Forth Ports has appointed a masterplanner for the first phase of its 170-acre redevelopment of docklands in Edinburgh’s Leith.
RTKL, a global architecture firm recently involved in regenerating an inner harbour at the US city of Baltimore, will design Britannia Quay and Waterfront Plaza, the first two villages at Leith Docks.
The masterplan will also include a proposed extension to Forth Ports’ 390,000 sq ft Ocean Terminal shopping and leisure centre.
RTKL’s head of planning and urban design John Gosling will lead the team, with London head Ken Christian offering strategic input.
Day to day operations will be managed by the firm’s associate director, Mahmood Faruqi.
The £700m Leith project forms part of a wider Forthside development that includes the regeneration of Granton and Western harbours.
It will build on the Leith Docks Development Framework, which was granted supplementary planning guidance last year, and the Western Harbour masterplan produced by UK-based architects RMJM and Robert Adam.
RTKL’s key remit is to produce a residential, retail and commercial development plan that maximises the area’s economic value and diverse potential while complimenting Edinburgh city centre.
References: EGi News 13/09/06
