Free Markets
The Mancunian Way has long acted as a physical and socio-economic barrier between the communities to its north and south. This project frames that division within wider conditions of economic stagnation, political disillusionment, and declining confidence in state-led development.
In response, the proposal establishes a special economic zone around the Mancunian Way, using reduced taxation and regulation to stimulate enterprise, employment, and local growth. It does so while connecting to Greater Manchester and the UK’s wider network of economic zones.
At the centre of the zone are three linked markets: livestock, food, and art. This project focuses on the livestock market as a civic and economic anchor intended to support small businesses, create jobs, and encourage exchange between communities across the city.
Vehicular traffic is redirected into a tunnel beneath the Mancunian Way, rebalancing the relationship between pedestrians and vehicles. By removing the existing barrier condition, the proposal reconnects both sides of the city through new public, economic, and social infrastructure.
Funding is generated through a Manchester ULEZ, using environmental taxation as a tool for urban reinvestment and restructuring.
