Urban Extensions: A Landscape Approach, Corby, UK

Abstract

The Landscape is the setting within which the social, environmental and economic activities we wish to create are to take place. This example shows the Landscape taken as the basic resource when planning an urban extension and new urban edge. Priors Hall is a new city extension of Corby, in the UK, which will provide up to 6000 new homes, roads and associated services such as education, commercial, retail, community facilities and transport. We demonstrate a landscape-led approach to urban masterplanning, and present a case study of a new model for a periurban park bringing agriculture into the city and linking issues of land management, conservation, food production, leisure and health. Key themes: 1. The landscape as the basic resource. 2. Site description and landscape analysis: environmental, historical, physical. 3. Establishing the carrying capacity of the site: determining the quantity and distribution of the city extension using a study of local urban and periurban form and character. 4. Concepts for landscape-led masterplanning, for example: · Healing the edges- linking to and maintaining the quality of the surrounding countryside. · Growing the city. A model of organic growth for planned periurban development. 5. The Proposals · Developing the masterplan using the periurban park as the heart of the city extension. · The agricultural park: linking sustainable management practices, food production, conservation, education, health, and economics. 6. Conclusion and application of concepts in the Mediterranean (Greece). Keywords/ phrases: landscape, urban planning, urban extension, urban park, agricultural management, food production, carrying capacity. Conclusions A landscape-led approach to masterplanning new urban extensions can have some important benefits in maintaining the quality of the periurban environment. There are some general principles of landscape masterplanning which can be applied to proposed developments in many parts of the world. However the key to any landscape-led approach is a thorough understanding of the specific landscapes involved, and a rigorous application of the principles to achieve a site-specific solution. The Priors Hall study shows that the creation of an Agricultural Park is one way to preserve the landscape character of a periurban area, while still providing the requirements of access to open space, recreation and habitat creation. This approach would be particularly appropriate in many Mediterranean countries which still have a robust rural economy and especially where there is a strong tradition of cultivation of grapes or olives, and seasonal grazing of sheep and goats in close proximity to human settlements. References 1. The Roman Villa at Great Weldon, Northamptonshire. Smith, Hird and Dix. Northamptonshire Archaeology, 1989. 2. Alternative Development Patterns; New Settlements. David Lock Associates. DoE. 1993 3. Northamptonshire Minerals Local Plan1991-2006, April 1997 4. Catalyst Corby, The Regeneration Framework. 5. Land at Priors Hall, Corby. Desk Study. Ove Arup & Partners, 2000. 6. Priors Hall Woodland Management Report, Lockhart Garratt Ltd. 2001 7. Sustainable Futures, Building for the future. ODPM website. 8. Sustainable Communities in the East Midlands. ODPM website. 9. Building on Tradition. The Rockingham Forest Countryside Design Summary. Rockingham Forest Trust website. 10.Corby Strategic Environmental Framework, Lockhart Garratt Ltd. 2003 11.Priors Hall Phase One Survey and Assessment of Wildlife Potential. Bugle Ecological Surveys. 2003. 12.Priors Hall Interim Design Presentation. Clarke Associates. 2003. 13.Draft Planning Statement, Colin Buchanan and Partners. April 2004. 14.Priors Hall Soils, Agricultural Land Classification and Landuse. Wardell Armstrong. April 2004 15.Draft Environmental Statement, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage. Wardell Armstrong. April 2004. 16.Draft Environmental Statement, Forestry and Woodland Issues. Lockhart Garratt. March 2004. 17.Draft Development Framework Plan and Design Statement, Priors Hall. David Lock Associates. April 2004. Acknowlegement The work described was principally carried out by the author on behalf of Kim Wilkie Associates for Corby Developments. The author wishes to acknowledge the contributions of many others, without whom it would not have been possible, especially Aldred Drummond at BeeBee Developments, Kim Wilkie, Jeremy Rye and Grania Loughnan at Kim Wilkie Associates, Alan Baxter at Alan Baxter Associates and Will Cousins at David Lock Associates. [1] Priors Hall, Corby Landscape Report, prepared by the author for Kim Wilkie Associates.

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