Detailed paving parameters have been key to ensuring minimal cuts and wastage, and collaboration with stone suppliers on optimum paving dimensions per stone type will minimise wastage during production. Local materials specified throughout the design minimise transportation costs and reduce carbon impact. The high quality of the materials ensures longevity, reducing lifecycle costs overall. The Vision aims to improve the sustainability of Aberdeen by reducing private motorised traffic, congestion and pollution, and making a more enticing environment for active travel, mitigating carbon use during implementation. A new bidirectional segregated cycleway is now proposed along the length of Union Street and beyond, reconnecting the city centre to the beach and making active travel safer, simpler and more attractive in the city. In the reduced carriageways, buses are prioritised, and the design is futureproofed for the possibility of a rapid transport system. It is estimated that on implementation, there will be an 80% reduction in traffic through the city centre, this making a huge positive impact on CO2 and air pollution.