Regeneration
It is estimated that there will be in excess of £11.6 billion worth of investment over the next 10 years in Birmingham.
Birmingham's tranformation, from hamlet to one of the greatest industrial cities in the world, is a remarkable feat. It is not situated on a site of strategic defensive importance, and it has no river, castle, or port. The city exists solely as a result of the ingenuity of its people and their ability to craft, manufacture, and trade goods.
The city's long history of industrial innovation has led to a wealth of invention and discovery and has earned it a reputation as 'The city of a thousand trades'. Notable firsts include: gas lighting, foam rubber, windscreen wipers, Brylcreem, the Mini, cotton wool, the pneumatic tyre, the X-Ray, lawn tennis and Ozzy Osbourne! Yet in recent years the city has endured a reputation of industrial decline.
Whilst this image lingered, the city has been busy reinventing itself, as a massive programme of regeneration has transformed vast swathes of the city with over £9.2 billion worth of investment either planned or underway in the city centre alone. The energy and enthusiasm sweeping through Birmingham is starting to make many people, locals and visitors alike, see the city in a whole new light.