City Centre Strategic Framework Lauch Brochure

This is our vision for the future of Swansea: the City Centre Strategic Framework.

Our timeis now

We have worked with a wide range of stakeholders to develop

this Framework, which sets out our ambitions for Swansea

over the next 15-20 years.

This vision is not an arbitrary one. On the contrary, it is soundly

based on the robust evidence of technical studies carried out

by a leading team of experienced architectural, property and

engineering consultants.

So although our vision is ambitious, we know it’s achievable.

And it needs everyone’s support to realise it, from developers

and investors, through to residents and businesses.

Our City Centre is now on the cusp of a huge step-change in terms of facilities, business opportunities, environmental amenity and quality of life.

Our City Centreis changing

The Framework is in harmony with the Wales Spatial Plan, with

sustainability at its heart – so all the planned changes will last.

Swansea City Centre is already evolving:

< £3m of improvements around Oxford Street – new paving,

lighting and street furniture

< Waterfront redevelopment – 29-storey tower in Meridian

Quay with fi ve more 10-storey towers to surround it

< Redevelopment of Swansea Leisure Centre

< Improved public transport – Metro phase 1 completed

2008

< Princess Way retail redevelopment – £30m fi rst phase of

retail regeneration scheme

Everyone stands to benefi t from the future Swansea. This is just the beginning.

Princess Way Retail Redevelopment Leisure Centre

The ambitions set out for our City Centre

A vision for Swansea

Our vision is to make Swansea a vibrant, exciting, attractive,

sustainable, cultured European Waterfront City Centre,

attracting businesses and visitors, driving the economy and

enhancing the quality of life of residents of Swansea and South

West Wales.

The Framework offers us high hopes for our City Centre, but

to realise these, we have to succeed in the following strategic

objectives.

We aim to

< Build a competitive City Centre economy founded on new

services, skills and partnerships

< Make Swansea an attractive and accessible retail

destination, with major new premises, diverse specialist

shopping, and supporting complementary uses

< Create a high quality, attractive built environment, and

make Swansea known as an exemplar for environmental

excellence and responsibility

< Maximise the use of our natural river and seafront assets,

by creating new links and gateways to make them an

integral part of the City Centre

< Improve freedom of movement around and through the City

Centre, whether on foot, on public transport or by car

< Make Swansea a true destination city for tourists, visitors

and business people alike

< Assert Swansea as the major centre for health, education

and other public services and agencies in southwest Wales

< Express and celebrate Swansea’s distinct identity through

its landscape, building design, culture and heritage

< Encourage more people to live in the thriving and vibrant

City Centre

We can make each one of these objectives a reality – and make Swansea City Centre a better place, for years to come.

A street map of tomorrow’s City Centre

How Swansea will look

• Wind Street

The Strand •

• Maritime Quarter

Sailbridge •

Oxford Street •

• High Street

• The Kingsway

• Oystermouth Road• West Way

• Parc Tawe

• Alexandra Road

• Paxton Street

• Mansel Street

Salubrious •Place

Princess Way •

St. David's •

• Quay Parade

• Orchard Street

• Victoria Road

• The Quadrant

• St. Mary's Church

• Castle Square

• County Hall

A glimpse of the future...

SWANSEA

Paxton Street St David’s / Quadrant Wind Street / Princess Way / StrandEuropean Boulevard Sailbridge Site

High Street Parc TaweKingsway / Orchard StreetOxford Street / Castle SquareMansel Street / Alexandra RoadOxford Street / West Way

European Boulevard

The fi rst part of our vision is

to give Swansea City Centre

a vibrant mixed-use heart.

Swansea will become a

true European City Centre,

bringing together a range

of uses, environments and

experiences. There will be

improved public transport,

new public spaces, better

surroundings, and a

fantastic collection of both

high street and independent

shops.

Life in the new Swansea

will be much more active,

inspiring and fulfi lling.

By redeveloping and

regenerating key areas

of the City Centre, it will

become a great place to

live, visit, shop, work and

socialise... or just to sit back

and contemplate.

A dynamic, accessible, mixed-use City Centre

Swansea’s vibrant heart

St David’s / Quadrant

This is the priority area for regeneration. There is an

outstanding opportunity to create a new retail-led, mixed-

use scheme in the heart of the City Centre, of a quality that

Swansea deserves. Such a scheme will have improved car

parking, pedestrian and cycle access, and sustainability at its

core. It will also help connect the City Centre to the waterfront,

and be part of the European boulevard.

