Liverpool City Council is set to consider a landmark vision for the city’s waterfront next week, as part of a long-term strategy to reclaim the banks of the Mersey for the people of Liverpool.
The ambitious Liverpool Waterfront Vision outlines a 30-year transformation that places public life, sustainability, and connectivity at the core of future development.
At the centre of the proposals are the aims to reconnect the city centre with the waterfront, making it safer, healthier, and more accessible for all.
The heart of the Vision is the Merseyfront Walkway, a continuous “green ribbon” connecting the waterfront from Otterspool in the south to the new Stadium in the north, to act as a social, ecological, and active-travel backbone for the city.
Running parallel to this, safety and public realm-focused improvements to various inland routes are also addressed in the Vision, including plans to reimagine some of Liverpool’s busiest thoroughfares as linear parkways that prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, and rapid transit.
The bold interventions will improve safety, enhance connectivity between north Liverpool and the city centre, and unlock new opportunities for development in the surrounding area.
The varied projects of the vision form part of a wider framework to inspire a Connected, Free & Green, and Growing waterfront. Key elements include:
- A Merseyfront Walkway: a continuous, all-weather active travel route stretching from Otterspool to Everton Stadium.
- New public green spaces such as Dingle Bank and The Otter’s Pool, designed to restore natural habitats and provide inclusive recreational areas.
- Mixed-use developments like Brunswick Market District and Baltic Beach, which blend heritage, housing, and local enterprise with vibrant public realms.
- Enhanced transit infrastructure, including rapid transport routes and park-and-ride hubs to reduce car dependency and improve access.
Equally significant is the proposed overhaul of the Great Howard–Leeds Street junction, currently one of the city’s busiest intersections. The Vision proposes a cut-and-cover infrastructure solution, sinking vehicular traffic below ground to create a surface-level pedestrian plaza and transit hub.
The Liverpool Waterfront Vision has been developed by internationally renowned urban design and landscape architecture firm West 8, appointed by Liverpool City Council alongside BDP to lead the creation of a bold, people-first strategy for the city’s waterfront.
Founded in Rotterdam and with studios across Europe and North America, West 8 brings over 35 years of global experience in transforming waterfronts into vibrant, inclusive public spaces. Their portfolio includes celebrated projects in New York (Governors Island), Toronto, Madrid, and Hong Kong, where they have reimagined urban edges as places for community, ecology, and culture.
In Toronto, West 8 delivered a similar masterplan vision in 2007. The pilot project, the revitalisation of Queen’s Quay Boulevard, turned a previously car-dominated corridor into a vibrant, pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly civic space.
Acting as a catalyst for further development on the Waterfront, the redesign reduced traffic lanes, introduced a dedicated light rail corridor, and created generous granite sidewalks and tree-lined promenades.
The firm continues its collaboration with the city, and inspires further improvements that reconnect the city with Lake Ontario — not just physically, but emotionally and culturally.
This approach directly informs Liverpool’s plans for The Strand, which will similarly shift from a traffic-heavy arterial road to a linear parkway prioritising active travel, public transport, and green infrastructure by reducing vehicle lanes, introducing dedicated rapid transit and cycle routes, and planting six lanes of wind-resistant trees to create a green, sheltered boulevard.
Like Toronto’s Water’s Edge Promenade, Liverpool’s Merseyfront Walkway will offer a continuous, accessible route along the river, designed to encourage recreation, connection, and civic pride.
West 8’s experience in creating coherent, legible waterfronts — through placemaking, ecological design, and public engagement — has helped shape Liverpool’s vision for a waterfront that is not only beautiful and functional, but deeply rooted in community values.
West 8 has led a year-long process of engagement with Liverpool residents, stakeholders, and landowners. They prioritised local identity, public access, and ecological resilience, with a focus on creating spaces that are welcoming in all weather and accessible to all.
If approved by Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 18 November, the Vision will form the basis for coordinated planning and delivery across the waterfront, with the establishment of a Waterfront Steering Group and Design Review Panel to ensure high standards and cohesive implementation.
