REFORM
Photo : The Collective
RE-FORM SET TO DELIVER TRANSFORMATION OF GATEWAY PUBLIC REALM IN LEEDS CITY CENTRE
AN URBAN WOODLAND COULD BE CREATED IN THE CENTRE OF LEEDS
A team led by re-form Landscape Architecture has been announced as the recommended choice to collaborate with Leeds City Council and other stakeholders on the scheme and are expected to be appointed by the council ’ s executive board at a meeting next Wednesday , June 23 . re-form would work with global engineering and consultancy firm Arup ; renowned artist , Nayan Kulkarni and consultant on childhood and global advocate for children ’ s play and mobility , Tim Gill on the multi-million-pound project .
‘ The Glade ’ is intended to be a space in the centre of the city surrounded by layers of woodland planting that would symbolise Leeds ’ s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030 . The project would allow the Forest of Loidis – the ancient forest on which the city was built – to re-emerge as a setting for city life .
Andrew Price , director at re-form Landscape Architecture commented : “ This is a critical moment for Leeds and other cities around the world as they seek to adapt to climate change while creating welcoming and prosperous places to live . ‘ The Glade ’ is an ambitious response to the UN Sustainable Development Goals , creating a place where people and nature can co-exist in the heart of a thriving urban centre . The re-emergence of nature in Leeds will tell a story about Leeds ’ s past and its future .
“ Our team is hugely excited about the prospect of working with the city of Leeds to shape its future identity and create a space for everyday street culture .‘ The Glade ’ will be a playful environment which welcomes children and their families to explore and discover . Following a year which has brought the lack of freedom and development of children into sharp focus , we want ‘ The Glade ’ to be an example of how children can be active participants in Leeds City Centre .’
Subject to executive board approval , ‘ The Glade ’ will build on a number of significant projects currently under development around the square which is crossed by up to 40,000 pedestrians every day and is located outside Leeds train station - the busiest station in the north with 37 million passengers each year .
re-form intends to work with local people from across the city to develop the design over the coming months .
Councillor Helen Hayden , Leeds City Council ’ s executive member for infrastructure and climate , said :
“ City Square is already at the centre of life in Leeds and we want to harness its prime position and rich history to create a truly outstanding space that will be a source of pride for all our residents . The passion and enthusiasm shown by re-form during the competition made it clear that they would be an ideal recommendation to help us achieve that goal . It will be exciting to see how the plans take shape and eventually usher in a bright new era for this important gateway to the centre of Leeds .”
The redevelopment of City Square is part of the council ’ s wider Our Spaces strategy , which aims to deliver new and improved public spaces for Leeds .
Richard Bickers , Project Director for Arup said : “ The Glade is a transformational scheme that captures our ambition to create better outcomes for people , planet and place . Our expertise and focus on green outcomes could help Leeds City Council to create a sustainable , people-focused environment in the city centre . Embedding sustainable and resilient design at the heart our work is vital to achieve a nature-based landmark that will attract residents and visitors with an inclusive , flexible communal space .”
www . re-formlandscape . com www . arup . com www . rethinkingchildhood . com
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