The Bolder Vision for Belfast is an ambitious blueprint to explore a shared approach to creating a more attractive, accessible, safe and vibrant city.
Developed jointly by Belfast City Council, Department for Communities and Department for Infrastructure, the vision is built on the principles of:
- promoting wellbeing for all
- prioritising walking, cycling and public transport
- creating lively, safe and green streets
- removing barriers to movement between the city centre and surrounding communities
A 12-week public consultation is currently running until Thursday 23 December. The consultation gives members of the public the opportunity to have their say on a number of scenarios for the future use of the city centre based on emerging infrastructure projects and balancing the requirements of all city stakeholders and users.
There are several areas where we believe we have an opportunity to intervene to transform critical parts of the city to create a green, people focused, connected city centre for current and future users. We call these Key Moves, as follows:
- Create a Civic Spine – establish a clearly defined and recognisable north-south civic route to provide safe and accessible movement through the city centre, including car-free streets
- Reimagine the Inner Ring Road and End Car Dominance - transform the 'inner ring' to reduce physical severance for surrounding communities and become a sustainable mobility corridor
- Promote City Centre Living - Encourage city centre living by providing greater quality, choice and affordability of accommodation. Establish a city-wide network of people friendly routes and city parks
- Embrace the River Lagan and Waterfront - Enhance existing, and create new, riverside attractions to encourage better use of the River Lagan. Strengthen connections between the river and the city centre
Imtac has been a stakeholder in the development of the Bolder Vision and the current consultation, stressing the importance of ensuring everyone continues to be able to access the city centre on a equal basis to others. We will be working with Belfast City Council to ensure that Deaf people, disabled people and older people have their say on the proposals.
More details about what is being proposed is available from the Belfast City Council website here.