In the first of my video blog posts I was pretty amazed by one of the comments in particular that came back and it looks like we’ve spawned a project if I can find some people to collaborate with to make it happen (open invite).
So how about we apply some of that ‘Local Ideas Bank’ thinking to what is specifically around us right now?
There’s the Big City Plan - a chance to change the city of Birmingham over the next 25 years.
How about we use the LocalIdeas.org website to pull together ideas about how to address the themes coming through in the Plan?
Hope you’re still liking the format. This one is shorter at 7 minutes, and I’m now on Viddler because it took me 1.5 hrs to encode and upload the last one to Vimeo - this time it’s just a webcam on my balcony. And I hope the sound is improved?
Related posts:
- Birmingham - the Big City Plan “City Team” As I’ve said in a previous post, I’ve been invited...
- The Big City Plan Charter - Any Questions? Today is the launch of The Big City Plan...
- Podcast of The Big City Plan Launch The Big City Plan launched yesterday and I was...
- Birmingham Big City Plan - The Video Given away at the Big City Plan launch yesterday...
- Big City Plan public consultation - who’s in? By Striatic on Flickr It’s all been a bit...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
2 Comments
Fantastic idea. Hopefully it will get the people of Birmingham more actively involved in the whole thinking of the plan. I hate the fact the council will only have three, six week consultation periods with the public, when these start nobody knows, perhaps they have already passed, rubbish! The web site you plan should extend this thinking time so we are prepared to bombard the council with ideas.
To me it still feels like it has all happened behind closed doors and are saying “here it is, our plan, live with it”. Only for the next term of office to come and scrap it all. Get people like myself involved, it will then be set in concrete.
From when we last met you know what I want first:
Rethink of transport ideas. A fourth large rail station to ease congestion a New Street. The new New Street station only addresses the problem of passenger numbers, not train numbers. Say no to TIF, it’s a way London is bribing cities into what they want and not what the people want. Extend the light rail network, areas such as Dudley have no decent public transport to connect the the power house that is Birmingham. They are all costly, however they are required. For a city over one million in population it is shocking as a European city not to have an underground system, let alone one congested tram line.
Reform of the powers in office - an elected mayor. We need a leader (Lord Digby would be my vote, as I live in Dudley I can’t vote *sigh*), and for powers to be taken away from London regarding decisions on major projects. I prefer a regional elected mayor that covers Brum, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolves and to be made into a “Greater Birmingham” region.
Is that possible, can we do it all on our own? I think so, if the council had a little courage and push hard.
I wait for your web site, I have an army of people who have ideas.
Just a quick one in agreement of the comment above and to impart this bit of info… There is an existing and viable plan for a new station in Eastside which, to my mind anyway, makes a lot more sense than tarting up New Street a bit… Check out the link for more info… http://www.arup.com/europe/feature.cfm?pageid=9619