Cockmuir Place street design project report - Sustrans

Street Design Project Report
Cockmuir Place, Elgin, Moray
2011-2012
A partnership project between Sustrans Scotland
& The Moray Council
May 2013

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Sustrans Scotland
Rosebery House
9 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5EZ
© Sustrans May 2013
Registered Charity No. 326550 (England and Wales)
SC039263 (Scotland)
VAT Registration No. 416740656
Message from Sustrans Scotland Director, John Lauder
Sustrans Scotland and The Moray Council are delighted to have delivered this pioneering Street Design Project
with residents in Cockmuir Place, Elgin. The street is now very attractive with its bright colours and designs, and
the provision of more green space.
The community has guided the improvements undertaken to create a special place in which to live, rest and
play. The clever design techniques used have also resulted in reduced traffic speeds, therefore making the
street safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Sustrans considers that this project is only the start of a process across Scotland that will see streets reclaimed
by their residents as distinctive places in which to live. We want to see residential streets becoming less
dominated by traffic and more focused on people.
This project has been successful due to the enthusiasm of all the partners, particularly the residents of the
street and local volunteers. Their valued inputs at all stages helped to shape the improvements at each stage
of development and have helped to create something we can all be proud of.

Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. COMMUNITY
3. PLACE
4. SAFETY
5. MOVEMENT
6. SUMMARY

“
You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things
that never were; and I say ‘Why not?’
”
- George Bernard Shaw
Sustrans’ simple aim is to make streets safer, more attractive and vibrant
places to live. We work with communities, residents and schools.
Elgin
Cockmuir Place is a cul-de-sac to the south of Elgin. There are 30
properties consisting of a mix of bungalows, terraced housing and flatted
accommodation. The age and physical ability of residents on the street is very
varied.
The street is close to Greenwards Primary School and Elgin High School and
tends to be used by parents as a convenient drop off/pick up location for
children being driven to and from the primary school.
Cockmuir Place is also close to an extensive network of traffic free cycle
routes developed recently through the Urban Freedom active travel initiative
in Elgin with support from Sustrans. The Street Design project was delivered
by Sustrans and The Moray Council with additional support from the Bilbohall
Tenants Forum and local charity Step Forward.
1. INTRODUCTION

From...
A residential road designed around
standard patterns and geometry.
To...
A place that reflects the community
who live there and pass through.
Since the project began, residents of
Cockmuir Place have seen a dramatic
change to their neighbourhood
environment.
This report details the process and
project highlights.
1. INTRODUCTION - BEFORE & AFTER

2. COMMUNITY

4design workshops
32 adults
6 children
Communities are at the heart of street design projects. Involving people in
decisions about their street is a powerful and effective way of developing a
successful design, reflecting the people who live there.
Sustrans worked in an integrated way with Glasgow artist Nicola Atkinson
who specialises in community engagement and collaborative design. The
design workshops were where ideas were debated, compromises reached and
decisions made about the design of the street. Throughout this process, ideas
were presented back to the community for comment and adjustment. This
open form of engagement helps to ensure that there are no surprises once the
building phase gets underway.
total attendance at all
design workshops
“
From the start (the team)
listened to everything the
people wanted
”
- Resident
At the beginning, the design
workshops concentrated on
what residents liked about their
street and what they wanted
to see improved. The residents
made a list of the problems and
maps were used to mark where
particular issues occured.
Residents voted for their
priorities from the list
of problems and these
underpinned the design
process from then on.
A huge map of Cockmuir Place
allowed residents to experiment
with a range of ideas following
themes of movement, safety,
greenery, parking and other
functions of the street.
Foam, wood, plastercine,
mini trees and other similar
objects were used to
visualise the ideas. These
were photographed and then
incorporated into the designs.
Between each design workshop,
residents were given the
opportunity to review and
comment on designs and
suggest changes.
This allowed the designs to
reach a level of refinement that
balanced the views of residents
with one another, while matching
budgetary constraints, standards
and engineering limitations.
2. COMMUNITY - DESIGN WORKSHOPS

