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Plymouth compared to other cities (split thread)
- Thread starter Paul H
- Start date
- Feb 24, 2007
- 18,872
- 5,613
The football team represents the city and it’s people I suggest that the indigenous population would find that remark really offensive myself included
- Feb 24, 2007
- 18,872
- 5,613
You have to be blind not to see it. The city centre is a depressing place with boarded up shops everywhere. The post-war housing stock is bland and wouldn't be out of place in the Soviet Union. The city's only saving graces are the Hoe and Barbican. Overall the city is looking rundown and in real need of investment. No point in getting arsey about it.
The Hoe and Barbican are more than "saving graces", they are incredible areas that plymothians take for granted but visitors recognise as something special. Nearly all city centres have huge numbers of shops boarded up these days because we are in a period of transition in shopping habits, try visiting Broadmead in Bristol, it is just as bad and Bristol is booming
The fifties city centre, especially the top end, is actually quite grand, they ran out of money west of Armada Way and it shows. The biggest crimes are the 80s pedestrianisation which filled the centre with clutter and early 00s revamp both which made the centre worse in my view and the cheap and nasty 21st century buildings our planners have allowed, the most recent example being the Barcode which may be just about acceptable in an out of town retail park but is a disgrace in a prominent city centre site. How they allowed a blank wall to face the main road will forever be a mystery to me.
The fifties city centre, especially the top end, is actually quite grand, they ran out of money west of Armada Way and it shows. The biggest crimes are the 80s pedestrianisation which filled the centre with clutter and early 00s revamp both which made the centre worse in my view and the cheap and nasty 21st century buildings our planners have allowed, the most recent example being the Barcode which may be just about acceptable in an out of town retail park but is a disgrace in a prominent city centre site. How they allowed a blank wall to face the main road will forever be a mystery to me.
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I don't disagree to be honest, the city centre is not great. Blame the Luftwaffe and 1950s architecture. Hopefully the redevelopment of the station area will help a bit, it's not a great first impression for visitors to come out into that horrible dark, damp little corner. But the Hoe and the Barbican are fantastic spaces that any city would be proud to have, and the fact that so many relatively un-prestigious residential areas have sea views makes a difference too.
I know Plymouth is pretty rough around the edges (and in the middle), but I've lived in a number of cities around UK and Europe, and I really do think we have something going for us here. Always plenty of room for improvement, and there will never be huge amounts of money given that we're on the geographical and financial margins, but plenty be proud of too.
Have to agree with a lot of what Brussels Bureaucrat says there. Money is a major factor and, of course, the complete lack of infrastructure, particularly with transport links.
However, I think it is still a fantastic city! The Hoe and Barbican are the jewels of course, but even the city centre is oft admired... particularly by non-Janners.
If it was Liverpool, Newcastle or Glasgow, you would never hear the end about how great it is!
We should be proud!
However, I think it is still a fantastic city! The Hoe and Barbican are the jewels of course, but even the city centre is oft admired... particularly by non-Janners.
If it was Liverpool, Newcastle or Glasgow, you would never hear the end about how great it is!
We should be proud!
I like the city. Sure it's a bit run down, but it's my city and it's where I think of as home. There is a lot of natural beauty in Plymouth and many hidden nooks of woodland, rivers, old buildings etc. I'd take that over rampant urbanisation any day!
I have visited many different cities over the last few years and, without exception, they all have boarded up shops. This isn’t a Plymouth problem, it’s a nationwide retail problem.
