Traffic Theme

Slow car 11, faster car 9, faster van 1

Text Count Sunny Slight breeze Speeds Moving Vehicle Traffic Numbers Transport

The interior of the community kitchen would be inviting and colourful to create a positive atmosphere. The colours were abstracted from one of our group collages of food. The kitchen counters are not considered as a back of house element; they have been combined with seating as we are trying to embrace the cooking process. The kitchen desk is designed in a way so multiple people can work together from all sides, with central storage for herbs. The facade of the kitchen contains a small window so food can be sold outside. We have also created a vertical herb garden so it can be used in the community kitchen. We wanted to keep these below eye-line so people outdoors have a clear view into what’s going on inside. This street section shows activity from the back of the community kitchen to the other end of the street and how all these elements are working coherently. The street is filled more with people rather than cars. We believe that the outdoor seating, more trees, canopies and street lights can attract people to connect with the High Street.

Imagining Collage Drawing Actions Change Colour Community Culture Curiosity Food Future Imagination Interacting Invitations People Potential Taste Nature Plantlife Connection Opportunity Low Commerce Consumption Growing Views Vehicle Traffic Shelter Aesthetic

It's funny how the street is jammed with parked cars @ 5:30pm

Text Cloudy 10C Dark Funny Stories Vehicle Pattern Traffic Transport

Why put a multi-storey car park with access from the narrowest street in the town?

Text Cloudy Identity Traffic Transport Vehicle Curiosity

Car exhaust

Text Cloudy Smell Vehicle Transport Traffic

Traffic fumes yuk

Text Cloudy Smell Stories Emotion Traffic

The first step is sectioning out for pedestrianisation. It was important that we did this so we can move down the intervention scale to the next stepping stone; laying the foundation for social and ecological benefits. The hierarchy of space is very much dedicated to cars right now. If you design for cars, you’re going to get more cars. If you design for people, you’re going to get more people. According to Just Economics, the footfall can increase by about 40% following pedestrianisation, and retail follows suit with about 30% increase in sales.

Map Drawing Imagining Change Access Future Imagination Moving Opportunity People Potential Safety Traffic Transport Vehicle

A random yellow (!) traffic cone on the pavement

Text Cloudy 10C Dark Funny Colour Traffic Unfamiliar Surprise

Car exhausts

Text Grey Damp Dank Smell Vehicle Traffic Transport

Break light red glow

Text Pouring Rainy Tiny Things Traffic Colour Vehicle

We initially collaged together all the facade images taken and then annotated them with further reference to key areas. The right hand side looking at materiality, street furniture and observations of people. The left hand side looks at observing some of the most dominant features - the traffic, shopping centre and busy public market in the centre.

Photo Collage Architecture Material People Traffic

Slow car reversing into bay where I am sitting

Text Sunny Slight breeze Speeds People Lingering Vehicle Traffic Transport Actions Care Boundaries Safety

High Street Pollution Levels The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states that the average concentration of Nitrogen Oxide must not reach 40 parts per billion and there must not be more than 18 counts of the hourly mean limit reaching 200. From the map it is clear that Dudley is above the average PPB, roughly 2-3 times the average along key vehicle routes. Over the last few decades the trend for NO2 emissions are pointing downwards, with measurements approximately halving since 2010. For the high street it self, it is evident that the stop starting of the vehicles contributes significantly to the emissions of Nitrogen Oxide. Any alterations to the high street must be pretty significant to make any real measurable effect to reduce emissions. The stop starting of traffic is unlikely to disappear with any development that does not specifically target road accessibility or specific vehicle access limitations.

Map Diagram Pollution Traffic Vehicle

TOO MUCH TRAFFIC! But the street must have vitality without it

Text Cloudy Identity Life Traffic Transport Potential Future Vehicle

Men standing on grass - connecting with extra space on High Street - relaxing / watching the traffic

Text Warm Drizzly Connection People Actions Stillness Relaxing Traffic Interacting Lingering

Moment of silence - no people / cars (seconds)

Text Pouring Rainy Tiny Things People Sounds Traffic Vehicle Transport Contrast

Pond — At the northern reaches of the High Street lies a raised bed with nothing but a sterile patch of grass. We suggest as a miniature stepping stone, we replace the grass with a pond. The sounds of water can soften the noise of the traffic and it will invite pedestrians onto the high street by having this point of interest. It also works with the plans for re-wilding and growing food along the High Street as it aids pollination.

Collage Drawing Imagining Nature Plantlife Water Sounds Traffic Imagination Invitations Opportunity Potential Future Growing Food

[What can you see?] Cars, xmas decor, shops

Text Cold Foggy Views Traffic Transport Vehicle

Hear lots of traffic & music from cars "busy"

Text Warm Drizzly Connection Traffic Sounds Vehicle Transport

Hum of engine + idling cars

Text Pouring Rainy Tiny Things Sounds Traffic Vehicle

This post develops what the community kitchen has to offer with street grown resources and community engagement. (We decided to present our narrative through social media and instagram posts as we wanted to showcase what individual experiences might be like when experiencing the future High Street. Each of our posts captures a different element of experience on the High Street to form a collective scenario.)

Imagining Collage Actions Change Colour Community Creativity Culture Curiosity Difference Food Friendliness Future Imagination Interacting Invitations Life Opportunity People Potential Stories Taste Learning Emotion Growing Vehicle Traffic Nature Plantlife Unused Lingering Relaxing Abundance Joy Happiness

Ramsey's.docx

Download Ramsey's.docx

Ramsey’s Wedged between G P Footwear and the Dental Surgery Set back in the shadows under the circular cross Behind the overspill of colour and dazzle You will find Ramsey’s shop Cornucopia of ladies fashion Shoes Handbags and Accessories Born out of West Brom clearance Been six years grafting Stretching a profit Out of lycra and cotton Cheaper than the exact same jeans You will find in River Island or H&M But people still like to haggle for A pound off here A fiver there Ramsey is waiting Waiting for the people to return Waiting for Covid to subside Waiting for the coats to fly The joggers to shift gear Blouses to find a new lease of life So that the drive from Oldbury Six days a week Means more than just petrol in the tank Wasted hours Asking him about the future Brings no sugar coating Of what needs to change More advertising please Less traffic down the road More foot-flow up this end Where Ramsey offers Cheap and cheerful In all the colours of the rainbow His rails rally already Outside the shop Where he would like to see A revolution People stop to pass the time though To talk around it Time for a change One way or another Time for a change Sooner rather than later While Ramsey soldiers on Filling the street with colour The sun glinting off A nicely priced Must have

Poem Connection Conversation Gift Consumption Colour Interacting Change New Waste Future Traffic Moving