Urban Change Opportunities

• Urban change

  Changes affecting a city, such as regeneration, development, and demographic shifts
• Manchester is probably most well known for Coronation Street, football and rain
• There is a huge range of opportunities that have happened across Manchester in recent years
• Regeneration in Manchester

  1. 1994 IRA bomb led to a huge regeneration project across the city, mainly focusing on retail

  2. 2002 Commonwealth Games encouraged massive changes across the city
• There is a considerable increase in gentrification and regeneration across Manchester, with vast numbers of old buildings being converted into housing yearly
• Manchester

  • One of the most multicultural cities in the UK, with nearly 200 languages spoken there
  • Constantly changing and evolving due to the diverse mix of people who live there
  • Home to the largest Jewish community outside of London
  • Chinatown is the second largest in the UK
  • Rusholme is home to the 'curry mile'
• Festivals and events in Manchester

  • Manchester International Festival
  • Caribbean Carnival
  • Manchester Irish Festival
  • UK Jewish Film Festival
  • Viva! – Spanish and Latin America Film Festival
• Entertainment in Manchester

  • Huge range of nightclubs, comedy clubs, music and performing arts venues
  • World-famous football teams - Manchester United and Manchester City
• Museums and galleries in Manchester

  • Manchester Museum
  • MOSI – Museum of Science and Industry
  • The National Football Museum
  • People's History Museum
  • Whitworth, Manchester Art Gallery, Castlefield Gallery
  • John Rylands Library
• Shopping in Manchester

  • Various shopping centres, such as the Arndale, Exchange Square, Market Street and the boutiques around King Street
  • The Trafford Centre - home to over 150 shops and over 50 restaurants and cafes
• Manchester is a leading European Business destination and the most successful city outside of London for attracting foreign direct investment
• Within the city centre region, 54.3% of the population are 'economically active'
• Main industries in Manchester

  • Wholesale and retail trade linked to motor vehicles and motorcycles (15%)
  • Human health and social work (17.4%)
  • Education (10%)
• The development of the city centre has led to the creation of the city centre's first new park in over 100 years - Mayfield Depot
• Manchester has recently developed a 'green strategy' to ensure the city has a network of 'green and blue spaces' which create multi-functional benefits for everyone
• Mayfield Depot park

  • 6.5-acre park alongside the River Medlock
  • Built on former industrial land next to Piccadilly station
  • Accessible green space with security measures, play area, multi-surface paths, and floodable meadows
• The newly opened Castlefield Viaduct, owned by the National Trust, is a temporary urban park with trees, plants and flowers
• Manchester's transport system

  • Free bus scheme with two circular bus routes
  • Manchester Metrolink - one of the most successful tram networks in the UK
  • Bee Network - bus services under local control since 2023
• Manchester is home to three major railway stations - Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria
• The current journey time from Manchester to London is 2h4m