The renewal of post-war Manchester
Planning, architecture and the state
By Richard Brook
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- Format: Hardcover
- ISBN: 978-1-5261-5497-2
- Pages: 328
- Price: £40.00
- Published Date: November 2024
Description
A compelling account of the project to transform post-war Manchester, revealing the clash between utopian vision and compromised reality.
Urban renewal in Britain was thrilling in its vision, yet partial and incomplete in its implementation. For the first time, this deep study of a renewal city reveals the complex networks of actors behind physical change and stagnation in post-war Britain.
Using the nested scales of region, city and case-study sites, the book explores the relationships between Whitehall legislation, its interpretation by local government planning officers and the on-the-ground impact through urban architectural projects. Each chapter highlights the connections between policy goals, global narratives and the design and construction of cities.
The Cold War, decolonialisation, rising consumerism and the oil crisis all feature in a richly illustrated account of architecture and planning in post-war Manchester.
Contents
Introduction
1 The shape of the city: power and planning
2 Computing and the Cold War
3 In advance of progress: higher education and technology
4 Intractable investment: the Crown Agents and Central Station
5 Bookended by bombs and drawn out development: Market Place
6 The redoubtable resilience of the Ring Road
Conclusion
Index
Author
Richard Brook is a practising architect and a Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at the Manchester School of Architecture.