Prof Lewis Lesley on Sheffield’s tram network, Judith Martin on the importance of local knowledge and Jane and Simon Clements on the city’s musical heritage
John Harris’s article about Sheffield and the impact of the closure of Debenhams and John Lewis (The death of the department store, 10 February) raised many questions, not least “What are city centres for?” Historically, they were the most accessible locations in a large urban area. The advent of the private car, and free use of roads, has made almost anywhere easy to get to. The cost, however, of sprawl, pollution and energy usage will become limiting as we move towards a zero-carbon economy. As the architect Adam Park said in Harris’s article: “We shouldn’t be demolishing buildings any more.”
The out-of-town Meadowhall shopping centre was approved by the city council to replace a brownfield former steelworks site. Surprisingly, no mention was made of Sheffield’s tram network; prior to the pandemic, this had provided a counter to Meadowhall by carrying passengers parked there into the city centre. There are three other lines, making the centre nearly as well-connected as Manchester through Metrolink. As an acceptable alternative to car travel, this offers a sustainable way to get people into the centre and, learning from the Strong Towns movement, is a good starting point for the reinvention of Sheffield.
Prof Lewis Lesley
Liverpool
from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/8B6CYPr
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