Liverpool is known for its rich cultural identity including key areas such as Chinatown, which has been part of the local community for over 200 years. This iconic area in the city centre is now set to be revamped with a host of proposed improvements to revitalise it, with Liverpool’s City Council eager to gain insight into public opinion to shape and adapt this well-loved space.
The plans for Chinatown and surrounding areas such as Great George Street have been developed in conjunction with the University of Liverpool’s Architecture School and local community groups. The proposals include better pedestrian access, making improvements to the existing children’s playground, a commemorative memorial garden and a centrepiece of two stone lions donated by the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester, with a red maple wishing tree and flower mat.
The aim of these developments and renovations is to attract more visitors and general investment in the area, thereby further boosting the local economy and overall footfall for businesses. If they progress, these changes could also mean great things for architecture jobs in Liverpool and property jobs in Liverpool too.
Secretary General of the Merseyside Chinese Association Joint Action Group, Ming Wang, has stated ‘Chinatown has been home to the local community for more than 200 years. It holds a very special place in our local community’s heart. We look forward to witnessing the transformation of our beloved Chinatown, more footfall to Chinatown, followed by better business, more investment and more visitors from around the world.’
Liverpool City Councillor Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, has stated ‘we’re asking local people and businesses to have their say on the ideas that have been developed and input into the design process, so that we can create something really special.’
Small went on to state that ‘we are hugely proud of the city’s Chinatown, which is the oldest in Europe, and has huge potential. We want to revitalise it so it somewhere that the local community and Liverpool residents are equally proud of, as well as being somewhere tourists can spend time. When combined with our ambition for the previously stalled site at Great George Street and the work on the new Baltic Station, this is a really exciting time for this part of the city centre.’
The council recently succeeded in securing the Great George Street site and wider area under its own unified ownership, with support from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the government, which will signal a new identity for this part of the city under these transformations.
Chinatown is a well-loved part of Liverpool’s city centre, so it is exciting to hear that investment and development will be poured into this area. It will be exciting to see what the general public’s opinions will be on these proposals, and if and when these developments come to fruition how it will impact the local economy, the architectural identity and the overall footfall in this area.