Hope Street scene

Hope Street wins Great Award

Liverpool’s iconic Hope Street has won The Great Street Award in the national Urbanism Awards 2013, aimed at recognising the best examples of urban places in Europe.

The other short-listed streets were Exhibition Road in London and Chapel Street in Penzance.

The awards are chosen by the Academy of Hope Street regenerationUrbanism, which uses the awards to learn from and promote best practice in planning and urbanism.

Hope Street underwent a £2.9 million regeneration programme in 2006, funded by Liverpool City Council and partners. It included improved paving and kerbs, the transformation of the Mount Street Triangle into a fitting home for the “Suitcases” artwork, new traffic signals and pedestrian crossings, new lighting, and resurfacing.

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “Hope Street is one of our city’s most important cultural assets, so it’s fantastic that the work that has been done to build on its strengths and make it a more vibrant and attractive location has received this national recognition.”

The city council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Tim Moore, said: “This national accolade for Hope Street is well deserved and is down to successful partnerships between the city council, businesses, arts organisations and our cathedrals and universities. This work, backed up by a fantastic public realm programme, has helped make the area a first class visitor destination.”

Located at the heart of the city’s Georgian quarter, Hope Street and the surrounding vicinity is an area of stunning architectural beauty with some of the finest 18th and 19th Century housing and buildings in theNorth West.

It is home to Liverpool Cathedral and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, and some of the most significant performing arts organisations in the City Region, including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonicand the Everyman and Unity Theatres.

It is also a cultural hub for some of the City’s leading arts organisations such as Hope Street Limited and Merseyside Dance Initiative and is its academic heart, with Liverpool University, Liverpool John Moores University and LIPA all based there.

It counts the Victoria Gallery and Museum, The Hardmans’ House and the annual Hope Street Feast amongst its attractions, several historic pubs and locations significant in the Beatles history, the independent boutique Hope Street Hotel and the 60 Hope Street restaurant group.

Between them,Hope Street’s organisations, businesses and attractions have attracted numerous regional, national and international awards recognising the excellence of their cultural, tourism, food and dining offers.

In recent years, work has also been carried out by Liverpool City Council to make Hope Streetmore pedestrian-friendly and inviting through the use of public art and a community space.

The Everyman Theatre will re-open in 2013 following a two-year £28 million redevelopment programme, and there are plans for a £12 million refurbishment of the Grade II* listed Liverpool PhilharmonicHall.

In Liverpool Vision’s recently announced blueprint for driving city centre regeneration and growth over the next 15 years, Hope Street is identified as one of the City’s three ‘Great Streets’ identified for further investment.

Liverpool Waterfront