Case Study: Re-imaging Bradford

In West Yorkshire with population of around 500,000, one of the 10 largest cities in the UK. It's growth was based on the textile industry, particulaly wool but his industry collapsed during the second half of the 20th century. Largely due to the invention of new synthetic fabrics. Faced with deindustrialised Bradford City council has been forced to do three things:

• Find a new range of economic activities to support the city
• Find new uses for land that was once occupied by the woollen industry 
• Shake off its old image of a rundown city of closed woollen mills- and create a new image for the city

Bradfords done well in terms of building up a new economy. Now it has modern engineering, chemicals and ICT industries. Also developed a lesuire and tourism by turning its industrial heritage into tourism attractions. Many of the mills still stand, their exteriors have been smartened up. Become museums, craft centres and galleries or been converted into small business units or flats. Other old buildings associated wih the woollen industry have undergone a different form of regeneration. Been demolished and the resulting brownfield sites filled with blocks of offices and flats, shopping centres and premises for Bradford's new industries. 

Re-imaged Bradford had emerged. New life has been breathed into the city. Two challenges remain, to improve the quality of its inner city housing and to create more harmony between Bradford's ethnic groups. Bradford has one of the largest non-white populations in the UK.