I grew up in Hull – it’s the city that shaped my early sense of place, identity, and possibility. Its distinctive buildings, tight-knit communities, and strong sense of self have always stayed with me. So returning decades later to play a part in shaping Hull’s future through shedkm’s involvement in the City Centre Vision feels meaningful.
At shedkm, we’ve always been rooted in regeneration. From our origins in Liverpool, we’ve built a reputation for transforming overlooked places into thriving, people-first neighbourhoods. Our approach is distinctive, bold and grounded in the social and emotional fabric of each location. That’s what drew us to Hull’s City Centre Vision – an ambitious, long-term plan to make Hull healthier, greener, more creative and more connected.
Hull’s City Centre Vision is an ambitious, long-term plan to guide investment, development and regeneration over the next 20 years. It’s not just a framework for physical change but a statement of intent. From the start, we saw the alignment between this vision and shedkm’s ethos as a practice known for social responsibility within regenerative placemaking. The Vision, led by our friends at Planit, was recently launched by their Studio Director Anna Couch at UKREiiF – a key moment that brought national attention to Hull’s ambitions. Anna’s presentation celebrated the collaborative nature of the project and highlighted the opportunity for investors, developers and communities to collectively shape a more inclusive, sustainable and liveable city centre. Boldly and confidently stating that Hull is ready for change and ready to lead.
Our role in the Vision has been to help define what the future of living in Hull might look like. We’ve explored how to bring more people into the heart of the city – not just to visit, but to stay. Our proposals consider how to unlock residential potential across key sites, creating new city neighbourhoods that blend seamlessly with Hull’s historic grain. These aren’t cookie-cutter developments but place-specific, designed to enhance Hull’s unique identity while introducing the kind of vibrancy and flexibility that modern urban life demands.
We’ve also contributed to shaping strategies around how people move through the city, where public life happens, and how the riverfronts can become better connected, more inviting spaces. All of our interventions are driven by a desire to support social cohesion, environmental resilience, and long-term liveability.
As a studio, shedkm challenge assumptions, look for value in overlooked places, and use modern methods to build efficiently and sustainably. But more than that, we listen – to the stories, the context, the people. And in Hull, that’s meant working with the grain of a place that already has so much to offer. Hull has a character like nowhere else. Its architecture tells stories: red and yellow brick terraces, medieval spires and Georgian warehouses. It’s not a city of spectacle, but one of substance – and its maritime heritage runs through everything. We see those qualities not as something to replace, but to amplify.
What excites me most is the opportunity to help Hull grow into the kind of city its residents – past, present and future – deserve. One that is family friendly, creatively ambitious, climate-conscious and distinctly itself. A city that celebrates its history and uniqueness while building boldly for what comes next.
To me, Hull has always been a city with pride, resilience and potential. To be part of this transformation is both a privilege and a personal journey. It’s an emotional return to my roots, and an opportunity to give back to the place that gave me so much, informing who I am and the evolution of my professional approach. It feels like the right time to bring my experiences gained through work in other cities back home!