The Big City Plan is the most ambitious, far-reaching development project in the UK, and seeks to define how more than 800 hectares of land in the city centre will be developed and used for generations to come. As well as outlining specific areas where the council will concentrate its resources in the future, Stage Two of the plan also highlights individual projects, schemes and infrastructure which it plans to develop and defines specialist quarters/areas where particular types of investment and development will be encouraged. More information: http://bigcityplan.birmingham.gov.uk

1. CITY CENTRE MASTERPLAN
Richard Cowell and Agne Selemonaite
City Centre Development and Design
Birmingham City Council
28th July 2010

2. ‘The Birmingham City Centre Masterplan:
The Visioning Study’
• Reflection on Birmingham – successes
and comparisons
• Opportunities and Challenges – Five
drivers of urban success
• Delivery and funding
Place
Connectiv
Quality
ity
Strategic
Decision
taking
Economic Innovation
& Cultural & Skills
Diversity

3. Background studies
Revised Eastside
masterplan
Glenn Howells

4. Context with existing
neighbourhood and key
growth areas

5. We want to transform the city centre
growing the city core by 25%; raise
liveability; improve connections;
strengthen its authentic character and
diversify its economic base.

6. The masterplan
Objectives
• Liveable City
• Connected City
• Authentic City
• Creative City
• Smart City

7. Quarters
supporting the authentic
character and offer of the
city centre quarters

8. Spatial Strategy
Growing the City Core

9. The masterplan will set out
our approach to:
• Growing the City Core through five areas of transformation
• Transforming our streets and public spaces
• Improving connectivity through a framework for movement
• Evolution of land uses and activities
• Locations for taller buildings
• Role of heritage
• Vision and proposals for the city centre quarters

10. Areas of transformation

16. GROWTH
Growth and variety of
residential areas

17. GROWTH
Growth and variety of
office core and clusters

18. CONNECTIVITY
Major road
improvements
& interventions

19. Gr. Charles Street
(before & after)

20. WALKABILITY
20 years ago At present In 20 years
Evolution of spaces and linkages
in city centre

21. City open space
network

22. Centenary Square

23. Moat Square

24. BUILDING
HEIGHTS
Tall building clusters
& height limits within
the city centre

25. HERITAGE
City centre evolution
& heritage

26. EASTSIDE
Strategic urban design
& structure principals

27. Eastside
masterplan

28. Eastside
transformation area

29. Eastside
transformation area

30. SOUTHSIDE
Strategic urban design
& structure principals

31. Southside
masterplan

32. JEWELLERY
QUARTER
Strategic urban design
& structure principals

33. Jewellery Quarter
masterplan

34. Statutory Planning
• core strategy – city centre chapter
- Establish the five areas of transformation as strategic
allocations
- Identify the primary route network and key open
spaces which underpin the masterplan
- Set out broad proposals for land uses across the city
centre
• areas/sites and thematic based supplementary planning
documents. Early priorities for 2011 will be
- Southern Gateway/Wholesale Markets
- Building Heights
- Public Realm, Streetscape and Way Finding

35. NEXT STEPS
• August
internal consultations
• September
launch event
• October & December
public and stakeholder consultation
• December & January
review period
• February
formal adoption by Cabinet and Planning Committee

36. THANK YOU