Cardiff Masterplan

During the first semester of final year M.Arch at the University of Bath, we were tasked to complete a masterplan of a city of our choice in groups of 6. Cardiff became one of the world’s leading exporters of coal during the nineteenth Century, powering most of Britain and exporting globally. The city thrived during the Industrial Revolution, relying on exploiting the natural resource from the Brecon Beacons to fuel iron and copper industries. The depression of the 1930s and consequent slowdown of British industry, however, has left nothing but a scar for the capital of Wales, which is yet to regain its position on the world stage. Cardiff never fully recovered from the decline of the coal industry and has failed to regain a position as a thriving capital city of the world. Today, despite its proximity to the M4 to the north and the Severn Estuary to the south, the sprawling city has become a disjointed collection of key infrastructure which is yet to coherently serve the world. The industry which gave Cardiff its success and deserving capital city has led to many of the issues the city faces today. In this critical moment of the climate and biodiversity emergency the actions which gave Cardiff opportunities have lost Cardiff ’s potential as a vibrant, sustainable and desirable capital city. In the light of Climate Emergency, there is a need for bold moves to meet the high demand for renewable energy. The Severn Barrage is a solution that have the potential to address the 5% of UK energy demand.The masterplan works on the assumption that the Severn Barrage is to be built. The masterplan seeks to help position Cardiff as the Capital for Renewable Energy, making it once again a major player on the world stage as an energy exporter. These different opportunities and challenges that were addressed within the design of the masterplan.