Interview with Sarah Whittaker
Sarah moved to Milton Keynes initially because of the opportunities for exciting architectural work with MKDC; she then worked for a local architect, before joining Commission for the New Towns (CNT), which became English Partnerships (EP). Next she spent two years with Milton Keynes Council as their only urban designer, helping to set up a larger urban design team. She returned to MK specifically to work on the Central Milton Keynes project with Milton Keynes Partnership and the Council, to produce a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to guide future development in Central CMK. In her opinion, Milton Keynes is wonderful, but: ‘a place that cannot change invites its own destruction’ and she says ‘what I hope … to do is to set in place the framework in which MK can grow’.
Sarah explains her view of the potential limitations and problems of the current infrastructure, such as: access with increased population & density; separation of people, roads and buildings; the lack of activity at ground level in the business district along Midsummer Boulevard. To deal with some of these issues, the SPD planning group have proposed (a) moving some vehicle parking to the periphery of Central Milton Keynes and (b) bringing some buildings forward onto the surface level car parks in Avebury and Silbury Boulevards. Their focus is on increasing city centre density and ensuring economic viability; the proposals focus very much on the pedestrian, whereas the original designs focussed on the car. Sarah confirms that the structure of Boulevards and Gates and the division of each of the blocks into blocklets with the streets will remain; and she states that underpasses will be removed only in ‘very, very limited situations’.
Roger Kitchen then works through the main sections of the draft SPD with Sarah, asking her to clarify its contents on topics such as technology; public art; maintenance of ‘grey infrastructure’; the future of the plane trees and plantings; creation of a ‘civic square’; routes through the shopping building that are open 24 hours; pedestrian safety; ‘diversity, variety and richness’; making better use of to Station Square; creation of landmarks and wayfinding signs. Planning approval exists for the lowering of Secklow Gate, but Sarah notes that she has concerns about this: ‘…We have to work on this’.
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