New Coventry City Centre

A stunning blueprint for a new city centre for Coventry has been unveiled following a massive consultation exercise with local people. Theis is a billion pound plus plan and is likely to see a mix of uses including residential, retail, leisure and community with green parks and open spaces in the middle of the city on top of new shops, a waterway following the path of the River Sherbourne through the middle of a new shopping centre. A new library is at the heart of the groundbreaking design.

The Jerde masterplan echoes Coventry's medieval heritage, with the line of the city walls echoed through a group of office and residential tower blocks along the outskirts of the shopping centre. Views of the city's historic three spires have also been maintained. Some of the city's existing squares, designed by the original architect of post war Coventry, Donald Gibson, will be restored and enhanced, with plans for two major anchor stores - including a department store - in key areas of the centre. Coventry's much loved market could move to a new site across the road from IKEA with space for an outdoor and indoor market. The route of the River Sherbourne will be recreated in a new waterway running from Millennium Plaza to a new Market Plaza.

The plans have been drawn up by architects The Jerde Partnership following widespread consultation earlier this year by Coventry City Council which saw nearly two thousand people tell the architects what they wanted to see in their new city centre. Their views formed the brief for the design of the masterplan which has now been published ahead of a further consultation period.