Councillor Nick Small, Member for Growth and Economic Strategy, said: “This Vision is about giving Liverpool’s waterfront back to its people.
“For too long, The Strand has acted as a barrier — a noisy, car-dominated space that disconnects our communities from the river. The proposals will transform it into a green, welcoming boulevard where pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport come first.
“It’s not just about infrastructure — it’s about creating places where people feel safe, connected, and proud of their city.
“These changes will help knit together our neighbourhoods, support healthier lifestyles, and make the waterfront a space for everyone, not just for passing traffic.”
Martin Biewenga, Partner at West 8, said: “We are delighted to see the Vision reach this important milestone. As an international studio, we have learned that successful waterfronts around the world are made by the people of the city.
“The Vision is the outcome of an extended process of listening and collaboration with local communities and stakeholders, and we feel that this is your vision as much as it is ours. Together, we’ve identified opportunities to reveal, connect, and showcase the quality of Liverpool’s Waterfront public spaces from the Everton Stadium to Otterspool.
“We see an enormous opportunity to continue this momentum and for the Waterfront Vision to steer Liverpool’s evolution in the coming decades.”
Chris Capes, Director of Development for Liverpool Waters, said: “Liverpool’s waterfront has always been the city’s defining asset – a place of global recognition, local pride, and enormous potential.
“The new Waterfront Vision provides an ambitious framework for realising that potential, connecting communities, opening up access to the Mersey, and creating a more inclusive and vibrant waterfront for everyone.
“As the master developer for Liverpool Waters, Peel Waters have already adopted these principles and share the Council’s commitment to ensuring future growth and investment along the waterfront. The Council and other public bodies must prioritise this vision and work with landowners to deliver real social and economic value for the city and its people.”
Faye Dyer, CEO, The ACC Liverpool Group, said: “We’re very proud to be located on Liverpool’s famous waterfront, which is incredibly rich in history and offers so much for people who live in and visit the city.
“We have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the process of imagining an ambitious, innovative and long term future for the waterfront and can’t wait to work with our city partners to bring the plans come to fruition.”
Vicky Smith, Executive Director, National Museums Liverpool, said: “It is exciting to see how these plans recognise Liverpool’s unique geographical location and rich heritage, and most importantly engage with the communities who live and work here.
“There is a powerful connection with National Museums Liverpool’s ambitions for its waterfront site, which sits right at the heart of the plans laid out in this vision.
“Our Waterfront Transformation Project aims to enrich and revitalise the area with a focus on placemaking, storytelling, heritage and community, and we look forward to working with Liverpool City Council to deliver our plans and strengthen the amazing offer we have here for local people and visitors.”
Hugh Frost, Director of Beetham Davos, said: “LCC’s Waterfront Vision is bold and ambitious.
“It makes one of Liverpool’s prize assets accessible to communities along the river which can only be beneficial.
“The ‘cut and cover’ of King Edward Street/Leeds Street is a key part of the vision which needs to be implemented sooner rather than later connecting the Central Business District with the waterfront north to Liverpool Waters and Hill Dickinson Stadium.”
Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool Business Improvement District said: “What the businesses in the Business Improvement District tell us is that they want to see the connectivity along the length of the River reflected along the Waterfront. There’s a real range of industry and expertise, running from the Commercial District along to King’s Dock, and we want the business community to be plugged into this conversation.
“We represent over 800 levy payers across the city centre, ranging from professional services, culture, hospitality and retail. It’s vital that we are able to elevate their views and concerns.
“They want improved connectivity, and for the waterfront to feel cohesive. It’s a prime location for investors and a prestigious address for business, they want it to feel like that but also with the Liverpool vibrancy and edge that makes it distinctive.”
Jon Horsfall, North West Director at Canal & River Trust, said: “The docks are hugely valuable and ecologically rich and are here, at the heart of the waterfront, for people across the city and beyond to visit and enjoy.
“It’s wonderful that the City Council share our charity’s ambition to attract more boats and people to visit, playing an important economic role that supports ever more jobs, and we are excited about working with the Council and partners to help deliver this vision.”
