Mixed-Use Development: Nine Case Studies of Complex Projects

Dean Schwanke

• Publisher: Urban Land Institute
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9780874204025
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Architecture General

This publication provides a detailed look at nine leading examples of mixed-use projects from around the world that have been developed in recent years. The case studies are drawn from the ULI Case Studies program, which showcases innovative approaches and best practices in real estate and urban development.
 
The nine mixed-use projects featured offer a wide range of approaches to mixed-use development globally, including three developments in the United States, two in China, and one each in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. The case studies range from
high-rise projects in central business districts—such as Porta Nuova in Milan, Italy, and Woodward's in Vancouver, Canada—to suburban town centers, such as CityCentre in Houston, Texas, United States, and North Hills in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.
 
In addition to the case studies themselves, this report provides a brief overview of the key traits for this group of case studies, as well as the lessons learned at each project.

Large Urban Mixed-Use Development Districts

King’s Cross

Illustrated buildout of King’s Cross, looking west: the 67-acre (27 ha) site forms one of the largest city-centre regeneration schemes in Europe.

PROJECT SUMMARY

King’s Cross is a mixed-use, urban regeneration project in central London that is also a major transport hub for the city. Located on the site of former rail and industrial facilities, the 67-acre (27 ha) redevelopment is ongoing and involves restoration of historic buildings as well as new construction, with the entire plan organised around internal streets and 26 acres (10.5 ha) of open space to form a new public realm for the area. Principal uses include 3.4 million square feet (316,000 sq m) of office space, close to 2,000 residential units, 500,000 square feet (46,400 sq m) of retail and leisure space, a hotel, and educational facilities. The site is served directly by six London Underground lines, two national mainline train stations, and an international high-speed rail connecting to Paris.

QUICK FACTS

Location

London, United Kingdom

Project type

Mixed use—three uses or more

Site size

67 acres (27 ha)

Land uses

Office, retail, multifamily housing, hotel, parks and open space, parking, transport facilities

Keywords/special features

Pedestrian-friendly design, energy-efficient design, public/private development, transit-oriented development, healthy place features, place making, brownfield development, urban regeneration

Website

www.kingscross.co.uk

Project address

King’s Cross

London N1C 4AB

United Kingdom

Ownership entity/developer

King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership

Ownership entity partners

Argent LLP

London and Continental Railways Limited

DHL Supply Chain

Master developer and asset manager

Argent King’s Cross Limited Partnership

4 Stable Street

King’s Cross

London N1C 4AB

United Kingdom

www.argentllp.co.uk/

Investment partner

Hermes Real Estate on behalf of the BT Pension Scheme

July 2014

Spanning a 67-acre (27 ha) site of disused railway lands in central London, King’s Cross is being transformed from an area once known for lost industry into a vibrant mixed-use city quarter. Thousands of workers, residents, and students now inhabit King’s Cross, the largest area of city-centre redevelopment in Europe. When it is completed in 2020, 45,000 people a day will benefit from the 3.4 million square feet (316,000 sq m) of office space, 500,000 square feet (46,400 sq m) of retail and leisure space, and close to 2,000 homes.

“We were always struck by how incredible it was that we had 67 acres [27 ha] in one holding so close to the centre of the city,” says partner Robert Evans of Argent, the master developer and asset manager for King’s Cross. “The vision was to create a scheme which would be part of London, a busy place with lots going on, somewhere that could always surprise. It would have all the things that any other successful district of the city would have.”

A fully mixed-use scheme comprising old and new buildings is assembled around 26 acres (10.5 ha) of public space. Ten new public squares and 20 new streets will deliver an accessible, high-quality mixed-use environment with a strong focus on art, culture, and heritage. Overall, one-quarter of the scheme is dedicated to culture and leisure uses, and the first phases are already open to the public.

A new piece of London, with its own brand-new postcode, King’s Cross is a vibrant urban space. Proximity to one of the busiest transport interchanges in the city provides major appeal to global firms and offers a great location for residences.

An environmental exemplar, the development hosts several BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) “Outstanding” buildings. An Energy Centre will provide most of the development’s heat demand, contributing to the developer’s aims to create one of the more sustainable developments in the United Kingdom.

The Challenge

King’s Cross posed a classic regeneration challenge. In 1996, when the decision was made to finally develop the scheme, the area required a fresh identity to encourage a healthier neighbourhood and attractive destination. Only a decade ago, King’s Cross was suffering from years of decline, a “Cinderella” district that had long been shunned by big business and investment.

During the Victorian era it was a thriving industrial transport hub, but by the 1970s its distribution buildings and warehouses had fallen to dereliction. Nightclubs and artists moved in, but the area suffered from an unsavoury reputation. By the 1980s, it was the lowest-rent area for central London offices, with commercial stock mostly unchanged since the 19th century. The area was densely populated with lower-income groups, council tenants, and local enterprises.

With about one-quarter of the scheme now complete, a new and fresh identity is successfully taking root. As a result, King’s Cross has won an array of awards, and praise from London mayor Boris Johnson. King’s Cross has also become an exemplar of place-making practice within the U.K. real estate community.

An elevated view of the 86,100-square-foot (8,000 sq m) Granary Square, with bridges across Regent’s Canal. It has drawn more than 175,000 visitors since it opened in 2012.

The Site

King’s Cross is being built on a 67-acre (27 ha) piece of inner-city land in central London, 2.5 miles (4 km) north of Charing Cross and 2.8 miles (4.5 km) northwest of Liverpool Street in the City of London. The teardrop-shaped site slopes upwards from Euston Road to the Regent’s Canal, which cuts the site in half, and then continues to gently slope upwards to its boundaries.

Before development began, the site consisted of disused buildings, railway sidings, warehouses, and contaminated land, as well as a variety of historic buildings, structures, and surfaces that had survived the site’s former existence as a Victorian townscape. The south half of the site was densely occupied with structures from the transport hub, including gasworks, gasholders, railways, and storage and interchange buildings.

The scheme is situated in the London boroughs of Camden (mostly) and Islington and is bordered to the south by Euston Road and St. Pancras International and King’s Cross rail stations. This transport hub is expected to support 63 million passengers a year from 2020 and offers access to six London Underground lines, two national mainline train stations, and an international high-speed rail connecting Eurostar passengers to Paris in just over two hours.

The Regent’s Canal runs east to west through the middle of the site, and the Camley Street Natural Park, an urban nature reserve, lies within the area alongside the western bank of the canal. Although the site’s boundaries do not include either, the developer has always aspired to engage positively with these neighbours, adopting a “blurred boundary” approach that complements the King’s Cross public realm and green-space offering.

Development Team

The King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP) is developing the mixed-use scheme. KCCLP is the collective name for the single landowner that comprises three groups: U.K. property developer Argent (owning 50 percent via Argent King’s Cross Limited Partnership); the U.K. st...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Compact, Small-Site Mixed-Use Projects
• Mixed-Use Projects Combining Retail Malls, Hotels, and Offices
• Mixed-use Town Centers and Urban Villages in Suburban Areas
• Large, Urban Mixed-use Development Districts