Manchester
Manchester was a brilliant location for a PCUK tour. We visited three ongoing ambitious projects that are adding to the city’s rich industrial and cultural heritage – and proving that change and regeneration can be done in ways that cater to all needs.
The walk focused on residential and mixed-use projects which raise the bar for urban living. We were guided by people from Shedkm, Urban Splash, Capital & Centric, U+I and Manchester City Council.
First on the agenda was an introduction to modular planning, where Shedkm and Urban Splash created a shared vision for canal-side living in New Islington. The Town House and Mansion House concepts let you tailor your home to your needs by size, living spaces, layouts and finishes, giving purchasers more than 130,000 possible combinations to choose from.
Whether you fancy loft-style or garden-focused living arrangements, you are welcome in a community where you have access to workspaces, a marina, high-quality open and green spaces plus independent shops and cafés. The city centre, Manchester Piccadilly Station and Victoria Station are all in an easy reach from New Islington, making the neighbourhood well-connected with Greater Manchester and beyond.
A few minutes’ walk away is Manchester’s emerging Piccadilly East Neighbourhood, which stood unloved for years. However, its quirkiness and connected central location are now sought-after qualities for developers.
We visited a hidden gem, the Crusader, a restored mill with loft apartments that featured on BBC’s Manctopia series. Developer Capital & Centric partnered with Shedkm architects and made every apartment unique by leaving the marks of the textile industry on the brick walls and exposed beams.
The Crusader proudly stands out in the neighbourhood for its heritage features – and for its devotion to its future community. In a move away from recent development trends, no investment purchases are allowed, enabling residents to create a more stable, long-term community, with the shared courtyard expected to host BBQs, events or just ad-hoc gatherings.
Our third stop was what appeared to this first-time visitor as a rusty old train depot: a bit dark, a bit quirky, branded as Escape to Freight Island. However, there’s much more to it than meets the eye; Freight Island has about ten food & drink trucks and stalls and about 100 tables. When you look closer, the place is carefully restored to make it safe but still shows the rusty marks of the past.
Surrounding the buzzy entertainment is the ambitious Mayfield Manchester regen scheme, featuring a 6.5-acre park that will reopen the Medlock River. This will be the city core’s first public park, with retail and workspace in the restored depot arches. To top that off (literally), U+I is planning high-rises – including 1,400 new homes – atop the arches, overlooking the green space. The completed project will transform the city centre, it is already adding new life to the area.
All the changes we saw involved vision, determination and skills from planners, architects and engineers working with developers and councils who’ve taken risks. They bring fresh ideas to this post-industrial city, which will hopefully convince more people that change can happen for the better.
