City of Dreams

Posted by on January 15, 2007

For all Boomers, Liverpool occupies a special place in our imaginations. But the city always had its rough edges and had fallen onto very hard times. But being named the European Capital of Culture has given Liverpool new life.

Here's an update from Stephen Bayley, writing for The Guardian.

"Never before has so much effort, money and intelligence been committed to urban regeneration. Yes, you can mention Barcelona and Berlin, but they were nothing like so far gone as Liverpool circa 1980, when all hope had been abandoned in an inferno of official neglect and wilful self- destruction. The turnaround amazes: the city centre population has risen by 21 per cent since 2000. There are loft dwellers, not shoeless waifs and beggarwomen. In my youth the big problem in Liverpool at night was vomit on the pavement. Now it is finding somewhere to park your Audi.

"The Capital of Culture year will come and go. Does anyone now remember Patras 2006? But the regeneration project has a longer life. Jim Gill says the Capital of Culture is a useful advertisement, but may raise expectations that cannot be realistically satisfied within a cultural bureaucrat's timeline. Rebuilding entire cities is a job that goes beyond street theatre, concerts and exhibitions. However, Grosvenor has brought forward its development by half a year to meet and greet cultural tourists, so sometimes deadlines work.

"Not many years ago to mention 'the future of Liverpool' would have made you ridiculous. People in the University School of Architecture were seriously advocating urban retrenchment, depopulation, desertification and handing the many bits that did not work back to that old stranger, Nature. But now it is different. There is a daunting amount still to do beyond the city centre, but meanwhile Liverpool Vision is very publicly putting to the test a belief that I hold dear: the conviction and courage to make new buildings is a defining characteristic of healthy civilisations. And decent architecture stimulates society, culture and the economy as a whole.

"And it just might work. On the way back to London the Virgin Pendolino swerved through Widnes, once renowned for its toxic horrors. On the railway station here, just by the Mersey, 40 years ago in conditions of absolutely abject anomie, Paul Simon wrote 'Homeward Bound'. Of course, I was glad to be going back to London, but had a small measure of regret about the leaving of a fast-improving Liverpool. The city of nightmares may yet become the city of dreams."