Hull’s vision of the future

Since its maritime heyday, Hull has faced a wide range of significant socio-economic and infrastructure challenges, writes Anna Couch of Planit.

The city is dealing with a loss of population density, a decline in retail, anti-social behaviour, congestion, and childhood obesity. It also suffers from a lack of green spaces, an abundance of car parking across the city centre, and risk of flooding from the River Humber.

Hull City Council has unveiled a bold new 20-year vision for the long-term regeneration of its city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods. Its transformation will be shaped by a suite of strategic documents – a council plan, the city centre vision, and community and cultural strategies. Its successful delivery will leverage the city’s existing unique assets – its East Yorkshire and North Sea location, strong community spirit, independent and creative talent, welcoming nature, and maritime heritage. Together with a strong collective desire to build a city for the future – one that is prosperous, resilient, connected, and inclusive.

Click to enlarge. The vision for Hull involves a diversified city centre made up of vibrant neighbourhoods. Credit: Planit.

What is the Hull City Centre Vision?

Planit’s urban design work intersects scales: from city centre strategies, visions and large scale residential masterplans through to small site interventions, design briefs, and guidance. All projects are derived through an understanding of context, people, place, and potential.

In 2024, Planit was commissioned by Hull City Council to lead a team – made up of Deloitte, Greengage, Counter Context, Yeme Tech, and Shedkm – who could develop a City Centre Vision that reimagined it by 2045.

Our recent experience in developing the Leeds Innovation Arc for Leeds City Council and the Central Area Strategy for Sheffield City Council informed our approach in developing the City Centre Vision for Hull, whereby solutions are derived from the unique characteristics of a place and the generics of typology and capacity.

The wide-reaching spatial plan aims to deliver a diversified city centre that will bring forward new and enhanced residential developments and neighbourhoods, unlock investment, and provide opportunities for local people. It will cement the city’s maritime cultural and visitor identity.

How does engagement shape Hull’s future?

Key stakeholders and the public have been an important element of informing the future vision of Hull city centre. The robust engagement programme incorporated two periods of engaging stakeholders, including ward members and MPs, businesses, key service providers, and cultural, heritage and accessibility organisations. In addition, two public engagement events have taken place which highlighted the desired improvements around accessibility and transport, a need for more public spaces, development of an early-evening economy, and more city centre living.

What are the strategic drivers of change?

The vision is underpinned by a handful of key strategic drivers, including innovation, resilience to climate change, health, productivity and re-establishing a residential population and strong workforce within the city centre.

Click to enlarge. Hull’s vision statement conceptualises a city centre with seven key attributes. Credit: Planit

It will deliver healthy and playful green spaces for all, build a liveable and active city centre with vibrant neighbourhoods, and fosters culture and creativity. Twelve catalyst projects across the city with the potential to deliver transformational change have been identified. Those that are already in the development pipeline include Albion Square, East Bank, Paragon, Hull’s college site, and an emerging Innovation Corridor along Ferensway.

The spatial interventions are importantly supported by a delivery strategy. Deloitte has carefully crafted a strategy which advises on the long-term approach to governance, funding, partnership working, addressing issues of viability, and phasing, to ensure the Vision is an enabler and driver for change.

Beyond the city core

The Vision team, in collaboration with Hull City Council and stakeholders, established that areas beyond the centre hold huge potential for the future success of the city. They provide important strategic connections to surrounding communities, key destinations, and employers, and include major green and blue infrastructure corridors – all vital ingredients in the long-term sustainability and liveability of the city centre.

About Planit

Our work is strengthened by the interdisciplinary make-up of Planit and our urban design team’s backgrounds and experience. We draw upon our collective skills in architecture, landscape architecture and planning, alongside our deep appreciation of the importance of engagement in informing our design responses. We see our role as translators or interpreters aiming to distil a myriad of complex information and issues into a spatial response which is both defined but open-ended. Our strategic work in particular treads the fine line between fixed and flexible, preferring the terms Framework or Vision, to Masterplan.

• Anna Couch is studio director and urban designer at Planit
• To read more about Planit’s city centre work, including the Leeds Innovation Arc for Leeds City Council and the Central Area Strategy for Sheffield City Council, visit planit-ie.com/casestudies