My Project 'Burnley: Resilient, Reconnected, Redesigned' draws upon themes identified in Take Back the Economy, and proposes an alternative strategy to 'levelling-up' Burnley, improving the town for people and the environment.
The project explores landscape resilience and the interrelationships between production, people and the environment. It creates a sense of place and identity in the centre of the town, giving the people of Burnley a productive greenspace and providing opportunities for connection with both people and nature through purposeful and productive soft landscaping themes and accessibility improvements. Design was developed contextually, responding to the needs of local people and businesses, nearby land and material use, heritage and history, pollution and potential future effects of climate change. The following key principles were developed and applied to the design as part of the project manifesto, created in response to site analysis and research of Burnley town:
FOOD: A network of productive greenspaces bring nature back to the heart of Burnley and revisit historic farming processes. UK native and edible species simultaneously recreate rapidly declining habitats whilst providing a resilient method of food production within a densely populated town
PEOPLE: Creation of a strong green infrastructure network for transport, and inclusive sensory spaces with increased opportunities for social cohesion. These areas provide opportunities to educate people on sustainable food production and the importance of climate and ecological processes, as well as creating opportunities for play, creativity and activity.
THE ENVIRONMENT: The spaces act as a series of widely connected, ecologically valuable pockets within the town, creating a network of connected, diverse habitats. Flora and fauna also function as natural pollution management in areas and provide a space responsive to potential future effects of climate change.