5
12
9 to 15
27
GEDLOCH
esign, Cockmuir Place, Southwest Elgin
1
25
GLEN LOSSIE
26 to 32
13
Ü1:500 Scale
DRIVE
25
34 to 40
42 to 48
Residents laid out the street to show how they wanted it to work, look and
feel. These layouts were turned into design visualisations to begin to give a
clearer picture of what the street would look like.
12
2
47 41
COCKMUIR PLACE
LB
33
41
1 to 7
TCB
El
Sub Sta
17
Shelter
31
31
Map of the street before the street design project.
50 to 56
43
10
nance Survey map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office Crown Copyright 2011 The Moray Council 100023422
58 to 64
Initial design showing stepping stone route idea, parking bays, wider, more
direct routes and more greenery.
‘Positive Parking’ - marking parking
bays with surface colour treatment -
indicates good parking spots within
the existing layout of the street.
This looks more pleasant than bays
marked with while lines and creates
a less formal environment, while still
discouraging double parking and
making most efficient use of space.
A raised crossing at the entrance to
the street slows vehicles down, makes
it easier for pedestrians to cross
and acts as a gateway feature that
indicates to motorists that priorities in
the street are different.
‘Offset’ parking acts as a chicane to
slow down traffic. Marking this parking
out would encourage motorists to use
it; this formalises parking on the main
roadspace rather than in the car park,
as had been the case. This freed up
space elsewhere for grass to be laid.
2. COMMUNITY - URBAN DESIGN

7neighbourhood on-street
events in Cockmuir Place
Launch Event
Sweeten Your Street
Walk The Artist
Test Event
Christmas Event
Friday Opening Event
Saturday Opening Event
There is a strong social benefit to working with a community. Residents get to
know each other through on-street events that encourage socialising, laughter
and fun. Knowing your neighbours can make you feel more positive about the
place where you live.
People often say that they remember old times when residents knew one
another; this should not be confined to the past.
249 adults
98 children
total attendance at all
on-street events
Initial surveys with residents
in the area helped to identify
Cockmuir Place as a potential
project site. Following this,
residents took to the street to
enjoy pudding and custard,
socialise and start thinking
about what works well and
what does not work so well in
their street.
In June 2011 a ‘Test Day’ was
held. Aside from creating an
opportunity for residents to be
out and about socialising, the
street was decked out with
hay bales, old carpet and other
furniture to symbolise how
the street would look with the
changes in place.
The community waited eagerly
for the ribbon to be cut at the
formal opening of the street.
School pupils, councillors,
council staff and parents joined
the celebrations; There was a
tangible sense of pride in what
had been achieved.
2. COMMUNITY - EVENTS

The community comes together in Cockmuir Place to celebrate completion of
the changes. Residents, pupils reflect on how the street used to look and feel,
with positivity about the future.
The transformation of the street is very dramatic and has created a place that is
pleasant to gather.
The street used to support
a strong vehicle movement
function; the paths had
not been wide enough for
pedestrians to pass one
another. This has now been
balanced with a strong sense of
place that shifts priority towards
pedestrians.
It was hard to imagine live
music, food, drink, the signs of
vitality on the street, before the
project.
The transformation has left a
place that is fit for a community.
2. COMMUNITY - EXPERIENCING TRANSFORMATION

5sessions with
local schools
2 High School Workshops
Primary School Workshop
P6 Treasure Hunt
P6 Post Works Review
16 adults
149 children
Cockmuir Place is one of the main access routes to Greenwards Primary
School. As the residents identified, many of the issues that the street
experienced related to the large numbers of people passing through the street
on their way to and from school each day, with vehicles disproportionately
dominating the street. Elgin High School is also close to Cockmuir Place and
linked with a strong network of paths.
Nicola Atkinson encouraged pupils from Greenwards Primary School to create
their own hopscotch style games with chalk on the pavements in Cockmuir
Place. She developed this idea further and designed a permanent stepping
stone installation called ‘Invent a Game’. Nicola also worked with a group of
high school pupils to explore design ideas.
total attendance at all
school workshops
“
it’s really cool to do art
with something that’s
actually going to go down;
is actually going to happen.
It’s pretty cool.
”
- Pupil
Before the transformations to
the street took place, pupils
were given the challenge to
make sense of the designs and
understand what goes where
and why.
Pupils are now able to explain
to others why Cockmuir Place
feels safer to them and how this
was achieved.
Greenwards School’s gardening
club got their hands dirty and
a little scratched, helping to fill
the new planters with colourful,
interesting but hardy plants.
Involving pupils in the planting
has helped share the sense of
pride in the street beyond the
residents. This is a place that
everyone wants to look after.
Primary school pupils spoke
to a newspaper reporter at
the opening event, about
how they were involved in the
street design process and the
difference it has made to their
journey to school.
2. COMMUNITY - SCHOOLS WORK

