A team led by re-form Landscape Architecture will collaborate with Leeds City Council and other stakeholders on the scheme, including Arup, artist Nayan Kulkarni and consultant on childhood and global advocate for children's play and mobility, Tim Gill.
‘The Glade’ will build on a number of significant projects currently under development around the square which is crossed by up to 40,000 pedestrians every day and is located outside Leeds train station.
Proposed features of ‘The Glade’, the competition’s winning entry include:
A circular glade signifying Leeds’s commitment to inclusivity and democracy, creating a forum for everyday street culture to thrive as well as a flexible space for cultural activity from small interactions to larger events when required.
Supporting the council’s Climate Emergency declaration through carbon absorption, rainwater management, reuse of materials and the selection of trees based on their air cleaning capabilities. The trees would also create an ‘urban woodland’; providing a canopy to protect against the increasing sunny days and higher temperatures.
Opportunities for children and families to immerse themselves in nature, with platforms and rock steps to climb and jump off and water features to explore, building on the city’s child friendly ambition.
A layered approach to lighting automatically that would alter the staging of the space reflecting the time of night and the season.
The redevelopment of City Square is part of the council’s Our Spaces strategy, which aims to deliver new and improved public spaces for Leeds.