We think that there should be a lot more families living in the city centre, to balance out the recent increase in small apartments and help us have a wider range of activities in the city centre.
Birmingham should seek to increase radically the number of families living in the city centre, to balance out the recent growth in small apartments and to support a wider range of city centre activities.
We think that Birmingham’s agencies (such as health trusts, education authority and council departments) should work together to provide the things that are needed for families to live in the city centre – new parks, schools, health centres, meeting places, local workplaces – all provided at the same time as new homes.
Birmingham’s agencies should work together to deliver the essentials for city centre family living – new parks, schools, health centres, meeting places, local workplaces – all delivered in tandem with new homes.
We think that Birmingham should have a great new family neighbourhood in the city centre. We should also have a range of housing types and different ways of buying or renting over varying amounts of time.
Birmingham should accommodate a great new family neighbourhood within the city centre. Birmingham should also provide for a range of housing types and tenures.
One of the main challenges when wanting to raise the city centre’s population is the need to have a good mix of housing in the city centre, including a range of good family housing with supporting facilities. At the moment, the centre does not have a good range of quality housing and related facilities.
One of the main challenges in seeking to increase the city centre’s population is the need to create a satisfactory mix of housing in the city centre, including a range of good family housing with associated social infrastructure. The centre currently does not have a balanced, good quality stock of housing and related residential facilities:
Birmingham’s young and varied population is one of the things its known for and we can use this to help the city centre be different. A city centre for young people should be family-friendly; its open spaces should be safe in the day and the evening; its culture should include activities for children of all ages. At the moment there is not enough to attract families. The main city centre housing areas do not have a good enough range of housing, schools, shops or local facilities; and ugly and empty industrial buildings, poor public areas and feelings of insecurity are also problems. By creating a special family city centre environment, Birmingham can set itself apart from other cities and get much higher in the charts of places where people most want to live.
A young and diverse population is one of Birmingham’s defining characteristics and one that can be used to enhance the centre’s distinctiveness. A city centre for young people should be family-friendly; its open spaces should be safe during the day and into the evening; its cultural offering should include activities for children from toddlers to teenagers. At present there is not enough to attract families. The main city centre residential areas do not offer a good enough range of dwellings, schools, shops or local facilities, whilst the presence of unattractive and vacant industrial premises, a poor public realm and perceptions of insecurity are additional factors. The creation of an outstanding family city centre environment is an important way for Birmingham to distinguish itself among the core group of cities and to raise itself far above its current position on measurements of liveability.
As part of this process we will look at how Birmingham homes should be designed in the future. We need to make sure that future homes can meet peoples changing needs as their family grows up and also make sure that these homes last a long time. The Big City Plan will contain ideas for an area of very high quality environmentally smart homes that we can adapt to a wide range of people.
Part of this process will be to look at how Birmingham homes should be designed in the future. We need to ensure that future homes are able to meet people’s changing demands throughout the lifecycle of the family and also embody the principles of sustainable development. The Big City Plan will contain proposals for an exhibition-quality development of environmentally smart homes adaptable to a diverse range of occupiers.
How can Birmingham raise the quality of housing development within the city centre? How many new homes should we leave room for? What type of homes should they be? Where should they be? How can we encourage family living?
Several questions arise as to how Birmingham can raise the quality of residential development within the city centre, how many new dwellings should be allowed for and of what type, where these should be, and how family living can be encouraged.
What do we need to do to encourage a wider range of people to live in the city centre? What are the important things for creating family-friendly surroundings? What type of homes and housing do we need?
What needs to be done to encourage a wider range of people to live in the city centre? What are the essentials for creating a family-friendly environment? What type of homes and residential environment are needed?
How can new design help make housing better to help more people live in the city centre and raise their families?
What innovative design approaches to homes and the home environment could be developed to enable more people to live in the city centre and stay and grow their families?
We need more nursery places and schools for younger and pre-school age children within the BCity Centre area, if it is to have more family-friendly housing in the future.
Education provision also needs to be improved for younger and pre-school age children within the Big City Plan area, especially if the city centre is to accommodate more family-friendly housing in the future.