Hi all,

As mentioned in another thread i'm currently studying at Liverpool university and at this moment in time i am beginning research for my dissertation, with the title likely to be

"Cohesive Development in Liverpool; what makes development stick?"

So i was wondering if anyone has any good sources to literature (would central library be the best place to go?) or websites that would assist me with the research. I'd like to say what attracts development to cities in general and what makes it stick, and then apply specifically to Liverpool and try and give reasons for the turn around in cohesive development in the last 25 or so years. Saying what has changed recently to make developers clamber over the city, compared to the lack of interest seen in the majority of the last part of the 20th century.

After background research, i'd then like to interview representitives from organisations such as liverpool vision, a member of the capital of culture team and maye someone to give an independant account on the changes of Liverpools fortunes regarding cohesive development. But that won't be for a while

Any advice regarding this project will be much appreciated!!

Cheers Mark

Just a thought, but maybe you should compare cities that have been successful in developing themselves (e.g. Barcelona being the prime example of this) to some developements elsewhere that have failed (e.g. The Dome).

Good thinking - was thinking of looking at the affects of the capital of culture on previous holders of the title, to see how effective that has been in bringing in development

Mark, I've got a bit of a stupid question, but what is "cohesive" development, and what do you mean by "stick"? I don't know these terms. I think I half know what you mean, but what is the academic meaning of these terms?

Have you thought about interviewing some developers?

Yes i will be interviewing developers hopefully- just starting out so haven't got a list of peple i will be interviewing, the more the merrier i suppose :)

Regarding choesive development etc.

Liverpool has seen so many grand plans fail. Eg (off the top of my head) the scouse scraper in the 70's and Kings dock stadiums etc, by cohesive development and development that sticks i mean what is there that makes these plans work, what is different now that makes plans happen and stick to the city. If that makes any sense?

You need to start by defining your terms. When you say "stick", do you mean development that continues over time, rather than development that takes place in spurts every few years? I really don't understand why you have used the term "cohesive." You need to be literal, and make it 100% obvious what you are referring to.

I think I have given you enough help. Dissertations are supposed to be carried out independently by the individual. However, you might like to consider local political change since the 1980s (e.g. Militant), and how this was tied in to national political changes (from post-war corporatism to Thatcherism), which were a result (arguably) of the process of de-industrialisation (the UK's transformation form an industrial to a capital/finance/tertiary economy), which places like Liverpool have only recently regained a footing from.

Hi Mark,

And Welcome!

It`s been said before and will be again.....Liverpool is quite unique.

The workers have often been more loyal than the employers,
though not always the case,
as we won`t always suffer fools gladly.

There is a resilience of spirit which remains and is in fact growing that Liverpool has a sence of place...and maybe even purpose.

At it`s best it provided the Docks, St Georges Hall etc, the Cathedrals, Pier Head etc etc.

All monuments to spirit and achievement and even desire?

All nature of companies have come and gone - sometimes too quickly to know even what the city is about.

At it`s heart Liverpool is a `people` city.

Glad rags and toe rags....and both have their respect if it`s deserved.

Liverpool can dream of better and often has and fullfilled that dream turning it into a reality.

Sometimes Liverpool has had other peoples dreams and reality imposed upon it.

It`s probably fair to say that if we like you we love you and will trust you but
just don`t take us for mugs.

The Universities and Colleges do well because of the interface with the people and the city - the place.

(Should we leave out the sterio types?)

Similarly the return of the Liners, the growing hotel and tourism sectors do well because of the interface with the people and the city - the place.

Liverpool is indeed a strange place but it is actually due a little respect.

Sticky follows.

:)

Thanks very much Blabber!!!

Ye welcome :)

Hi Mark!

To me, one of the best examples of a 'cohesive' development in Liverpool that has 'stuck' is the Queen Square development on the South side of St Johns Lane (by St Georges Hall).

If you are not that familiar with Liverpool, this development consists of offices, retail, restaurants, a car park and a large hotel and was developed in the late '90s. At the time, it was described as one of the largest regeneration projects in the country.