Oxford Street / Castle Square

A £30m fashion retail development is underway at Princess

Way. Redevelopment and building enhancements in and

around the city’s famous and thriving market will also help

make Swansea a compelling and varied retail destination.

Oxford Street West / West Way

The aim is to create a specialist retail and cultural area that

celebrates Swansea’s rich heritage and unique character. We

propose creating a new public square, fl anked by new and

refurbished buildings and arcades that encourage the arts,

creative businesses and buzzing street life with a character all

of its own.

Wind Street / Princess Way / Strand

This Conservation Area is already known for its extensive

leisure and entertainment offer. New developments and

enhanced pedestrian routes will further strengthen its lifestyle

appeal and its links to the waterfront and Maritime Quarter.

Quadrant Square

Grand Theatre Square St David’s Square

The second theme of our

vision is to transform the

current highway corridor

that runs from Oystermouth

Road to Quay Parade

into a true European-style

boulevard.

We plan to create an urban

route alive with movement

and activity, that’s as

pleasing to look at as it is to

use.

This new boulevard will be

an important link between

the City Centre, waterfront

and River Tawe. Pedestrians

will have equal priority with

other road users along

this boulevard, and we will

introduce attractive new

crossing squares at key

locations along its entire

length.

Safer, easier movement between City Centre and seafront

A European boulevard

Oystermouth Road / Victoria Road / Quay Parade

The Oystermouth Road corridor will properly link the City

Centre to the waterfront, rather than acting as a partial barrier

between them.

Our vision for this area also involves expanding City Centre

facilities to the south of Oystermouth Road, and improving the

environment and appearance of the corridor. We will do this by

creating new public spaces and buildings, and by enhancing

existing spaces to encourage street-level activity.

By moving building frontages forward onto the rear edge of the

pavement, and by building high quality new developments in

keeping with Swansea’s architectural heritage, we will create

a more attractive welcome to Swansea – and encourage

pedestrians to walk from the City Centre to the waterfront.

Improved signal controls will help keep traffi c fl owing, and a

proposed new Metro route along the boulevard will further

improve the movement of people across the City Centre.

Striking new public spaces and high quality landscape,

similar to that introduced at Museum Green, which will itself

be enhanced, will improve the street-level environment and

complement the attractive new building frontages.

European Boulevard - Quay Parade

Allied to the European

boulevard concept, is the

third theme of our vision: to

establish new routes that

better link the City Centre to

the waterfront.

Many people see the

waterfront as Swansea’s

best asset – but its real

leisure and amenity value

is currently under-utilised.

By making it an active part

of the wider City Centre,

we can go a long way to

making our city the unique

European waterfront

destination we want it to be.

Even more, with new

mixed-use developments

and environmental

enhancements, together

with the attraction of new

facilities, businesses and

residents will make the

waterfront a renowned

international destination in

its own right.

Swansea’s waterfront assets brought centre stage

Waterfront and city connection

Paxton Street

With its stunning elevated views out to sea and landward

aspects over the City Centre, this area could be transformed

into an iconic destination. New gateway and landmark

buildings, mixed-use developments and attractively

landscaped public spaces can help fulfi l its true potential.

Sailbridge

With a prime waterfront position close to the City Centre and

the fast-growing SA1 Swansea Waterfront development, the

Sailbridge area will become a key pedestrian gateway and

meeting place centred on a new public square. The time

is right for it to be transformed into a fresh, vibrant lifestyle

quarter, offering a diverse range of restaurants and bars, and

even small business space, with some retained car parking.

Maritime Quarter

The Maritime Quarter is already established as a successful

residential district within the City Centre. And with sensitive

development and enhancement, aided by new pedestrian and

cycle links, it too is poised to become an even more attractive

and distinctive destination and a real asset to Swansea’s

waterfront.

Sailbridge Square

The fi nal theme of our vision

is to develop the roles of

Swansea’s City Centre

districts.

Swansea’s diverse districts

are part of our City Centre’s

personality. In future each

district will have its own

identity, based on the

key role it plays within the

community – whether that

is civic, social, cultural or

educational.