3. PLACE

100
%
of residents surveyed
think the appearance
of the street is good/
attractive
Place-making is an important part of a Street Design project. If a place is not
inviting and attractive, people may not want to linger. At the heart of Cockmuir
Place, there is a large grass area that was once a large car park. The residents
took a courageous decision to remove some excess parking space, and the
benefits have been clear to see.
NEW FEATURES
3 Rowan Trees
7 Planters
Large Grass Area
Patio Area
Coloured Crossings
Stepping Stones
Herb Garden
“
It’s a lot brighter and
friendlier with colours and
designs.
”
- Pupil
Planters packed with colourful
shrubs and bulbs provide a
place to sit and relax. The
contents were chosen to be
low-maintainance and the bark
layer makes weeding easy.
Residents commited to look
after the planters themselves;
feeding and watering them
when necessary.
Even functional aspects to
the street, such as crossings
and parking spaces, now look
warm, bright and engaging.
The street makes sense to
pedestrians, cyclists and
drivers.
Cockmuir Place is warm, inviting
and interesting. The community
spirit is reflected by the design.
3. PLACE - APPEARANCE

60%
of residents surveyed think the
street has been enhanced with
trees, greenery or artwork
i
A University of Glasgow & University of St Andrews
study found that even small green spaces in living
environments made a difference to people’s risk of
fatal diseases.
(The Lancet, Vol. 372, Issue 9650, pp1655-1660)
Residents and pupils from Greenwards
Primary School worked with artist Nicola
Atkinson who created a new colouful
footway through the street on a widened
section of path. The footpath has been
laid with inset durable colourful ceramic
pieces. ‘Invent a Game’ artwork by Nicola
Atkinson is seamlessly interwoven into
the design of the street and encourages
people of all ages to engage with the
street playfully.
“
I think it’s a good thing.
I’ve noticed they’ve put the
plants in along the street -
surprised there has been
no damage but that could
be down to them asking
the kids to help so they’re
taking a pride in it as well
”
- Resident
A younger resident on the street
experimented with watercolour
shapes as part of the process
of developing the ‘Invent a
Game’ artwork.
Bright, glazed ceramic peices
were inset into white concrete
slabs to create the stepping
stone pattern.
Residents also got stuck in with
the gardening, filling the new
planters with colourful shrubs
and flowers.
3. PLACE - QUALITY

3. PLACE - ‘INVENT A GAME’ ARTWORK
Invent a Game...

4. SAFETY

94%
The
of residents surveyed think that
traffic speed has been reduced
Street Design project aimed to make Cockmuir Place safer. Elsewhere
this has often been achieved through putting up railings and barriers, but
here, contemporary design principles in line with Designing Streets (Scottish
Government, 2010) were adopted to balance vehicle access with pedestrian
and cyclist movements in a way that enhanced the quality of the street
enviornment.
Daily average speed of traffic
has reduced by
2 mph
This colour surface treatment
is a cost-effective solution to
strongly indicate to motorists
that there is an important route
traversing the roadspace.
Drivers perceive that the road
has been narrowed due to the
marking of parking spaces
on the previously undefined
surface. This, along with
marked crossing points has
created an enviornment where
pedestrians do not feel as
intimidated by moving vehicles.
Marking parking spaces out also
creates a subtle chicane effect
that is accentuated at busy
times when cars are parked in
those spaces.
This, along with the 20 m.p.h.
speed limit, helps to further slow
down traffic.
4. SAFETY - SPEED OF TRAFFIC

