Unfortunately not worked out how to put the images in this web site so you'll have to click on the links...

You'll notice all pictures are taken from the same altitude and all show a 25km by 25km area...

London...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-0.07323162&cpy=51.49678443&res=50&provider_id=345&t=pan&OL=Off

Birmingham...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-1.86300004&cpy=52.49300003&res=50&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

Manchester...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.25907385&cpy=53.47887407&res=50&provider_id=345&t=pan&OL=Off

Liverpool...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.97099995613&cpy=53.4230003357&res=50&provider_id=345&t=&OL=

Glasgow...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-4.26999998093&cpy=55.8629989624&res=50&provider_id=345&t=&OL=

Leeds...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-1.5515634&cpy=53.79504463&res=50&provider_id=345&t=pan&OL=Off

Nottingham...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-1.16799998283&cpy=52.9609985352&res=50&provider_id=345&t=&OL=

Sheffield...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-1.46300005913&cpy=53.3740005493&res=50&provider_id=345&t=&OL=

Bristol...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.53999996185&cpy=51.46900177&res=50&provider_id=345&t=&OL=

Bradford...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-1.76300001144&cpy=53.7989997864&res=50&provider_id=345&t=&OL=

Edinburgh...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-3.2078&cpy=55.9487&res=50&provider_id=345&t=&OL=


Make your own minds up as to which is the 9th largest city ;)

Excellent find - I have a photobucket account but I still don't know how to use it properly. Please someone post these!

I found zooming out one level was great for comparison.

the problem is not the hosting of the images, rather they are protected, and if you try and save them they're not the image you are looking at.

Thank Microsoft - there book 'SQL Server 2005 - Implementing and Maintenance' has it as an example of a SQL server with terrabtyes of data in it.

Use the print screen button on your keyboard and then paste it into photoshop or paint or whatever you have and save them as your own images.

was hoping for something a little simpler, that didn't require editting of the image.

Wanted to simply right click - save as etc for so many pictures.

Well there is a simpler way using Mozilla, but I dont know about Internet Explorer.
You can right click on the image and choose to view only the frame which contains the image.
You still need to use print screen to grab it though because they are trying to not let people save the images so they can flog them.

if you zoom out to 50km by 50km you get to see the whole urban areas around the cities...

Manchester...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.22959234&cpy=53.48991542&res=100&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

Leeds...

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-1.5515634&cpy=53.79504463&res=100&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

etc...

use the Zoom Out option to go further out...

That's what I said in post 2!
It really gives a great idea as to the size of a city - and leaves all of the normal arguments about metropolitan populations as rather pointless IMO.

Not really because it doesnt take into account the density of those urban areas - Glasgow at least is denser than most English cities because of the large number of tenements throughout the city.

True. It doesn't help give an accurate idea of population, but seeing as nobody can ever seem to agree on city populations (and pleeeease nobody see that as an invitiation to start another flame war on the subject) I'm quite happy in ignorance and some pink blobs to compare instead!

Greater Manchester isn't as big a county as I'd have thought.

it is only centred on the 9th largest city in the UK though, so you wouldn't expect it to be that big though would you.

;)

I dunno. It's a county with a population of 2.5 million so I thought it'd be bigger.

quite argree actually, shows how many people can fit into such a small place.

Greater London is even more or a surprise, given it's world status, and how much it dominates the UK comparing...

Greater London

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-0.07323162&cpy=51.49678443&res=100&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

with Greater Manchester

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.22959234&cpy=53.48991542&res=100&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

I'm a little surprised there is not more of a difference in size - sure London is larger, but driving across London compared to Manchester feels much much bigger than the maps would suggest.

Similarly, Glasgow, Leeds, Edinburgh all seemed miles smaller than I though, with Bristol the only city bigger than I'd have predicted.

quite argree actually, shows how many people can fit into such a small place.

Greater London is even more or a surprise, given it's world status, and how much it dominates the UK comparing...

Greater London

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-0.07323162&cpy=51.49678443&res=100&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

with Greater Manchester

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.22959234&cpy=53.48991542&res=100&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

I'm a little surprised there is not more of a difference in size - sure London is larger, but driving across London compared to Manchester feels much much bigger than the maps would suggest.

Similarly, Glasgow, Leeds, Edinburgh all seemed miles smaller than I though, with Bristol the only city bigger than I'd have predicted.

I think the sizes are slightly comparable, however I also think it is easily explained. The 'downtown' area of London is far, far larger. I take the bus in London a heck of a lot, and it seems that there's no end to the urbanity of the area. whenever I visit provincial cities, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester etc, it seems there is a small area of urbanity surrounded by masses and masses of suburban sprawl. I can travel 10 miles away from the City down here, and still feel like I'm in a city centre.

Subliving.

Aye those maps are quite good, but they're not a terribly accurate way of indicating a city's population.

Glasgow, for example, is an extremely dense city by design - the average height of the Victorian inner city tennements is 2 stories taller than any other city in the UK bar London. So you have a lot more people packed in the centre, plus you have 285 giant tower blocks to add in, almost all taller than the UK average. Then you have to take into account the fact that Glasgow on the 50x50 map is almost one single mass - a giant blob of population. Manc and Brum, while having greater Metro Pops, are far more spread out than Glasgow is. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah....

Edinburgh is a really small city to begin with - a metro of only 650,000 - it's ickle :).

a giant blob of population. Manc and Brum, while having greater Metro Pops, are far more spread out than Glasgow is. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah....


^^ That's to do with our green belts, check this out:

http://i11.tinypic.com/33w7jb7.jpg

and when you compare it to this

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.22959234&cpy=53.48991542&res=100&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

You can see that practically all the space avaliable in the city is taken, making it more likely to sprawl. But yeh, Glasgow's got a denser core.

^^ aye very true. Greater Manc's superior population was never in doubt - the suburban area is huge - equal in size to many American cities which is pretty damn impressive :)


--------------------


Here's a cheeky comparison for you though: zoomed out again, here is Glasgow's Metro Area vs Edinburgh's Metro - the difference in size is incredible!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/the_boy_david/Central-2.jpg


Actually when you look at it, the Central belt is pretty dense indeed - 4 million people in a 70 mile stretch - 'tis rather big!

Similarly - http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.25907385&cpy=53.47887407&res=200&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

probably about 7 - 8m in the 70mile strech between Leeds and Liverpool.

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-2.25907385&cpy=53.47887407&res=400&provider_id=345&t=pan&dat=&OL=Off

Shows Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leed, Bradford and Blackpool conurbations.

^^ aye very true. Greater Manc's superior population was never in doubt - the suburban area is huge - equal in size to many American cities which is pretty damn impressive :)


--------------------


Here's a cheeky comparison for you though: zoomed out again, here is Glasgow's Metro Area vs Edinburgh's Metro - the difference in size is incredible!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/the_boy_david/Central-2.jpg


Actually when you look at it, the Central belt is pretty dense indeed - 4 million people in a 70 mile stretch - 'tis rather big!

'Cheeky' indeed as I'm sure you know thats the Falkirk urban area youve circled David!

Ayr through to the three towns coastal strips quite an impressive size for a scottish urban area.

Newcastle (Tyneside) Conurbation.

http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-1.54137524&cpy=54.97245439&res=50&provider_id=345&t=pan&OL=Off