About the Big City Plan Birmingham is a great international city, renowned for civic innovation, urban invention, racial and cultural diversity, as well as its creative and educational achievements. Birmingham's Big City Plan is a masterplan that will draw on that legacy to shape and revitalise the city centre over the next twenty years. To achieve our ambitions for the city and its people, we need to communicate the masterplan's aims and objectives to people across Birmingham, as well as partners, stakeholders and our citizens. The Plan will guide Birmingham's economic, social and environmental future. It will help Birmingham perform successfully on an international stage and will equip Birmingham to meet both existing and future challenges, while building upon its recent successes.

Did You Know? Birmingham's air, road and rail connections provide access onwards to 400 million people in the rest of Europe. There is a labour force of approximately 1.5 million people in the immediate urban area. Birmingham has the second highest retail spend in the UK 100,000 people in Birmingham are employed in financial and business services Major city centre projects totalling more than £10 billion will create an estimated 40,000 jobs Birmingham was the first 'BT wireless city' and features the UK's first ever openly accessible free information zone, birminghamfiz As you can see, we already have a lot to be proud of in Birmingham. Building upon this platform, over the next 15 months, the city council will be working with urban planning and design consultancy, Urban Initiatives, to create a new integrated vision and direction for the city centre. The largest plan of its kind in the UK, the Big City Plan will ensure a coherent approach to regeneration and development, guiding Birmingham’s economic, social, physical, cultural and environmental future. It will have an impact well beyond the immediate city centre, boosting the regional, national and international performance of Birmingham. As the Plan is developed, we will be consulting with key groups and will be communicating the message to as many people as possible. The success of the Plan depends on building consensus and regular consultation, and everyone in the city has a key role to play. We will also be consulting with groups such as the newly created City Team, made up of young public-spirited citizens who will champion the Big City Plan throughout its life span.

The Background to the Plan In November 2007 the 'Big Ideas' event was held, where Urban Initiatives, City Team and the city council came up with ways that the energy and ambition of Birmingham and it's people could be used to shape the Masterplan. The outcome was the following ten global themes and ten big ideas: Global Themes Audacity A city of brave people up for change Centricity A city with an expanded commercial core Liveablecity A city with a high quality of life Complexcity A multi-layered, gritty city Authenticity A city that is true to its roots Diversecity A cosmopolitan city Famliycity Revival of the urban neighbourhood Univercity A learning city that turns its knowledge into business Connectedcity A city well connected to Europe Smartcity A city that uses its resources efficiently Local Ideas Live Local A family friendly urban neighbourhood Move Local An iconic mode of transport for Birmingham Street Local Great Streets linking new and existing places and spaces Start Local Masters in the art of fostering and supporting new enterprises Create Local A focus for creative industries to rival any city in the UK Play Local Great urban parks and rediscovered canals Learn Local A centre of life-long learning embedded in a neighbourhood Buy Local Local produce and products sold in local shops Build Local Birmingham people building Birmingham homes Renew Local An exemplar of neighbourhood energy generation

A map of the development planned for the City Centre

Contact Us For more information visit the official Big City Plan website, or telephone 0121 303 3030