Bright idea for alleyway tops public online poll

Mr Paterson, 30, won the “Forgotten Spaces” competition in September for his “Guiding Lights” idea, and yesterday it was announced that his design has beaten 18 other shortlisted entries to come top of an online poll.

Guiding Lights brings to life Frog Walk, a poorly-lit pedestrian alleyway, with animated “avatars” and an LED screen.

Mr Paterson an architecture graduate of Sheffield Hallam, chose the site after several friends expressed their trepidation at using the pathway, between Stalker Lees Road and Sharrow, at night.

His proposal lights the path with a LED screen and interacts with pedestrians, using motion sensors to track their movements and generating colourful silhouettes to escort them along the way.

A smartphone app can also be used to choose avatars, which signal when other people are approaching.

Mr Paterson said: “I’ve had fantastic feedback from people who have also felt unsafe using the alleyway at night and it would be amazing if some changes could occur as a result of my design’s success in this competition.”

Sheffield Hallam University says it is now keen to start a “city-wide dialogue” about how the shortlisted ideas could be made reality.

John Palmer, director of communications and public affairs, said: “It would be great to think we can get a forum going where people can come together to discuss some of these potentially exciting projects.”

Run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Yorkshire and Sheffield Hallam University, “Forgotten Spaces” encouraged people to come up with innovative ideas that found new uses for disused and abandoned sites.

The idea was not necessarily to come up with “realistic” ideas, but rather to inspire regeneration.