I think that this development has been succesful because it has transformed a derelict area of car parks into a vibrant mixed use area through both new construction and the refurbishment of old buildings.

A sign of its success has been the fact that it gives the impression that it has always been there and people soon forget that this was a no mans land comparatively recently.

Of the buildings erected there, most are of no particular architectural value (except the Observatory building that overlooks the Mersey Tunnel entrance) but they have good public and private transport access, a network of streets and pedestrian routes and a mixture of activities. So within easy walking distance you can find a multi-storey car park, a large bus station, several restaurants, pubs such as Doctor Duncans, the Marriott Hotel, a tourist information centre, shops and offices.

There has also been redevelopment on the periphery of Queen Square that has contributed to the vibrancy of the whole, such as the Conservation Centre in Whitechapel, the Travelodge and apartment development in Old Haymarket and Millenium House, the new council offices in Whitechapel.

The transformation of this area in just five years has been amazing.

Martin, great post, I think you are right. It was a wilderness, and I suppose one reason it actually got built was because it was realistic in terms of the quality and mass of buildings being built there. I admit I am not at all satisfied with the quality of some of those buildings, they look cheap and tawdry, but I think they were all the market would pay for at that time.

The nice thing is because it was built to a street plan, rather than a monolithic development, those individual buildings can be replaced over time as the market raises the value of the land. The cut-throughs and passageways are great, now you mention it I realise that I like that aspect, but I hadn't noticed it before.

A grander scheme might well not have happened because it might have raised the stakes too much - with developers being unable to compromise because of their need to turn a buck. That entire development has a distinctly 'interim' feel about it, which means that - like post-war prefabs, it will probably last 50 years and still be enjoyed for what it is.

Would be a nice case study, because those involved will probably still remember it - the problem with researching things that are more than a few years old is that people move on and forget, and shocking amounts of documentation get shredded and lost.

I think that streets are one of the most important features of regeneration. We all notice when old buildings are knocked down or new ones erected but very few complain when streets are built over. But it is the streets that give buildings the lifeblood of pedestrian and vehicular traffic and also the interconnectivity that contribute so much to the economic viability of an area.

Thanks guys,

and thanx for taking the time to do that martin!

It`s been said before and will be again.....Liverpool is quite unique.
Pietari, would you mind if I forwarded your posting, above, to another online forum?

Having thought about this some more i have decided to go back to basics with my title.

I'm now thinking more along the lines of "Attracting development; What has/is changing in liverpool to bring in new development" (or something very similar)
I'll be looking at changes in central and local government (got a good book called Liverpool on The Brink) and looking at world heritage site, capital of culture stuff.

Still looking for some literature about what attracts development in general though, any suggestions regarding books and websites or journals will be appreciated.

cheers

Mark

Try www.liverpoolvision.co.uk

For my dissertation i investigated 'the role of Liverpool Airport as an economic growth pole to the city'.

The airport is increasingly more important in terms of attracting big companies to the city. (in the Speke-Garston area mainly).

As more firms locate within the city, whether it be branch plants, regional offices, head offices etc, the need for top quality homes, hotels and leisure facilities also increases.

What is your degree in Mark*S? The Liverpool Council, NWDA, ODPM and ONS websites might be useful.

Its a degree in geography at liverpool uni.

i'll have a look at those websites, ta.

I think there's quite a few of us with Geography degrees on this site!

The question is what am i going to do with my geography degree?

What line of work have the others with a geog degree gone into on this forum?

The question is what am i going to do with my geography degree?

What line of work have the others with a geog degree gone into on this forum?


Hahaha! The million dollar question. I graduated from JMU in 2002. I applied for a graduate trainee course in Access Consultancy (disabled access) and I'm now an Access Officer - not geography related.

Below are the occupations of the people i'm still in touch with off my course.

Airline Cabin Crew x 1
Geography Teacher x 2
Primary School teacher x 2
Call centre worker x 3
Unempoyed x 1
Travelling x 2
Housing Association Regeneration Officer x 2
Planning Officer x 1
Special Needs teacher x 1
Web-site designer x 1
I.T Teacher x 1
Supermarket Trainee Manager x 1

Don't forget X1 Male escort !