Manchester, Huddersfield: place, culture and urban change.

Grimm, Robert and Milestone, Katie (2009) Manchester, Huddersfield: place, culture and urban change. In: Comeback cities: transformation strategies for former industrial cities. NAI Publishers. ISBN 978-90-5662-707-2

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Abstract

In this chapter we focus on two case studies from the North of England, Manchester and Huddersfield. Whilst both places share many features in terms of their histories as textile cities (Manchester and its cotton industry, Huddersfield and its wool) there are significant differences between the two places. The most obvious difference is in terms of their size – Manchester is a major city with an international profile, whilst Huddersfield is a town with a more modest profile. Although only 45 miles apart, Manchester is a sprawling conurbation which bleeds into a number of orbital towns, whilst Huddersfield is compact with an easily distinguishable split between the town and the surrounding countryside. In spite of the countless differences between the two places they both share success in terms of culture led urban regeneration. Below we tell the regeneration stories of each place and conclude by considering the key differences and similarities in terms of the factors that have led to this success.