Royal Docks Public Realm Framework
Royal Docks Public Realm Framework
We worked with 5th Studio to produce a public realm framework for the Royal Docks in East London on behalf of a partnership between Newham Borough Council and the GLA’s Royal Docks Team.
With renewed focus and investment, the Mayor’s approval of a £314m Delivery Plan and the arrival of Elizabeth Line, the vision for the Royal Docks is of a productive place with the potential to generate 35,000 jobs and 4,000 homes, supported by its status as the capital’s only Enterprise Zone.
The previous highways layout was a legacy of roads engineered to deal with the height of traffic from the docks, and the London Docklands Development Corporation’s car-centric planning for future regeneration. These roads are now the spine that connects existing communities, completed and future mixed-use development sites. Unfortunately, the poor-quality environment and low levels of pedestrian and cyclist comfort meant the spaces were poorly used.
The Public Realm Framework is critical to ensure overall coherence, with connectivity and public spaces imagined at a scale appropriate to the opportunity. Our overall vision was delivered through a range of activities and approaches, and the Framework set out a roadmap for ensuring that the emerging whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This included rethinking the role of water, creating high-quality and active places, stitching together a network of excellent local connections and establishing a coherent landscape attitude rooted in the place. We focused on the transport and engineering aspects of the proposals, identifying connectivity improvements to overcome the many barriers to movement, and testing the feasibility of reconfiguring vehicle-dominated roadways like Royal Albert Way and North Woolwich Road as healthier city streets. The project was shortlisted for an NLA Award in 2022.
The public realm framework was published in March 2020 – read the document here.
Client: GLA Royal Docks Team / London Borough of Newham
Architects: 5th Studio
Images: courtesy of 5th Studio