Redesigning Swansea's High Street

Cardiff urban design students have presented their ideas for the regeneration of Swansea High Street in a new exhibition in the city centre (29 June – 11 July).

As part of the MA in Urban Design, run jointly by Cardiff's School of Planning and Geography and Welsh School of Architecture, students undertook a project focused on redeveloping the once popular shopping area of Swansea.

The students consulted with the members of the local community including local businesses, residents and the local authority to respond to and interpret their aspirations for the regeneration of High Street.

The student designs include proposals for spaces around the historic Palace Theatre, the railway station and High Street from the station to Castle Square. Ideas include creating 'Green Island' pocket parks, developing an 'innovation hub' for students and alumni, strategies to encourage high-activity functions in the spaces behind the shops to increase vitality on High Street, and inhabiting the roofs of Parc Tawe.

The exhibition is accompanied by an events programme which represents a hand over of the students' ideas and strategies to local stakeholders, enabling dialogue amongst interested parties to continue and to contribute to regeneration capacity building in the area.

The project was led by Andrea Frank, School of Planning and Geography, Louie Sieh and Marga Munar Bauza, both of the Welsh School of Architecture. Speaking about the project, Louie Sieh said: "We welcome the opportunity to work with the people of Swansea High Street. The students have learnt a lot over the course of the project, so we hope that this exhibition will be a way of giving a little something back to the city."

The exhibition Re-thinking the High Street was launched on 28th June giving those involved in the project a preview of the designs. It is open to the public from 29th June – 11th July at 214, High Street, Swansea, SA1 1PE. Entry is free and it is open daily (except Sunday) from 1pm-6pm.

The MA project was supported by Swansea City Council and Coastal Housing.