Leeds launches city centre design competition to prioritise pedestrians

The RIBA has announced a competition to find a multi-disciplinary design team to redevelop Leeds City Square.

The aim is to create a civic space which “responds positively to the city’s diverse population, cultural richness and to the city’s climate change ambitions”.

It is part of the city council’s Our Spaces strategy launched earlier this year which set out how public spaces across the city would be redeveloped to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists over traffic.

The two-stage competition, run by the RIBA for the city council ad Balfour Beatty, is seeking expressions of interest in response to a memorandum of information document which is available with details of how to register interest here.

Up to five teams will be shortlisted and invited to participate in the design phase of the competition. An equal honorarium of £6,000 (+VAT) will be paid to each of the shortlisted teams.

Council leader Judith Blake said: “The chosen design will create a space which benefits everyone, responds to our climate challenges and cultural ambitions as well as capturing what makes Leeds so fantastic. As the city begins to recover from the pandemic and we look forward to a thriving future, our public realm holds even more importance and I am looking forward to seeing the proposals for the transformation.”