Walsall Council
Designing Walsall: Supplementary Planning Document for Urban Design
A Future for Public Art in Walsall
Walsall’s townscape has begun to see radical transformation over the past 4 years with the regeneration of Walsall Waterfront, new Manor Hospital, new Arts and Technology College, two new supermarkets and Walsall Gigaport all under construction or at an advanced stage in the planning process. Last year Walsall was in the running for development of the Green Bridge, working with colleagues in Sandwell as a part of the Black Country-wide 'Urban Park' project, which came second in the national vote for £50m. A significant part of that project involved the development and creation of a public art trail from the Arboretum in Walsall through Gallery Square and along the route through Sandwell Valley finishing outside The Public in West Bromwich town centre. The public realm is the unifying feature connecting these developments and initiatives together and the importance of delivering excellence in the public realm is recognised as a key factor in raising the image of Walsall as well as aspirations for its future.
As part of this broader agenda the integral role that public art has to play in creating a distinctive, stimulating and innovative public realm has received recognition through the policy adopted in February 2008 on creating a high quality public realm contained in Designing Walsall: Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for Urban Design.
The opportunities for creating and delivering public art in Walsall are stronger than ever with the new policy foundations, the momentum of regeneration taking place in the town centre and the strategic approach being undertaken to deliver excellence in the public realm. Building on the policy foundations that Designing Walsall SPD has provided, a public art framework has been drawn up by the Urban Design Team at Walsall Council in collaboration with Curators and the Creative Development Team at the New Art Gallery with the support of other key partners. The aim of this framework is to begin developing a coherent vision for public art in Walsall that will take shape in the form of a detail public art commissioning strategy that attracts innovative and exciting artistic practices to play a pivotal role in Walsall’s cultural and creative transformation.
Download the Designing Walsall SPG as an Adobe Acrobat format document: 15MB
Warning: large file size
Contact for further Information:
Katy Craddock
Principal Urban Designer
Urban Design and Built Conservation Team
Regeneration and Performance Directorate – Development and Delivery
Walsall Council
Civic Centre
Darwall St
Walsall WS1 1TP
Tel: 01922 653653
Email: [email protected]
www.walsall.gov.uk
