Comments on: The Big City Plan Charter - Any Questions?

By: stef

stef — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:09:38 +0000

@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?

By: Simon Felton

Simon Felton — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:43:22 +0000

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.

By: Sophie

Sophie — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:54:18 +0000

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.

By: Simon Felton

Simon Felton — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:42:05 +0000

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.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:19:25 +0000

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.”