River Hull Corridor Masterplan, Hull
1999-2002

Terry Farrell and Partners were appointed to undertake the River Hull Corridor masterplan, also known as Hull 2020, in conjunction with the commission for The Deep submarium. The masterplan establishes a framework for development for the River Hull Corridor and sets out a series of options for various sites.

Hull is a historic city with medieval origins, which has suffered 20th century decline but is now enjoying a period of regeneration and growth through a programme of strategic planning and economic investment. The opening of the TFP designed Deep submarium, a £45.5m Millennium Commission project, together with the mixed-use Ferensway Development and the new Community Super Stadium are all adding to the momentum to revitalise the city of Hull.

The masterplan covers 380 hectares of the city centre and its eastern side. It encompasses a series of connections linking east with west, allowing car parking to move out of the derelict sites in the historic old town and freeing up the central site to rebuild the urban fabric. A new cultural quarter, business centre and park was envisaged east of the River Hull (and north of The Deep). An important part of the plan, but more challenging to deliver, was the proposal to remove the barrier of the 1982 southern ring road and replace it with a pedestrian-friendly boulevard and light rail system.

The masterplan creates a cohesive network for the public realm, which allows pedestrians to move easily around the city and creates opportunities for much-needed new residential and commercial uses, which will enliven and allow the centre to fulfil its potential. It establishes a whole new mixed-use development quarter on the east of the River Hull with sites for major cultural developments: art, film, science and music; some business and specialised retail outlets; a hotel and conference centre, housing, a waterfront public realm and a large new urban park above the car parking building.

TFP indicated that there is much more which should be tackled but concentrated on the key moves necessary to relieve the constricting corset around the heart of the city. The plan was designed to be implemented in phases up to the year 2020. The Hull 2020 Masterplan is a guide to new development for Hull, which can be used as a tool for implementing the transformation of the city into a flourishing, 21st century urban centre.