Transforming Leeds city centre

Transforming Leeds city centre

Leeds is a city that never stays still, and is constantly transforming.

Leeds City Council is constantly looking for ways to improve the city centre, delivering the Connecting Leeds strategy to upgrade transport links while boosting everyone’s quality of life and working towards ambitious green targets. To achieve our goals, we have invested heavily in transport infrastructure and the city has seen plenty of changes over the past few years. Here’s a summary of the places transformed and how it benefits us all.

City Square is now a car-free hub

City Square’s much-anticipated transformation is finally complete! Once a problem area for congestion, noise and air pollution, it’s now a pedestrian-friendly zone. By reducing the volume of traffic in City Square, more road space has been dedicated to walking and cycling facilities, moving us closer to the vision of Leeds being less reliant on cars. This new people-first space will now host exciting events, including a summer of sport, Leeds Light Night and the Leeds Christmas Markets.

An historic makeover for The Headrow

As one of the busiest and most important gateways into the city, it’s crucial that The Headrow is a welcoming and efficient thoroughfare. And thanks to a huge £20.7 million investment, it meets both of those benchmarks. Cars have largely been diverted from the area, with priority given to cyclists and buses. Wider pavements, safer crossings and more greenery and street furniture have made it a much more enjoyable space for pedestrians, too.

There’s plenty of space to hang out by the Corn Exchange

Another area that’s received a welcome facelift is the space outside the Corn Exchange, transforming it into an area befitting the stunning Grade-I listed building. Planting trees and adding more greenery has created a pavilion-like space for the public to enjoy, while providing much-needed shelter for wildlife. Safe cycling routes have also been installed, as well as crossing points designed to help people with disabilities navigate this part of the city centre safely.

Cookridge Street offers a welcoming urban realm

Diverting cars away from Cookridge Street has been a revelation. By closing the area off to traffic, it’s enabled the creation of a welcoming urban space, complete with outdoor seating and greenery, which even houses things like City Beach in the summer months. A segregated cycle lane connects the north of the city via Park Row with Leeds Rail Station, while the traffic signal timing has also been changed, providing more 'green time' for public transport.

Greek Street

Streets and spaces which are home to bars, clubs and our night-time economy have been transformed in recent years. Traffic has been removed from Greek Street and Merrion Street and both have seen improvements including repaving and new lighting, allowing businesses to spill out onto the closed street. Elsewhere, New Briggate, Call Lane and Lower Briggate have all been revitalised, and businesses in these locations all have more room for outdoor seating as their night-time popularity continues to grow.

Leeds Rail Station is getting a huge transformation

Progress is well under way at Leeds Rail Station, as it undergoes its biggest transformation in years as part of the Sustainable Travel Gateway scheme, There’s plenty to look forward to, with an estimated completion date of autumn 2025. New Station Street will be turned into a vibrant, pedestrianised space that’s safe and welcoming for all. They’re also building a cycle hub, which will include hundreds of spaces for bikes and connect seamlessly with the new cycle pathways. And Neville Street will get a new lease of life, making the route lighter and brighter for everyone.

The scheme is supported by the Transforming Cities Fund, administered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.