5. Character | studiorooprai

Character

Reveal and enrich the distinguishing charm and culture of the place, making it function long during the day.

Character Areas

Reflect and enhance the distinctive character, heritage and identity of the urban environment

Town Centres & High Streets

Create locally suitable and stimulating Town Centre and High Street

Night Time Economy

Creativity nurture the city to function 24/7; cultivate the night time economy

Character Areas

Character defines the distinct appearance and feel of a settlement or an area. It communicates the key physical features and characteristics that combine to give a particular settlement or an area its local
distinctiveness and unique identity. Some of the key element that need to be considered are:

Historical development & Settlements: Building elements and fenestration; facade treatments roofscape; place names
Archeology: Rhythm, patterns and details and richness
Cultural characteristics and heritage: Local community aspirations and events/festivals
Local vernacular: Local traditions; materials, textures, finishes and colours.
Natural environment: ecology / local
provenance; plants, trees etc.
Buildings, structures and spaces: Layout and form of spaces; Sense of enclosure; Continuity of facades Layout and form of buildings (including height, scale and massing; Urban grain and Public and open spaces Encourage building repairs and alterations that are sympathetic to the style and character of the buildings in the area.
Ensures new structures and places are
distinctive to their location and compliment
their historic identity and enhancing the value of the city
Create design guidelines and design codes to enhance the local identity.
Seek to minimise the impact of the proposed development on the environment and the surrounding area by considering and integrating the local ecological processes and ensure no net loss of biodiversity

Town Centres & High Streets

Town and city centres are complex places that serve a wide range of people and purposes. The importance of healthy vibrant town centres has been highlighted in recent years. Decades of ‘silo thinking’ that analysed
the situation using a single prism approach (e.g. retail or transport or environment or inward investment), the need to adopt a holistic approach.

Liveliness: Sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of the centre.
Sustainability: Accommodate economic and/or housing growth through intensification and selective expansion in appropriate locations
Mixed Use: Support and enhance the competitiveness, quality and diversity of town centre retail, leisure, employment, arts and cultural, other consumer services and public services
Context: Be in scale with the centre
Connects: promote access by public transport, walking and cycling Promote safety, security and lifetime neighbourhoods
Open & Green spaces: Contribute towards an enhanced environment, urban greening, public realm and links to green infrastructure
Public Realm: Reduce delivery, servicing and road user conflict.

Night Time Economy

The night time economy has developed and grown around entertainment, leisure and consumption. Focused on central business districts, historic areas linked to tourism. The city at night have broadened to incorporate the needs of residents, workers and linked
infrastructure. A holistic approach to city after dark could help create vibrant, prosperous, safe, and inclusive places for those who live, work and play in cities—at all hours

Safe: A safe city at night is one in which people are confident they will not experience threat or harm
Diverse: A diverse night-time city has a wide range of options and offerings available
Inclusive: An inclusive city after dark welcomes and enables all kinds of people to participate
Vibrant: A vibrant night time city is renowned for ambiance a lively and energetic atmosphere or
Creative: A creative city at night is a source of innovation and cultural production enhancing
city life

Creating a night-time lighting strategy for the public realm generates a number of opportunities: Movement: providing improved levels of illumination for the various routes and open spaces with a particular focus on pedestrian and bicycle movement.

Character: using light to accentuate the unique qualities of the overall network and each distinct area after dark
Legibility: illuminating key ‘urban elements’, and in particular key buildings and bridges to help
improve intuitive way-finding and orientation at night
Visitor attraction: illuminating important
archaeological, heritage and cultural sites and public art assists with tourism and education
Well-Being: reducing light spill and light
pollution, particularly adjacent to residential properties, will help improve well-being