Jane Jacobs R I P
Sad news reaches us that Jane Jacobs the great urbanist has died in Toronto. She was the first person to succesfully highlight the profoundly anti city direction town planning had taken post war. The spectacular renaissance now occuring in cities around the world is in no small part a result of her ideas on urban neighbourhoods and how to positively tap the qualities inherent in every city influencing a new generation of planners and urban thinkers.

Her work was a direct inspiration to the team here, especially the books Cities and the wealth of Nations and of course, her seminal work, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. By way of tribute be sure to pick up a copy of either book, we guarentee that you too will be inspired.

Growing a downtown media - across the board
Nerve magazine is one of a number of new titles to have appeared in Liverpool over the last few years. Run as a social enterprise, it's aim is to highlight issues of social concern. Approaching life, art and grass roots culture from a slightly different perspective from that which we take, it is never the less an important part of downtown's growing media community.

A fundraising gig is taking place this coming Friday in downtown Roscoe St , so if you can make it then get along and support them?

Downtown; as platform for creative scouse talent
The latest world première from downtown's Everyman and Playhouse theatres marks the debut of an exciting new talent who is set to become a familiar name to all downtowners; emerging Liverpool playwright Jonathan Larkin. Paradise Bound is a new comedy set in the Dingle, and is about escapism and aspirations, and finding humour in the frustrations and restrictions of the place you were born. A work of promising scope, then.

A graduate of the Everyman and Playhouse Young Writers’ Programme, Jonathan Larkin is now one of the theatres’ Henry Cotton Writers On Attachment. Paradise Bound is his first play and was originally developed through the Young Writers’ Programme.

It opens at the Everyman on Friday 28th April, and runs throughout May. Downtowners who like to watch their theatre on a full stomach should remember that the excellent Everyman Bistro is open throughout the day, serving some of the best grub downtown yet leaving you enough change from a tenner to fund a post show tipple at any of the many splendid bars and pubs you’ll find this end of town.

Hey St George, don't do that!
On this, the day of England's patron Saint, we thought we would remind you of Liverpool's rich potential for building links with the emerging (or should we say RE-emerging?) powerhouse of China. With the help of initiatives like Liverpool Chamber of Commerce's Chinalink we are building trading bridges, not worrying about the ill perceived 'negative effects of globalisation'.

As Margaret Symey claimed, Liverpool isn't really an English city so we do not have to think of how to slay the dragon, rather we can simply continue to rebuild links with an old friend.

Downtown can have more than the fancy symbols linking us with China [credit Louise McWatt]

But China should not be our only focus, there is the rest of the world too. The city has already come through the worst that globalisation can throw at us, it is up to us now to build on the good aspects of the process, on the fantastic opportunities it provides for downtown entrepreneurs to rebuild our links with other trading cities around the world.

Wealth will only be real however if it is generated by Liverpool folk building business and contributing to global growth. It would be wrong to sit back and wait for 'agencies' to induce a low wage plant or two to visit, until the next downturn. Downtown, entrepreneurial heart of the mighty global trading metropolis... or at least it can be once again... a case of back to the future?

Use your vote carefully?
The upcoming local elections have thrown up an interesting development in the perennial housing v's good neighbourhoods saga here again in Liverpool. Galvanised by the appalling 'New Heartlands' mass demolition proposals across the city, campaigners have formed a coalition to fight in the elections.

They have managed to provide a candidate in EVERY ward, including those downtown wards that are up for selection this May... quite a feat. If you would like to know more about the campaign contact Nina Edge on 726 0348 or 07971 472707. Local democracy at it's most effective!

"All together now"
It won't be long now before King Dock's arena is rocking to ... well, what ever can be attracted downtown actually. The multi purpose arena has been built so as to be able to accommodate as broad a spectrum of events as possible. We can't wait for the Northern Monster truck crush off to hit town... cool!

The sweep of the downtown stadium's seating area can clearly be seen taking shape on the waterfront. [credit Paul Ballard]

All you need is the logos (with apologies to Lennon & McCartney!)
An excellent piece in tonight's Echo (18th April) highlighted the value in entrepreneurs taking up and using the week of celebration and business builder that is Downtown Week. Neil Hodson strikes again, you should make sure to read his column regularly. Loads of other interesting downtown pieces on icliverpool as well lately... check them out when you have seen the Downtown Week piece?

Downtown's bustling streets, but there is always room for even more people to come downtown? Get on board for Downtown Week

Simply help to market the week, build it's relevance to the city's economy, download the free to use logos and consider putting on something that will get even more folk downtown... and into YOUR business? Little acorns, as they say!

Write the story of downtown?
On April 26th would be screenwriters have the chance to attend a free one day workshop on developing storylines into film scripts at Blackburne House in downtown Hope St. Only 80 places available and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Doors open at 9a.m so you will have to start queuing early!

Always lots going on in downtown Hope St, even the railings are fascinating!

Hopes are throwing a party - and kicking off Downtown Week too!
Hope St Association are planning a celebration to mark the completion of the Hope Street refurbishment and they have kindly offered to make this part of the Downtown Week celebration too!

