Spatial design - an evaluation of Cheltenham high street

For my spatial analysis drawing I chose Cheltenham high street, I chose this because I think it has a lot of interesting elements, but isn’t designed in the most effective way. I found that the majority of the area is extremely static. There are some areas where soft materials are introduced to create a sense of warm enclosure and grounding however this is contrasted with the very brutalist seating options and the vast amount of grey/ concrete surrounding. Many of the seating is a dark grey metal. These are extremely uninviting and seem as though they are a means to a regulatory end and are not actually meant for one to sit on for a period of time longer than is very necessary. There is one area that had more friendly seating however the backs to the seating were onto the busy pathway, this would create a sense of insecurity for whoever was sitting there as they cannot see what is behind them. Out of all options the seating on the edge of the planters were the most inviting. The landscape as a whole in this area was evidently designed as a transitory space, as a way of channelling people down the high street in order to reach more shops. All of the visual interest is directed at eye level, one is not encouraged to look above the bright colours of the shop entrances. This is most likely as above are private apartments. This is therefore a very effective method of creating a privacy screen. Overall, although there are some good elements to this area, fit for the design purpose, I do think that if I were to design it I would change almost everything about it as it is extremely uninviting and does not draw people in or make them want to spend any extended amount of time in the area, this in turn will reduce the amount of time spent in the area, therefore having a knock on effect on trade.