Why ?- I have chosen the Devonshire quarter as my coursework case study because it is an up and coming area of Sheffield and is renowned for the service I have chosen to talk about, shopping. I have visited the area of Sheffield on numerous occasions and have watched the area develop into what it is today. It attracts a wide range of people and has the widest range of shops. I think the variety of shops the Devonshire quarter is an a lot better example of retail than meadowhall as the types of shops and businesses in meadow hall are very specific and you can find them in most high streets. However the shops in the Devonshire quarter are all unique individual run businesses. Also the Devonshire quarter is outside so I feel it gives people a better understanding of the Sheffield city way of life.
The Devonshire quarter is situated on the southern slopes of the high ridge separating the Don and Sheaf Valleys in the west of the city. The high ground location of the majority of the quarter affords it good views of the surrounding country to the north and south.
The Devonshire Quarter has been developed on a 19th century street grid and this offers a high degree of legibility and permeability.
The development of Glossop Road saw the area evolve as residential and commercial area based around the traditional light industries such as cutlery making. The typical built form reflected the early industrial uses of the area and consisted of terraced housing, factories and little master’s workshops. The character of the quarter changed in the post-war period as slum clearances saw the demolition of the majority of its residential areas, leaving a patchwork of vacant sites amongst the failing industrial uses. However, some important clusters of buildings of industrial heritage remain, around Division Street, Milton Street and Trafalgar Street. Division Street is now establishing itself as a predominately residential mixed use location with specialist shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities. Aberdeen Court on Division Street is good example of adaptive reuse of industrial buildings, now accommodating small independent commercial and retail units. There is also the modern mixed use development West One, an imposing building of 7-8 storeys which terminates the vista along Division Street. Devonshire Green is the largest open space in the city centre. It is a community focus in the quarter with activities, particularly for young people, such as skateboarding and concerts. It is set to benefit from further enhancement.
The picture above shows an Arial map of the Devonshire quarter and how it has developed over time .it appears to look like the Devonshire quarter has decreased in development for 1935 to 2000 but and that has happened is buildings have been demolished and replaced with new building often twice as tall as the last one .this was a revolutionary idea and it means that the Devonshire quarter is now famous for being the most green are in the whole of Sheffield.
The changes have occurred because over the last 25 years the people of Sheffield have turned the area into an ‘ with active day and evening economies. These developments have been aided by their position between Sheffield’s two main universities – both of which are expanding - lying to the east and west of the area and punctuated by the opening of the West One building in 2003 and Sheffield One partnership’s public realm improvements and development efforts. The developments are extremely beneficial to the younger generation of Sheffield as it provides housing and a lot of retail facilities to suit all tastes. But in general the whole of Sheffield has benefited from the changes because it generally a lot nicer place to visit and look at. There aren’t very many problems caused by the changes apart from the attraction of young people has brought with it a slight vandalism problem that is quite easily controlled. In the future the Devonshire quarter will continue to grow and expand and generally just modernise along with time.
Conclusion- I think the Devonshire quarter is a fantastic example of retail services in Sheffield it has anything, anyone would want in a small area. It is a massive benefit to Sheffield as not only has it got great retail facilities but it hosts numerous more great things to do. It is also close to the train station so its uniqueness attracts people to spend money and perhaps visit Sheffield again.
