Re-imagining Littleborough's Living Landscape
Littleborough tells a story of contrast: a place where nature thrives yet people feel disconnected. The river and canal weave through the landscape, but their potential remains untapped, with neglected water systems and fading biodiversity. The town lacks a clear centre, shared gathering spaces, and easy movement, leaving community bonds strong but unsupported by the physical environment. These challenges call for a design that restores meaningful contact between people and nature.
The project’s central aim is connection; linking people, places, and histories across a landscape shaped by industry and ecology. The site sits where the wetland corridor meets the railway line and historic canal edge, at the intersection of ecological restoration, infrastructural division, and industrial heritage. Here, the design moves beyond commerce to create a shared civic setting for memory, exchange, and renewal. By transforming the canal-side into an active public landscape, the proposal invites people to cross physical and social boundaries, strengthening ties between communities, histories, and the environment.
Two core interventions shape the site: a marketplace and a viewing tower. The marketplace, set along the canal edge, acts as a flexible hub for local trade, food, craft, and community events. Designed for adaptability, it supports seasonal activities and gatherings of varying scales, fostering both social interaction and economic vitality. In contrast, the viewing tower rises from the wetland as a landmark, offering panoramic views of the canal, river, and surrounding Pennine hills. Together, marketplace and tower create a dialogue between ground-level life and elevated reflection, connecting people with each other, their heritage, and the wider natural landscape.
