Catching up with posts, post-summer: #1 Temple Quarter CPD

With the 2024-25 Bristol GA season about to start, I provide details on successful summer activities that should have been reported much earlier….

ENE towards former Bristol and Exeter Railway Office and repurposed buildings, now Temple Studios

#1. CPD session on urban regeneration at Bristol Temple Quarter (images by Harry West, David Richards)

We saw perfect weather on the evening of the Wednesday June 5th for a walk/talk around Temple Meads with Jane Greenaway, Pete Insole and colleagues from Bristol City Council/Bristol Temple Quarter. Teachers from 17 schools signed up for this networking session to support the teaching of urban regeneration, changing places and much more. Bath and Bristol schools were well-represented, but most encouraging was also engagement from teachers from as far as Yeovil, Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Wooton-under-Edge.

We were given insightful commentary on latest developments at the complex regeneration site of Bristol Temple Quarter, which is oft-used as a case study in class. The partners involved in this major scheme are Bristol City Council, Homes England, the West of England Combined Authority and Network Rail. The University of Bristol are building their Enterprise Campus at the same time and there are many opportunities to rethink learning, research, innovation, enterprise, and social inclusion in this area surrounding the historical railway station – Bristol Temple Meads.

We met at one of the entrances to the Temple Meads. Indeed, entrances/gateways were an enduring theme as we were presented with the challenges associated with of directing pedestrian and cycle traffic through the area. There is so much history to be explored at this site, some designed by the celebrated Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He was a visionary, but could not have predicted the needs of the 21st century and beyond. There will be much change to the landscape, while preserving elements of the past. Our thanks to Pete Insole for providing details of the layered history. We encourage you to look at the amazing Know Your Place website to get a feel for the rich history of the site (see maps and photograph of the Bristol and Exeter Railway Station 1870). Pete was instrumental in the production of this valuable resource that supports local learning in so many ways.

Considering entrances and gateways: From Midland Shed towards entrance to Joint Station at Temple Meads

GWR, Joint and Bristol and Exeter buildings and tracks leading off in foreground towards the docks

Community development is a strong theme. Jane Greenaway let us know of the many formats for civic engagement and consultation that have been used. The draft development framework has been co-produced in many ways, and the thoughts of a wide range of people have been collected through different novel activities (see Play:Disrupt). It’s no surprise that visual culture will play a strong role in Bristol.

Looking South across Temple Gate towards Holiday Inn Express

Commercial, education, business, cultural and leisure developments will reshape the area, and the adjacent “Cotton quarter” of Barton Hill trading estate. Decades of regeneration is expected and the site will provide a dynamic case study for students of urban settings long into the future. Sixth-form students are encouraged to sign-up for a general talk on such matters on in October (see 2024-25 programme) that includes innovative examples from the City of Bristol.

Outside the University of Bristol Enterprise Campus building works

Our sincere thanks to Jane, Pete and the others for their time and enthusiasm. It is clear that they are passionate about outreach opportunities and encourage you to get in touch.