I have already written several pieces here on the idea of the 15-minute city, currently much in vogue in city planning in numerous cities around the world.
I really like this idea. My hometown, Redlands CA, is rich in history but most citizens have no idea. Cities should put these on an interactive map like www .felt.com so you can see where these places are in a fun and collaborative way!
Thanks for the blog John. I identify with a lot of what you say. I too live in a small town (more a large village) on the English River Tyne, and see lots of parallels. My village, Corbridge, is also very historical and is mostly contained within a 15 minute walk of the centre, complete with an excavated Roman town, Anglo Saxon church with medieval pele tower and all the rest. The village has just opened a new heritage centre in the former Methodist church which had been struggling with numbers, and has a very lively community life including a lot of interest in heritage. This is a quite an affluent and advantaged place though, with a very rich history, once the second biggest town in Northumberland, and a successful local tourism centre. Other towns and communities can find it a struggle to find a heritage to connect to, although I see a lot happening on facebook and suchlike these days with groups sharing knowledge about their places.
One example I wanted to mention though is the Ouseburn Valley in Newcastle, a small former industrial valley beside the Tyne, within Newcastle, which has been revitalised over the last 20 years or so through community effort, with a strong focus on heritage and the desire to repurpose the buildings there. Many people living in the areas immediately around the valley have worked with artists, developers and the City Council to turn a fairly derelict area into a vibrant community with lots of culture, entertainment, new housing, new creative businesses and a national centre for the children's book. It's very much a model of how a localised community can utilise heritage to support regeneration. It's not been a quick process and it's not a sanitised waterfront development, but it's all the better for that.
I really like this idea. My hometown, Redlands CA, is rich in history but most citizens have no idea. Cities should put these on an interactive map like www .felt.com so you can see where these places are in a fun and collaborative way!
Thanks for the blog John. I identify with a lot of what you say. I too live in a small town (more a large village) on the English River Tyne, and see lots of parallels. My village, Corbridge, is also very historical and is mostly contained within a 15 minute walk of the centre, complete with an excavated Roman town, Anglo Saxon church with medieval pele tower and all the rest. The village has just opened a new heritage centre in the former Methodist church which had been struggling with numbers, and has a very lively community life including a lot of interest in heritage. This is a quite an affluent and advantaged place though, with a very rich history, once the second biggest town in Northumberland, and a successful local tourism centre. Other towns and communities can find it a struggle to find a heritage to connect to, although I see a lot happening on facebook and suchlike these days with groups sharing knowledge about their places.
One example I wanted to mention though is the Ouseburn Valley in Newcastle, a small former industrial valley beside the Tyne, within Newcastle, which has been revitalised over the last 20 years or so through community effort, with a strong focus on heritage and the desire to repurpose the buildings there. Many people living in the areas immediately around the valley have worked with artists, developers and the City Council to turn a fairly derelict area into a vibrant community with lots of culture, entertainment, new housing, new creative businesses and a national centre for the children's book. It's very much a model of how a localised community can utilise heritage to support regeneration. It's not been a quick process and it's not a sanitised waterfront development, but it's all the better for that.