.	Home
.	Urban Design
.	Contents
.	Foreword
.	City Vision
.	Introduction
.	The City Centre
.	Inherited City
.	Sheffield Today
.	Sheffield One
.	Masterplan 2000
.	Transport Improvements
.	Inner Relief Road
.	Connect Sheffield
.	Strategy Action Plans
.	Conclusions
.	Part 2.2 (PDF file size 2.22MB)
.	Part 2.2 (Word file size 51k)
.	Use & Perception
.	Key Findings
.	Strategic Guidance
.	The Quarters
.	Public Realm Design Guidelines
.	Tools & Applications
.	Consultation Process & Acknowledgements
.	Bibliography
.	Links

Town Hall, Sheffield, S1 2HH telephone: (0114) 272 6444

2.2 Sheffield Today

Inner Relief Road

The transport initiative that will have the most significant impact on the development of the city centre is the completion of the Inner Relief Road (North). This project provides the opportunity to integrate the northern inner city area with the rest of Sheffield. The creation of a green boulevard along the route will provide a high quality environment for all user groups. It also provides the opportunity to link the riverside with the city, thus encouraging the regeneration of this area to create a new and distinctive place in Sheffield. The project description has been broken down into 3 sections – the Ring Road, the Built Form and Access:

The Ring Road
The second phase of the Inner Relief Road will be developed as a tree lined boulevard, incorporating a network of landmark features at key junctions to signify entry into the city centre. A new riverside terrace will be created on the north of the river, and the existing walkway will be extended to the west, to promote the integration and regeneration of the Riverside Quarter. The built form will have frontages to the road and an element of mixed use so that the IRR becomes an attractive streetscape. To encourage pedestrian activity several crossing points have been provided at important junctions and intermittently along the route.
The Built Form
Buildings will have frontages to the road and river to establish a coherent and legible urban form. Blocks will be consolidated to provide a continuous frontage, reinforcing the urban character of the IRR as a ‘street’ rather than a ‘road’. The re-use of existing buildings is encouraged along the riverside and the creation of architectural landmarks at important corners is promoted to improve legibility and signify entrances to the city centre.

Opportunities for public realm improvements are highlighted along the riverside. These include continuous walk/cycle routes, the creation of pocket parks, the provision of recreational facilities and improved landscaped open space and play areas.
Access
Main vehicular access will be provided by the IRR with various secondary routes branching from it to help improve traffic management in the city centre. Vehicular access will not be provided on the riverside walkways except to access buildings. Vehicular access to each courtyard will be provided from the street.

Various improvements will be made with regard to pedestrian activity including high quality pedestrian walkways and traffic calming measures. The urban design framework for the IRR also recommends that a cycle network be provided on the IRR route and continue along the major axes branching from the IRR and the riverside walkways.

This project offers the opportunity to integrate the north of the city centre with the rest of Sheffield and open up the riverside which will act as a catalyst to the wider regeneration of the area. To encourage this integration, the Inner Relief Road will be integrated with its surroundings to ensure that it becomes a functional streetscape in its own right rather than just a traffic carrier.

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