A Vision for Durham City Centre

Location: Durham City Centre
Client: Durham City Steering Group

Durham has a historic and beautiful city centre, including the Durham Castle and Cathedral World Heritage Site, but it fails to realise its potential. It is under increasing development pressure and there is a demand to find positive roles for all the land and buildings not currently in intensive use.

David Lock Associates were appointed to lead a multi-disciplinary team of consultants to prepare a Vision and Development Framework for Durham city centre. This included an audit of potential development sites in and around the city. The Vision centres around a public realm strategy, with particular emphasis on exploiting the potential of the River Wear. The Vision takes the form of a master plan for the city centre. Where appropriate, planning and design guidance has been prepared for development sites around the city centre.

The completed development framework feeds into Durham City Council’s proposed Area Action Plan for the city centre, and David Lock Associates are working with the City Council to ensure its seamless implementation.