Temporary Solutions for Buildings Undergoing Development: Making Use of Short-term Strategies
In the world of urban regeneration, a novel concept known as meanwhile uses is gaining traction. This approach involves the temporary utilisation of vacant buildings or sites awaiting redevelopment or planning permission. Charlotte Hutchinson, from Carter Jonas, explains the concept, and companies like U+I are embracing it wholeheartedly, as seen in their project in Cambridge.
U+I, working alongside Richard Seamark on the regeneration of a former water treatment works in Cambridge, plans to fully incorporate meanwhile uses into their larger project. This strategy offers numerous advantages, including reducing costs for landlords, providing opportunities for creative industries, and improving a site’s appeal before long-term development begins.
One example of successful meanwhile use is Lendlease’s introduction of Mercato Metropolitano at Elephant and Castle. This initiative offered new food and beverage businesses an opportunity to 'incubate' in a new business hub, fostering local economic activity and stimulating innovation.
Meanwhile uses have been utilised in London for over a decade, with examples such as Flat Iron Square and King’s Cross’ Of Soil and Water. Similarly, Cambridge has leveraged meanwhile uses to enliven underutilised sites, often placing community-led or cultural projects temporarily until full development proceeds.
The social value of meanwhile uses is being recognised, as they provide opportunities for individuals to showcase their products and potentially expand their businesses. Moreover, they can serve as effective market research for permanent uses in a community.
Maintaining a presence locally and engaging with the community can help foster a positive start to public consultation exercises. This approach can be particularly beneficial in deprived areas, where meanwhile uses can offer early activation and social value.
Carter Jonas, for instance, provided planning services to enable the consent of six modular homes for homeless individuals in Cambridge. This initiative demonstrates how meanwhile uses can provide immediate benefits to the community while waiting for long-term development.
U+I’s vision for the Cambridge regeneration project aims to create a socially and economically inclusive, thriving, and low-carbon area. The use of meanwhile uses aligns with this vision, as they can help foster a good relationship with the local community and contribute to a more dynamic urban environment.
In conclusion, implementing short-term uses (meanwhile uses) on development sites offers multiple benefits such as activating disused spaces, reducing costs for landlords, providing opportunities for creative industries, and improving a site’s appeal before long-term development starts. These benefits, demonstrated by examples from London and Cambridge, resonate widely with the need for flexible, incremental activation of sites to balance economic, social, and developmental goals. This approach offers a promising solution for urban regeneration projects, ensuring that vacant sites do not remain idle, but instead contribute positively to their local communities.
- U+I, in collaboration with Richard Seamark, is incorporating the concept of meanwhile uses into their project for the regeneration of a former water treatment works in Cambridge.
- Meanwhile uses, such as Lendlease's Mercato Metropolitano at Elephant and Castle, provide opportunities for creative industries and foster local economic activity, contributing to the revitalization of underutilized sites.
- Carter Jonas, through planning services, enabled the construction of six modular homes for homeless individuals in Cambridge, demonstrating how meanwhile uses can offer immediate benefits to the community.
- By employing meanwhile uses, urban regeneration projects like U+I's in Cambridge can create a socially and economically inclusive environment that aligns with their vision of a thriving, low-carbon area, while also contributing to a more dynamic urban space through positive engagement with the local community.
