New ‘Innovation Arc’ Planned For Leeds
A new ‘Innovation Arc’, consisting of a loose assembly of business, research, tech, housing, and commercial and office space, is planned across central Leeds. It is a similar concept to Liverpool’s successful Knowledge Quarter, which is an unofficial ensemble of tech start ups, university campuses, and research and development companies.
Insider Media reports that the new site in Leeds will encompass 370 acres across the city centre, including University campuses, the station, and hospitals. There will also be an additional 3,000 new homes created, and an emphasis on open green spaces and sustainable transport routes.
Leeds City Council have commissioned Planit-IE and Deloitte and Civic Engineers to carry out a special analysis for the scheme, and have also appointed Metro Dynamics to carry out economic analysis.
Anna Couch, urban design studio director at Planit-IE, said: “The Innovation Arc was arrived at through our analysis and our understanding of the structure of that part of Leeds. We also looked at how larger stakeholders, such as the University and the Hospital, were evolving their campuses and the long-term impact that would have on the physical makeup of the area.
“Where the University and Hospital campuses meet, there are significant constraints and pedestrians can compete with vehicles for access. There is a need to integrate these larger campuses physically and functionally not only with each other but also with the grain of the city to ensure wider opportunities are maximised.”
The first round of public consultation for the scheme has already been launched. The scheme website describes it as a space for creativity and collaboration, where business, research and entrepreneurship can come together and share knowledge and ideas.
Niall Alcock, director in Deloitte’s Real Assets Advisory team, commented: “You get different innovation district models, typically either based around out-of-town campuses or large-scale regeneration projects.”
He added: “With the Leeds Innovation Arc, there is an opportunity to apply that model to an established area with its own well-established and varied character, and create a series of innovation hubs, each with their own identity.”
The developers aim to improve or create transport routes between neighbourhoods for pedestrians and cyclists, with a total of 8.5km of new cycle lanes or paths throughout the zone.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Our city is already home to world-leading businesses, organisations and opportunities, and our proposals within the Innovation Arc’s supplementary planning document can help take our ambitions to the next level by bringing transformational change to Leeds, the wider region and the North.
“Delivering a better built environment can help accelerate growth and productivity in our city, creating good jobs and a place where employers want to locate and invest, and in turn driving progress towards a healthier, greener and more inclusive future.”
The developers also say that they plan to preserve the culture and heritage of the area, by repurposing or conserving some of the city’s landmark historical buildings.
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