Today is the launch of The Big City Plan Charter, a document that puts down in writing some of the ‘big ideas’ that are under consideration for the future of Birmingham.
In advance of the launch they’ve put the website online and the Charter document in full for you to download.
The website itself is a triumph of accessible simplicity, and credit goes to Debra Davis for pushing the ‘keep it simple, stupid’ agenda on web communications. More where this has come from, I hope. I’ve already suggested they add an RSS feed…
I’m going to Baskerville House for a noon launch, and there’ll be opportunities for questions.
If anyone wants me to ask anything pertinent let me know - I’ll be reporting back this afternoon I hope.
Here’s what Mike Whitby has to say about this project - it certainly has all the hallmarks of a good piece of work:
The BIG CITY PLAN is an important stage in the evolution of Birmingham into the UK’s second World City. But this plan is not just about repositioning our city for those who wish to visit, relocate and invest, it is more importantly about how the citizens of Birmingham want to see their future.
An opportunity comes around once in a generation to produce a plan on this scale. We will be looking to consult everyone who has an interest in the city. This Charter is our statement of intent, setting out the scope of the BIG CITY PLAN which will evolve over the next 18 months. We thought that it would be better to talk around ideas rather than consultation with a blank slate. We want this plan to be visionary but we want to make sure it happens. These are our consultants’ ideas, but they have listened to a wide range of views before they put pen to paper.
These ideas have been shaped by existing policy, such as Birmingham Vision 2026 and the Birmingham Prospectus as well as by discussions with international experts and The Big City Team, a group of people from Birmingham, who share our passion for the future of the city. We thank them for their efforts.
This is just the start. We want more people to join in defining our future. (My emphasis)
You may notice that some of the blog comments from my original blog post “Who Wants to Redesign Birmingham” are in there, like Paul Ashton’s which occupies a whole page:
So, seriously. If you make a comment or ask a question I’ll do my best to see that something comes of it.
5 Comments
I would like you to ask if Mike Whitby walked to Baskerville house or did he get chauffeured in his jag?
See http://birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk/2007/06/iron_angle_1.html
“Details of journeys by Whitby in the Jag during the first three months of the year suggest that the council leader is in danger of losing the use of his legs if he isn’t careful.”
“Nine trips were less than a mile in length, with Whitby ordering the car to go from the Council House to the Bullring, to Alpha Tower, to the Radisson Hotel, to the Hyatt Hotel, to Snow Hill, to Cornwall Street, to the Bank restaurant and to New Street Station.”
Stef, do we know if there will be consultation events and discussion with the citizens of Birmingham that aren’t white, middle class, entreprenurial etc. We are going to be the second ethnic majority city in 12 years time and yet many of our decisions as a city seem not to have embraced the communities that will help shape the city in the next 20 years and beyond and whom without their support risk being alienated and not benefitting from the regeneration of Birmingham.
I am really excited by the Big City Plan but feel we would reach our true potential by embracing the wider Birmingham, by ensuring the outer ring that links to suburbs is a gateway between the suburb and the city so that the core and the suburb benefit and the citizens of Birmingham wherever they live or whoever they are benefit.
Not least this will be more apparent, as your BBC post suggests with a move from the West to the East and our continuing links with the Indian Sub-continent and China.
There will be six weeks of public consultation in the summer. Recognising that the city centre is important to all the city’s residents it will be promoted across the city to encourage everyone to get involved. At this stage we will asking people if they agree with what we think are the main issues facing the city and what they think of the options we are in the process of producing.
We will be involving the City Team in the production of these options and if you know of anyone interested in joining please let me know.
This will be followed by a further 6 weeks of consultation later on in the year to discuss preferred options with people.
Please look out on the website http://www.bigcityplan.org.uk in libraries, neighbourhood centres, the press (and probably this blog!) for more details.
Thanks for your reply Sophie. It certainly wasn’t meant as a harsh criticism of the project but as a plea that we go past the barriers that people would put up to give this city a rebirth of Lunar Society proportions.
I’ve never felt more proud to live in Birmingham at the moment with a can do rather than can’t do attitude.
I know it sounds bit cheeky replying but I would be interested in joining the city team.
@Simon - I’m with you there. The ethnic mix of all of the events so far has been skewed disproportionately to white/affluent/etc. Part of my reasoning for blogging the process is that these text boxes don’t have any prejudices - you either engage with the dialogue or you don’t. I think there’s a lot of work to be done in connecting this with people from various backgrounds - it’s early days.
Next week we’re (Creative Republic) co-hosting an event called “Sustainable Disturbance” on how creative and cultural leadership, particularly as regards black/minority ethnic (I still dislike this term) people can use influence, conversation and leading by example to make significant change happen.
Be interested to hear your views - this certainly hasn’t passed anyone by, but perhaps the consultants have found it difficult to connect with the right people?