Portfolio
Our work encompasses urban and rural areas, focussing in enhancing the local character and designing safe streets that welcome everyone.
We have specific experience in low cost community led schemes.
Below are some recent examples of our work.
Active Travel Infrastructure Design
Weston Central Liveable Neighbourhood
Plans for Weston Central Liveable Neighbourhood have been successfully developed from a blank canvas with local residents.
The engagement process and its careful handling allowed to deliver a scheme very close to the initial Council aspirations, whilst retaining most of the local support.
Dagenham Porters Lodge
A Liveable Neighbourhood delivered in close collaboration with the local residents through a very thorough community engagement led by Sustrans
Rural streets
Paola worked for many villages to soften the highway environment and create streets that enhance the local character and feel safer for walking and cycling.
Active Travel Network Planning
Weston Villages Active Travel Action Plan
We reviewed the active travel network of a complex development area of around 5000 dwellings ove 590 acres of land.
We assessed the existing infrastructure and developed new links to strategic local attractors including two railways stations and key retail centres in Worle and Weston.
Nailsea and Backwell Active Travel Action Plan
We drafted an active travel plan in close collaboration with the local community, developing design ideas as well as key links to the local attractors.
North Somerset Street Design Toolkit
We contributed to North Somerset adopted Strategic Document Place and Movement Framework and drafted its Design Toolkit providing technical specifications for the design of each of the nine nine road categories.
High Streets
Clevedon Hill Road
Hill Road two-way carriageway did not give space for pavements suitable to a successful high street. A one-way restriction with contra-flow cycling was introduced allowing to widen the pavements and install new courtesy crossings and two parklets.
Despite the initial concern from local retailers, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with proven increase in local trade.
Stonehouse High Street
Stonehouse High Street is a busy street with over 15,000 vehicles a day with a poor road safety record and high numbers of collisions involving vulnerable users.
Llocal residents wanted a focus area where the street would appear more welcoming and pedestrian friendly.
The scheme has proven successful for over 15 years now both in terms of road safety and popularity, increasing footfall and appeal of local traders
Poynton Park Lane
Whilst an Associate of Ben Hamilton-Baillie, Paola developed the preliminary design for Poynton Park Lane, a successful example of regeneration that is still looking great 15 years on.
As part of that project, I also drafted the design for the award winning Fountain Place, a very busy junction in the heart of the town.
Schools
Christ Church Primary
Baker Street, Weston super Mare
We worked with the school to design a school forecourt that would meet local needs and aspirations.
The scheme comprised a one-way restriction and a road closure, and a wider pavement with rain garden to enhance the area around the school, and minimise illegal stopping and parking.
The design was successfully implemented and paved the way for the successful delivery of Weston Central Liveable Neighbourhood.
Roding Primary School, Dagenham
A design developed with the local children to replace the barriers with planters and street furniture in order to create a more welcoming street environment.
The engagement exercise was run by Sustrans as part of the DIY Street Project Porters Lodge
About us
Paola Spivach has over 25 years’ experience in street design, active travel infrastructure, and a track record in helping Local Authorities and Communities to deliver streets for all through thoroug stakeholder's engagemen.
Paola is a registered architect whose experience includes sustainable transport, active travel, highway design, shared space, regeneration, road safety, and community engagement.
She is passionate about sustainability, inclusivity and stakeholder's engagement.
Her strength is strategic thinking, understanding and harnessing the potential of each project to excel in sustainability and innovation. She has a creative attitude towards shaping projects, with a particular eye for innovation and partnerships building