The anticipated 'signing off' date for the improvements is 5th June, all bar the snagging. The plan for the day's celebrations goes something like this:

THE DATE:
Sunday 11 June, on Hope Street, Liverpool, from about 3.30 to about 7.30

THE IDEA:
To celebrate the completion of the Hope Street refurbishment as a collaboration between HOPES, Liverpool Vision, Liverpool City Council and the NWDA by bringing together people from all our communities together for an afternoon / early evening of entertainment, fun and friendliness. To highlight the importance of this fantastic district to the downtown vibe.

THE EVENTS:
Street performances, artistic-type activities for the family, maybe food, music, including a 'semi-outdoors' free concert by the HOPES Festival Orchestra, with a performance of Richard Gordon-Smith's specially
commissioned piece for HOPES, the original 'Hotfoot on Hope Street' and whatever else you can offer -

THE PERFORMERS & THE 'AUDIENCE':
Almost all of you in one way or another, they hope! Join them?For more details email Hilary Burrage. A brilliant way to kick off Downtown Week.

No news may be good news but more news is always better
We picked up an interesting publication whilst at Grosvenor's information centre in downtown Lord St. Issue 2 of 'Property Investor' is a really interesting read. Packed full of downtown and other property investment news and advice, special features and opinion, it is well worth picking up. We shall certainly look forward to issue 3. Email Suzy at Dears Brack or call her on 0151 242 1502.

L1 drawing the crowds already
Take a walk (an extremely long walk it is too) around Grosvenor's L1 project and you will find loads of building watchers, surveying the scene, making use of every vantage point in order to see the latest progress.

The staircase up to the Friends meeting house in Paradise St is a favourite perch for construction watchers, but not for much longer, it is shortly to be demolished.

Even the professionals come down to catch the latest additions - Liverpool architect and environmentalist, the famous Tayo Aluko of Aluko Brooks pops downtown for a look.

New group, 21st Century Liverpool were given a special tour around the massive site, to gauge how the scheme fits in with the ideas they intend to explore about how the city can fulfil its desire for international revival. As well as the fantastic new buildings and structures the area contains some incredibly important downtown archeology that relates to the beginnings of our journey to global metropolis.

The new - downtown revival for the 21st Century

The old - Paradise for archeologists in olde downtowne Lyverpule! [credit Yo-Liverpool. For more pics click here]

History is best understood in the round
Take a quick root around some interesting web articles we came across this week. Liverpool has a rich and fascinating history of commercial might, civic and cultural pride and great social improvement. The links may help provide an interesting counter to some sorry recent notions that have been promulgated, particularly about the city's political history, which in reality is much more 'holistic', diverse and interesting.

For every police strike there would have been dozens of these, and for every 'radical revolutionary' (where did they get that from?) we literally had score upon score of these types

* A final reminder: We have consistently stated that an effective chamber of commerce at the heart of the city's strategy making is essential if growth is to have any long lasting meaning.

That's not right, we traded with the whole world!
Liverphiles and others interested in the city's history as well as what global perceptions of the city are may like to book themselves onto this conference 'Liverpool and Empire, 1700-1970' taking place 20th-21st April in downtown Liverpool.

Attention downtown urbanists and media darhlings... but be quick!

TODAY (18th April): TV stars of the future can audition for a new (and free), five day course ran by 'Television and Young People, the charitable arm of the Edinburgh International TV Festival, that teaches people aged 18-21how to break into live broadcasting. Being held at Blackburne House in downtown Hope St. If you can't make the auditions you can still apply for an audition online

THIS EVENING: 'ReNew06: A Collaboration' is an exhibition exploring regeneration
and renewal, not only within Liverpool but in its broader context. The artworks featured in the show comprise photography, painting, video and installation pieces. Each exploring different aspects of progressive change.

An advance viewing is being held from 6.30 - 8.00pm TONIGHT (18th April) at 68 Hope Street Gallery, Liverpool School of Art & Design... all are welcome.

On April 26th would be screenwriters have the chance to attend a free one day workshop on developing storylines into film scripts at Blackburne House. Only 80 places available and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Doors open at 9a.m so you will have to start queuing early!

Always lots going on in downtown Hope St, even the railings are fascinating!

A new addition
You will notice that we have taken on some Google Ads, please take the time to visit the websites that are content linked to the stories on our front page? We will be making more substantial structural changes over the coming weeks that will enable us to provide more in depth and wider breadth info about downtown life .

Have a good downtown Easter break, maybe visit some of the cultural and other urban delights we highlight below and we will see you all back on Tuesday with our regular news updates.

A host of Easter downtown experiences
Easter seems to highlight the panoply of experiences that downtown can provide more than most holiday periods. Why not take the chance to check out some of the off beat activities this Easter weekend?

Stunning - go see the exhibition and then maybe take a walk down to the Pierhead and see the real thing?

Two examples we can recommend; one is a stunning photographic exhibition, 'Unfamiliar Journeys' by Alan McKernan up at Liverpool University's Abercrombie Sq Art Gallery. Many of downtown's best architectural gems are the subject of this extremely inspiring show.

