SSC Urban/Urbanism Issues – Coverage of “Shire Counties”

[Newcastle Historian]

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Where to post issues of interest from the Shire Counties around the City-led Forums of the North East England Sub-Forum of SSC . . .

The North East England Sub-Forum is primarily made up of four “City-led” forums, as follows:

NEWCASTLE METRO AREA
For Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside & South Northumberland
HERE - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2258

SUNDERLAND AND DURHAM
For Sunderland, Washington, Durham and County Durham
HERE - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2260

TEESSIDE
For Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington & Hartlepool
HERE - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2262

HULL AND HUMBER
For Hull, Humber and East Riding
HERE - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2264

Now, all of the above cities are surrounded by country areas (in the shire counties, such as Northumberland, County Durham and North Yorkshire) and it occurred to me some time back that “urban issues” occur in the towns and villages of these shire counties, in the same way that they do in our cities.

However, it seemed that they were (perhaps) not being represented on SSC in the way that they should be. OK, the opportunity is there to include issues for those areas (particularly those closest to the cities) and to post about them on the City-led forums, but I got the impression that this often simply did not happen, due to the perception (at least in part) that those issues would not be of interest to the majority of people on those City-led forums.

The answer (for us) seemed to be to utilise the (then, unused) ‘communal-area’ of the North East England Sub-Forum to set up some specific threads to discuss the various urbanism issues relevant to areas of those Shire Counties that were 'around and about' the main City-areas.

HERE - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2254

This area is located beneath the four City Forums, and as can be seen, that area now contains a number of dedicated ‘Area Developments’ threads, as well as a couple of specific ‘Project Threads’ for those various (more rural) areas.

The purpose of this new thread (at this time) in the Forum Issues area of SSC, is to spread the word a bit about the availability and location of these threads, to people with an interest in the areas concerned, who may not be aware (as yet) that the threads are there!

It is interesting that, already, we have attracted interest from (and have set up an ‘Area Developments’ thread for) a seemingly un-catered for shire-county area from just outside North East England.

The close nearby area of CUMBRIA, from the West Coast of England, now has its own thread in the North East England communal area, set up by people who felt they were not catered for elsewhere.

So, the concept works, and (as I said earlier) I am now simply trying to spread the word about this to make potential users aware of the facility and threads in existence.

However, I would also be very happy to use this thread to discuss the general issue of how (best) to cover relevant urbanism-issues, in the areas around any of our UK City-led Sub Forums.

[legolamb]

Congratulations on that NH. I think what you've done is organically stumble across the fact that the UK forum should be set up on a geographic regional basis and not led by a random choice of cities On the front page unwilling to accept the loss of their standing in it's childish and pointless hierarchy.

It works well enough for the US forums - can you imagine if instead of the front page being North west, mid-west and plains, east coast etc. It was Seattle, Chicago, Boston? It would be as barmy as the current UK setup.

[Newcastle Historian]

Thanks Legolamb I've done plenty of stumbles in my time, but never knowingly any 'organic' ones!

From what you say, and the way you say it, it sounds like this is a topic you have written about before? Apologies if you have done so within a thread on the North East England forum, but I can't remember it at the moment!

A fundamental re-organisation may be what you have in mind, and all power to you for that idea, but at the moment all I am doing is making people aware that there are threads available in the communal area of the North East England forum, covering the more rural areas around our cities.

Also (and this could be where your idea has merit) I am attempting to find out what people generally feel is the 'best' way is to cover these less-urban areas around our cities . . .

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[legolamb]

It's my main forum issue and i'll crowbar it into any possible conversation. Even if you try talking to me about belgian waffle toppings, the loss of inuit tribal traditions or schrodinger's cat paradox you simply cannot stop me making passing references to this malevelont and poisonous evil at the heart of the UK skyscrapercity "forum".

vive la revolution

[CharlieP]

My proposal:

Greater London (existing "London Metro Area")

East of England

East Midlands (existing "East Midlands Forum")

North East England
- Newcastle Metro Area (existing)
- Sunderland and Durham (existing)
- Teeside (existing)

North West England
- Liverpool Metro Area (existing)
- Manchester Metro Area (existing)

South East England

South West England

West Midlands
- Birmingham Metro Area (existing)

Yorkshire and the Humber
- Leeds Metro Area (existing)
- Sheffield Metro Area (existing)
- Hull and Humber (existing)

Scotland (existing "Scotland and Glasgow Architecture Forum)

Wales/Cymru (existing)

Northern Ireland (existing)

Republic of Ireland (existing)

Thoughts?

[legolamb]

complete agreement

[CharlieP]

Further developed proposal:

Greater London (existing "London Metro Area")

East of England

East Midlands (existing "East Midlands Forum")
- Nottingham Metro Area
- Leicester Metro Area

North East England
- Newcastle Metro Area (existing)
- Sunderland and Durham (existing)
- Teeside (existing)

North West England
- Liverpool Metro Area (existing)
- Manchester Metro Area (existing)

South East England
- Milton Keynes Metro Area

South West England
- Bristol Metro Area

West Midlands
- Birmingham Metro Area (existing)

Yorkshire and the Humber
- Leeds Metro Area (existing)
- Sheffield Metro Area (existing)
- Hull and Humber (existing)

Scotland (existing "Scotland and Glasgow Architecture Forum")
- Glasgow Metro Area

Wales/Cymru (existing)

Northern Ireland (existing)

Republic of Ireland (existing)

Thoughts?

[legolamb]

Pretty good - what are you using to define a 'metro area' though?

[Pompey77]

Complete agreement that the current structure of the UK&I forum is poo.

Not liking that Portsmouth has been overlooked in your proposal. (Its about three times the size of Milton Keynes)

Take a look at this for Metro areas (pg119-124);
http://www.espon.eu/export/sites/def...l.pdf#page=119

[ill tonkso]

We are also one of the few places with actual scraper construction going on.

[NCT]

As an East-Midlander, I don't think the section is busy enough to warrant subsections, unfortunately.

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by legolamb

Pretty good - what are you using to define a 'metro area' though?

I'm not - I'm mainly re-using existing fora, just shuffling them around a bit.