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Here’s a fantasy metro network for Birmingham & the West Midlands
Another reader writes in with their fantasy transport plans for their city. This week, we’re off to Birmingham… I’ve read…
A trip to Dandong: the Chinese tourist destination on the border with North Korea
You hear a lot of people complain of having the neighbours from hell, but there are few who put up…
Can an algorithm predict which businesses will close?
Over the past decade, changes in the way people shop have led more and more businesses to close their doors,…
More than a bridge: on Newcastle and Gateshead’s Tyne Bridge at 90
On 10 October 1928, tens of thousands of citizens of Newcastle and Gateshead lined the streets as King George V…
Refugees can create jobs for locals in growing cities – if only they’re given the chance
The term “refugee” conjures up certain images; bedraggled, desperate people hauling themselves onto lifeboats in the Mediterranean; or a vast…
Raising interest rates would make housing cheaper. But it might not make it more affordable
Speaking to the Conservative Party conference in September 2017, the UK prime minister, Theresa May, gave a stark assessment of…
Creative cities and smart cities are nothing but a corporate taming of creativity
In 2007 US creative cities “guru” Richard Florida was flown up to Noosa to tell the local city council how…
The West Midlands needs to address its dismal employment rates
With the Midlands Engine policy, Joseph Chamberlain’s legacy being back in vogue and – perhaps most notably – CityMetric’s recent…
Here's why we need to talk about public toilets
We don’t tend to talk about toilets much, even though we all use them. But not only do public toilets…
Could Australia copy the UK's city deals?
Australia’s Property Council heralded the federal government’s proposal to introduce UK-style City Deals as part of a new Smart Cities…