David Parker and Paul Long 'The Mistakes of the Past'? Visual Narratives of Urban Decline and Regeneration

The reading follows the urban development of Birmingham city. It tells the story of the city's architecture and infrastructure changes. It also provides information about recent cultural events, such as exhibitions of photographers and visual artists. It is suggested that the vision of the artists mentioned has been influenced by post- war Birmingham's architecture. The image of the city creates a narrative of modernisation, both achieved and yet to come. There is an urban renaissance is the redevelopment of contemporary British cities.
Birmingham has paid a heavy price for embracing redevelopment. Nevertheless, the city has gone through major changes including housebuilding and office developments, building shopping centres and other city landmarks. The formation of post-war Birmingham has been an interplay between economics and engineering. Four landmarks defined the image of the city: The Bull Ring Centre opened in 19654,The Rotunda built in 1965, The Central Library which opened 1973 and The Town Hall and the Council House building.
In early post-war period the priority was the free movement of exported goods within and out of Britain. Today commerce depends more on the consumption of imported goods by pedestrians, the tourists.