Bedford Street Pilot Project
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A collaborative project, jointly led by DfI and the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for Architecture and the Built Environment for Northern IreIand to make the street more accessible and inviting for people.
The learning outcomes from this pilot (reports available to download below) could not be more timely and valuable today, given the current response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, with regard interventions being trialled to underpin a green recovery and improve health and wellbeing.
Members of the Strategic Design Group (SDG) initiated the project in order to demonstrate the qualities of DfI’s ‘Living Places: Urban Stewardship and Design Guide’ in a real life situation, by trialling new ideas and introducing temporary, low-cost interventions, quickly, to make the street better for the people who use it.
The pilot also aimed to reduce the proportion of the street given over to cars and improve provision for pedestrians; test how collaborative working with project partners inside and outside of government including DfC and Belfast City Council, RSUA, ICE, PLACE, Linen Quarter BID, Imtac and the local universities, can result in better places for everyone; and, use the learning to help inform future placemaking projects. The project also presented a unique opportunity to link many of DfI’s areas of responsibility and to collaborate within the Department on placemaking issues.
Capturing the learning from the pilot was a key outcome in terms of the difference minor interventions can make to the street and how well the process works. As such two separate reports have now been produced, and are available view via the links below:
- Learning from a Collaborative Placemaking Project – focusing on the implementation, highlighting ideas which can be replicated elsewhere; and,
- Approach for Future Pilot Projects – focusing on the process aspect of the Bedford Street pilot, seeking to be helpful to others embarking on their own collaborative projects.
In addition, a short video was produced which summarises some of the interventions which were carried for this pilot scheme:
https://player.vimeo.com/video/350707678?app_id=122963
For further information please download the documents below: