A report into the future of cities such as my hometown of Liverpool is causing an uproar in the northern areas of Britain. A think tank based in the south has decided that the north is pretty much doomed and the people should in effect abandon ship and move enmasse down south. I should I suppose be incensed by this slur on my place of birth but whilst overstated its hard to fault much of the logic in the actual report.Liverpool a city built primarily on its use as a seaport has lost much of its reason to exist as a first rank city in the last 30 years. From here in sunny California its easy to fell nostalgic for various aspects of life back home but also easy to see just how rundown the city is.Over here people are forward looking whilst in Liverpool an existence as a service/tourist based city seems to be the best outcome expected.Does anybody really want their children to face a future as glorified waiters and tourist guides? A city without a base in the expanding technologies and industries of the 21st century is doomed to remain a backwater at best.I can only hope somebody can perhaps find a new roll for Liverpool in the next few years...tourism is a viable route for regeneration but it needs to be backed by some sort of hi tech industries providing a hard core of employment....the city deserves no less.
Thursday 14 August 2008
Western Approaches.
A report into the future of cities such as my hometown of Liverpool is causing an uproar in the northern areas of Britain. A think tank based in the south has decided that the north is pretty much doomed and the people should in effect abandon ship and move enmasse down south. I should I suppose be incensed by this slur on my place of birth but whilst overstated its hard to fault much of the logic in the actual report.Liverpool a city built primarily on its use as a seaport has lost much of its reason to exist as a first rank city in the last 30 years. From here in sunny California its easy to fell nostalgic for various aspects of life back home but also easy to see just how rundown the city is.Over here people are forward looking whilst in Liverpool an existence as a service/tourist based city seems to be the best outcome expected.Does anybody really want their children to face a future as glorified waiters and tourist guides? A city without a base in the expanding technologies and industries of the 21st century is doomed to remain a backwater at best.I can only hope somebody can perhaps find a new roll for Liverpool in the next few years...tourism is a viable route for regeneration but it needs to be backed by some sort of hi tech industries providing a hard core of employment....the city deserves no less.
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3 comments:
i really bet you miss liverpool...even with it's faults it is a great city....all my ancestors left from liverpool to the states and got free or greatly reduced fares, and it was probably because of the micomanagement of liverpoolians
regeneration is planners code for tarting up an area with expensive knick-knacks, posh boutiques and restaurants..... all of which provide low paid jobs..... and are prone to fail when the economy goes tits up.
They're gonna turn it into a giant Bed & Breakfast? Sheesh, no imagination - but they really just want everybody to all move south and increase their tax-base.
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