Vision for Belfast Maritime Mile

The Maritime Mile is a vibrant, accessible, heritage destination for current and future generations to enjoy.

The Belfast HUB-IN is where creatives bring their unique perspectives to support the preservation and enhancement of the Maritime Mile through innovation.

It gives value to the intangible heritage of the area, making it a source of inspiration and increases community participation and skills.  The Maritime Mile is a shared space for the people of Belfast and not only a tourist destination.

Values

• Inclusive, accessible, connected to the local communities
• Sustainable
• Innovative, open, outward looking and culturally, economically and creatively energetic
• Future proofed, connecting the past to the future
• Creates an environment for collaboration and new partnerships across its inhabitants

Missions

Main Mission:  To turn the city’s waterfront into a people centric, revitalised, vibrant destination, home to a range of innovative and creative entrepreneurs, where the community thrives.

Mission 1 – Stimulating innovation and creativity on the Maritime Mile

• Set up and run a challenge call targeted to local creatives and innovators
• Set up a steering group to oversee the development of a challenge-led process, promote open innovation challenge calls and evaluate submissions
• Seek opportunities for alignment to leverage other resources, funding and engagement platforms (e.g. Year of Culture 2024)

Mission 2 | New ways to explore the Maritime Mile

• Set up a central platform to communicate what’s on the Mile and highlight storytelling
• Storytelling via creative digital experiences to enhance the experience of the area for visitors and local communities
• Set up an open accessible shared hub for people to access and contribute information on historic environment
• Make a public discovery trail along the Maritime Mile
• Change the look and feel of the area and provide a focal point to drive new footfall by animating the Buildings and the River
• Collaborate on the digitisation and gamification of the Maritime Mile

Mission 3 | A new Maritime Mile economy

• Identify potential outdoor locations to showcase live music, theatre and entertainment
• Scope an After-Hours Strategy enhancing night economy along the Maritime Mile,
• Align Maritime Mile development and opportunities with the local skills agenda and initiatives
• Identify potential locations (e.g. vessels, existing premises, common land and water opportunities) for micro businesses for risk taking pilots, trialling different concepts (arts, food and beverage, music)
• Organise regular events to animate the Mile
• Create networking opportunities and a directory to stimulate collective learning and sharing
• Promote sustainability on the Maritime Mile with local stakeholders and businesses

Mission 4 | A Maritime Mile for Belfastians

• Develop a community engagement plan with new and innovative ways of engaging communities on the Mile
• Create ownership and engagement in the public realm by strengthening existing structures to include community representation
• Create opportunities for community education & skills development via the Challenge Call and other HUB-IN initiatives
• Develop social inclusion charter for the Maritime Mile to ensure a space and stories for all

Annexes

The following additional documents can be consulted here:

• ANNEX 1 – Other relevant key initiatives and projects
• ANNEX 2 – Enablers, Challenges, Key Measures, Tools for Implementation and Other Considerations/Solutions classified per 7 themes. Results of the prioritisation of solutions based on an effort-impact matrix.
• ANNEX 3 – Results of the citizen survey carried out in April 2021 with over 600 responses on the sights, sense, taste, touch of the Maritime Mile
• ANNEX 4 – Results of the survey carried out in September 2021 at the Maritime Mile Weekender
• ANNEX 5 – The now picture of the Maritime Mile