Ebbsfleet Public Realm Landscape Character Overview

Use this landscape character overview to guide the characterisation of your public realm design concept.

The analysis of Ebbsfleet’s distinctive landscapes identifies four unifying landscape themes; Water, Chalk, Agriculture, and Industry. These themes should be used to inspire a distinctive and characterful landscape design in all future public realm future projects.

Developing the design narrative

The following pages were developed to form the foundation for the ensuing design guidance within this document and has been carried out on a high level. The study builds on previous landscape analysis and utilised a tried and tested approach that has been previously used to develop narratives to inspire the public realm and landscape of Eastern Quarry and Ebbsfleet Valley. The study was carried out using the following six steps:

Step 1: The existing landscape character studies and landscape analysis carried out as a part of the Ebbsfleet Implementation Framework were reviewed.

Step 2: The available historic landscape information, historic maps, and national character areas were reviewed to uncover evidence of the historic landscape features.

Step 3: Multiple site visits were performed to catalogue and record the experiential qualities of the landscape character areas through notes and photographs.

Step 4: The existing landscape features were mapped and analysed to define the key themes and characteristics within the existing landscape.

Step 5: From the analysis a high level series of narratives for the design of the public realm was developed to communicate the four unifying themes across Ebbsfleet Garden City.

Step 6: A list of overarching, high level design principles were developed for each of the four defined landscape character areas. These design principles built upon both the site specific variations and the four unifying narratives that were revealed in the landscape.

Overview of
landscape
character areas

Ebbsfleet Garden City is taking shape in a network of chalk quarries dug out of former fertile farmland on the banks of the River Thames. The landscape is a vivid record of the interactions between natural forces and the people who have lived and worked here over the long history of human settlement. This unique post agricultural and post-industrial landscape provides a dramatic setting for the new Garden City, and should be used to form the inspiration for an equally distinctive public realm that meets the ambitions laid out within this document. The four landscape character areas in Ebbsfleet Garden City are: Chalk Quarries, Ebbsfleet Valley, Swanscombe Marshes, and Northfleet Riverside. These four character areas are identified in a map on page 32 and the characteristics of each character area are described on pages 33 - 37. The four unifying narratives are identified on pages 28 - 31. These are present across Ebbsfleet Garden City, and have been analysed across the four landscape character areas, and the distinctive variations outlined. For example, the unifying narrative of water is defined by lakes within the Chalk Quarries, the Ebbsfleet River within Ebbsfleet Valley, the River Thames embankments of Northfleet Riverside, and the mudflats and salt marshes of Swanscombe Marshes.

Using the assessment in your process

The content of this chapter should form critical background information for the site appraisal in step 1 of the design process (chapter 1) as well as the development of the design narratives and principles in step 2 of the design process (chapter 1). Additionally, the 4 unifying narratives and their distinct variations form the basis for the hard landscape strategy (chapter 5) and the planting strategy (chapter 6) contained within this document. Each public realm design proposal should, therefore, be developed to reference the outlined hard materials and planting strategies in step 3 of the design process (chapter 1). Any variations from the narratives and design principles outlined in this chapter should be justified by further developing the landscape character assessment and establishing a unique design narrative grown from the specific sense of place of the site under consideration. The development of the public realm’s design narrative is critical as this chapter will be used as a tool to evaluate if public realm proposals meet the vision laid out in the evaluation framework (chapter 3) - specifically the evaluation checklist.