The Framework aims to

recognise and celebrate the

districts’ strengths, improve

their links with the City

Centre, and ensure that we

act appropriately both to

sustain and enhance them.

Playing up the real strengths of Swansea’s City Centre localities

Complementary districts

Mansel Street / Alexandra Road

Future development will promote civic, cultural and educational

activities, and encourage residential and business use. We

will also preserve its special architectural character by making

refurbishment a priority.

Kingsway Circle

Kingsway / Orchard Street

The vision for Kingsway is to create a more attractive centre for

both daytime and nightlife activities. We further encourage the

development of new mixed-use space, including residential,

and support the greater use of upper fl oors on Kingsway

Circle. Further work will enhance the reconfi gured Kingsway/

Orchard Street, following the Swansea Metro initiative, with

improved pedestrian access and scope for more street-level

activity.

High Street

Once Swansea’s retail heart, our vision here is to create a

mixed-use district with a distinctive character and sound

environment, recognising its role as an approach to both

the City Centre and to the city’s main rail terminus. We will

encourage further development, as well as refurbishment of

poorly maintained buildings.

Parc Tawe

Parc Tawe will continue its function as a leisure destination and

bulky-goods retail park that complements the City Centre’s

retail offer. In future the area will benefi t from an improved

environment, particularly along the riverfront, and improved

pedestrian links to the City Centre. New traffi c management

measures will also help make access easier by car. Future

mixed-use development, including commercial activities,

and improvements at Parc Tawe will be signifi cant in scale,

to emphasise its role as a gateway to the City Centre, and to

create a statement building that contributes positively to the

European boulevard.

One day in the futureImagine what life is like in Swansea, 2020

Swansea City Centre

City and County of

Swansea

Economic and Strategic

Development Division

Regeneration Department

County Hall

Oystermouth Road

Swansea SA1 3SN

Tel: +44 1792 636978

Fax: +44 1792 637416

Welsh Assembly

Government

Department for Enterprise,

Innovation and Networks

Llys y Ddraig

Penllergaer Business Park

Penllergaer

Swansea SA4 9NX

Tel: +44 1792 222422

Fax: +44 1792 222499

The images used throughout this document are graphic representations and are intended for indicative purposes only.

The Swansea City Centre Team

The City and County of Swansea and the Welsh Assembly

Government have been working with the Swansea City Centre

Partnership to prepare the City Centre Strategic Framework. A

number of exciting development opportunities are now on the

horizon, and regeneration of the City Centre will allow Swansea

to realise its potential as a distinctive European Waterfront City.

Further information on the Swansea City Centre Strategic

Framework is available on –

www.swansea.gov.uk/citycentrestrategicframework

For more information about Swansea as a place to live, study,

work or visit, log on to www.abayoflife.com

SWANSEA

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Swansea is the regional capital of South West Wales, home

of the National Waterfront Museum, Wales National Pool, and

the Liberty Stadium. It also has a beautiful coastline around

Swansea Bay and Gower – the UK’s first Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty.

Swansea City Centre is easily accessible by road, rail and air.

On a warm, sunny Friday morning in August, Molly arrives

at Swansea rail station. She walks out of the concourse and

within a few minutes steps onto a Metro bus that takes her all

the way to the waterfront.

Walking on to the beach, she can hardly believe that the

City Centre, with all the interesting-looking shops and public

spaces she passed, is so close to this beautiful bay. Molly finds

a quiet spot a short distance down the beach, and lies back to

soak up the sun.

Before she knows it, it’s 1pm. Time for lunch. She gathers

her things and heads up to a little open-air brasserie in the

Maritime Quarter.

After lunch Molly strolls along the European boulevard,

admiring the historic buildings and bold new architecture, and

crosses Oystermouth Road heading for St David’s, with all its

chic clothes shops.

A couple of hours later she’s at the market – a great

opportunity to pick up some local ingredients for dinner. Now

it’s time to go to her friend’s place – Molly walks up to High

Street to visit Megan, who has a live/work apartment in a

refurbished heritage building.

That evening they go to see a new play at the Grand Theatre,

and before it starts they take a few minutes to wander around

a sculpture exhibition in the new public square.

After the show, the City Centre is buzzing. It’s too early and too

alive to go home yet, so they walk over to Wind Street, where

there’s a new boutique hotel bar to discover.

Time to enjoy a few cocktails and round off

a beautiful day in the new Swansea.