94%
of residents surveyed think the
street is pedestrian friendly
compared to
50%
before the project.
“
The problem was the cars
were just zooming into the
street
”
- Resident
A raised crossing at the mouth
of Cockmuir Place gives a sense
of safety to what is otherwise a
very wide crossing.
83%
of residents surveyed think the
street is safe for children to
play compared to
28%
before the project.
A renewal of some existing
infrastructure has replaced
decaying surfaces with smooth
new ones. The Street Design
project will have future benefits
due to the renewal of ageing
materials.
A raised table makes
pedestrians appear taller; this
is especially important near a
school with young children. The
table also makes accesibility
easier for disabled people and
buggies or scooters. The ramps
either side of the table also slow
vehicles down to a crawl.
Residents can come together
and socialise in a people friendly
street. An improvement in the
quality, colour, greenery and
the layout of the street beckon
people to go out and enjoy the
fresh air - especially when the
weather is good!
4. SAFETY - PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLINESS

5. MOVEMENT

“
I’ve seen more people
cycling and walking now
”
- Resident
There are many factors that influence whether people choose to walk and
cycle. One thing that does not change is that getting around under your own
steam is good for your health and better for the enviornment. Street Design
has created the opportunity for people to travel actively and addressed many
of the factors that influence their choice of transport.
53%
of residents surveyed think that
the amount of traffic has been
reduced
Children who are active and
healthy are more likely to
become adults who are active
and healthy.
The school journey appears
calmer and lower risk than it
used to be. Parents that do
drive feel safer dropping their
children off further away from
the school in the knowledge
that Cockmuir Place is safe for
them to walk through without
close adult supervision.
The street now provides an
engaging environment for
people. This encourages
children to arrive at school
feeling refreshed, inspired and
calm as well as sending them
off at the end of the day feeling
good.
5. MOVEMENT - VOLUME OF TRAFFIC

Modal share of child cyclists
travelling to and from the
school
8%
The opening events took place on a
Friday and Saturday in June; residents,
council staff, school children and many
others came together to celebrate the
completion of the Cockmuir Place Street
Design Project.
“
It is much safer for people
to walk and bike to school
because of the paths being
wider...
”
- Pupil
Modal share of motorised
traffic travelling to and from
school
2%
5. MOVEMENT - CYCLING

6. SUMMARY

Community
Involvement
Community
Involvement
Working in
Partnership
Being local meant being
accessible to the residents that
we were working with.
The project team were able to
get to know individuals and
understand their needs and
wishes.
They were available to meet
people and respond quickly to
ideas and problems.
The community were not just
accepting but also welcoming
of the changes. By being
involved with the decision
making and design process,
residents took ownership for
the design and have since
taken on the maintainance of
planters in the street.
With inclusivity as a core value,
substantial effort was put into
making sure that everybody was
invited, included and updated
in all of the public sessions and
street events. Where people
were unable to attend, we were
able to visit homes and talk to
residents, on the phone and face
to face.
Being
Working in
Partnership
Local
A project officer employed
by Sustrans worked directly
with the transport department
in Elgin for 20 months. The
process was a positive learning
experience for both Sustrans
and The Moray Council.
Working within the council
made decisions that affected
several departments easier to
work through.
The challenge was to develop
a design that addressed the
residents’ wishes while being
sensitive to the maintainance
burden on the council. By
working within the council,
a design was reached that
maximised value for money
during the build and into the
future.
The technical design was drawn
up by the council’s in-house
consultancy team and built
by the council’s Direct Labour
Organisation, ensuring the
project was delivered to a tight
schedule.
6. SUMMARY

Sustrans works with local authorities and people
to create beautiful designs that improve the
safety, sociability and aesthetic appeal of places.
If you are interested in finding out more about
our work, please contact:
Paul Ruffles
Street Design
Sustrans Scotland
Rosebery House
9 Haymarket Terrace
EDINBURGH
EH12 5EZ
t: (0131) 346 9779
e: paul.ruffles@sustrans.org.uk
Findings in this report are based upon household
survey data, speed and volume traffic data and
manual count data, collected pre and post project.
For further details, please contact:
Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit
Cross House
Westgate Road
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 4XX
t: 0191 269 9370
e: monitoring@sustrans.org.uk