Take Back the City — a group of campaigners, including families in housing need, supported by experts on everything from human rights to city planning and policy — is today kicking off a period of public engagement to shape plans for the transformation of the former Mackies site in Belfast into a climate resilient community.
Over 50 architects and urban planners from 6 continents expressed an interest in designing the ‘first of its kind, climate resilient community’ as part of an international competition. Fifteen finalists from countries including USA, Mexico, Ireland, India, England, Australia and Iran have entered designs to illustrate how the 25-acre publicly owned space could be used to help tackle the issues impacting the surrounding communities.
The competition is the latest stage of a trail blazing participatory city shaping campaign led by homeless families with the support of human rights organisation, Participation and the Practice of Rights.
Take Back the City
The Mackies site is located between north and west Belfast – an area of long standing poverty with the greatest housing need in Northern Ireland. The site is owned almost entirely by the Department for Communities, led by Sinn Féin Minister, Deirdre Hargey – who promised to deliver 100,000 homes before Stormont collapsed following the May elections. The Minister has been invited to attend the consultation.
Take Back The City campaigner Marissa McMahon explained: “Our vision for Mackies is to start to build a city fit for the future – a future without peace walls dividing communities, where every child has a safe and sustainable home. This vision has been shaped by years of campaigning and it has really ignited the imagination of international designers.
“It’s exactly what this place needs – fresh eyes on the problems that have left the city divided, people in poverty and homelessness out of control. The politics is in a sorry state. Business as usual isn’t working. So why not try something new?”
“Mackies has been vacant now for nearly 20 years while people living around it struggle to put a roof over their heads. Belfast has so much untapped potential but we can’t keep backing projects like Tribeca which leave the city derelict. Over the coming weeks we are holding art exhibitions, public meetings, political engagements and conversations of all shapes and sizes to help get as much feedback as possible.
“We are inviting everyone, not just the many thousands of families who are suffering desperate poverty and homelessness in our city, but absolutely everyone – elected representatives, developers, Ministers, Chief Executives, experts, officials – whoever, to look at these world class designs – to feedback their thoughts. It only takes a few minutes on your phone to view the designs or come to any of the public events.’’
The City of the Future designs can be viewed at a three day exhibition in The MAC from 21 to 23 October entitled ‘My Dream Community’ together with artwork by local children.
The competition will be judged by an international panel using six criteria developed during the co-creation and design process and community feedback. A winner will be shortlisted by judges and selected by families in housing need before a master plan is developed and submitted to local authorities.