On the other side of town is the Secret War Rooms museum. Also known as the Citadel or the Western Approaches, it tells the story of Liverpool's vital role in WWII, sadly a role that is almost as secret as the Citadel was itself during the war! Millions of other things to do downtown... enjoy.

Shopping - a long time downtown pass time
Another fascinating new exhibition opens soon in downtown's Walker Art Gallery, about Liverpool's passion for fashion. Centred around the collection of one Liverpool lady, it is also an exploration of the high class emporiums and establishments that used to grace downtown's main shopping districts. We picked up this story from the ever excellent art in liverpool site.

A birds-eye view of downtown's L1 development, check out these webcams

With downtown's retail 'offer' getting better day by day once again it will lead to the diversity and niche business needed to drive up the quality demanded in all the worlds great cities... downtown's great, don't you just love it!

Putting downtown in the picture
In addition to being a celebration of the vibrancy and culture that we have at the heart of our great city, Downtown Week is also about encouraging new and innovative ideas to increase the offer and make it even richer.

A really great initiative that hits all the downtown buttons is Liverpool48, a challenge to creative teams to make a short film in a single 48 hour period. We are confident that this challenge should get the creative juices of all downtowners flowing!

Go to the site and find out how to get involved. As well as information about the challenge, there are plenty of useful tools, links and a forum for our scouse film making community.

* the challenge is already gaining momentum, just look at the company the city keeping at this world famous site.... Excellent stuff!

All our yesterdays, seems like another age
Just how far downtown has recovered from an urban recession unprecedented in the West sometimes slips by us. Take a look around these two sites that capture the good and the not so good in downtown Liverpool in the 1980s'

First is a collection by Peter Hagerty, 36 Views of Mount James. Another great one we have found is a rich collection of downtown events and scenery. Memories or historical documents - well both in fact. Take particular note of the landscapes, many of which have gone, hopefully as permanently as the bad times have.

Straight from the horse's mouth
Grand National Festival time is always great downtown. This year the City Central BID team (have you seen the adverts?) have organised loads of things to do in and around Church St. So if your not going to the track direct, why not watch the race on the giant telly next to Clayton Sq?

Downtown Eden is blooming
A much reduced, though none the less, excellent Eden Square project is taking shape. The picture below is taken from the Cheapside end of the development and promises to enhance the powerful enclosure provided by the adjacent huge warehouses in the street.

Temporary home to many a downtown reveler over the years - the old Bridewell in Cheapside

When you have checked out the apartments be sure to pop into one of the great little cafes across the road?

Is that a grid plan we see?
With the planning application by Windsor Developments for their cool and fantastically urban Baltic Triangle scheme being made today (5th April) we can now see just how that area will come to life over the next two years.

With other schemes planned and some even on site we wonder if this district will link seamlessly with the massive King's Dock development. A better idea for the area would be for the Strand to form the districts 'high street'. Maybe when the next refurbishment takes place?

Tankers take a long time to turn or stop
Can we just remind downtowners of the beautiful St Mary of the Angels and its Friary in downtown Fox St. We are concerned that the Archdiocese may still be operating in managed decline mode despite our city having turned that particular corner quite some time ago.

Stunning history and the most unbelievably important artifacts. The RLPO are to take up rehearsal space in the building, but there's a catch... we will get you more info on this.

Well, I never knew that!
Did you know that the Tower Building on downtown's Strand was designed by Aubrey Thomas, architect of that other little building over the road, the Liver Building?

Also.... do you know who designed the 18ft tall statues that sit atop the Liver Building? We hoped to provide a small piece on the fantastic and sad story behind those statues, but we have had a few technical difficulties with it... get your thinking caps on and we will get the piece up asap?

Get up to London Rd, you'll be really surprised
One of the saddest symptoms of the city's slide into decay was the plight suffered by the incredibly vibrant London Rd area. Once an integral part of downtown's garment district at one time it looked as though its decline would be terminal.

Reaching for the sky... well, not exactly, but London Rd is well and truly back on the up once more

Taking a walk round the area though, from the still impressive Royal Liverpool Hospital through to the libraries and museums on William Brown St it was a surprise just how many building projects are going on and new business that have opened up.

New apartments have gone up by the Prince of Wales pub and others are under construction opposite the old, art deco Co-op building. With the regular fortnightly Farmers Market taking place the district was a hive of activity.

Make some time to go check out this up and coming downtown area of mega buildings and micro enterprises... why not take in a flick at the Odeon cinema whilst you're at it and of course TJ's is always there for a bargain... great place!

We're off to Montreal
Downtown is coming back to life, the hustle and bustle can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end at times... downtown has its special buzz once again.

This has not been 'factored' in by public investment or major infrastructural schemes (important for the mix as these are) but by hundreds of individual risks taken by dedicated downtown entrepreneurs and small investors. We have found a fantastic example that ticks all the downtown boxes as far as we're concerned.

The Montreal Building in downtown Stanley St has lain empty for many years but the building has now been brought back to life in a stunning example of intensive, mixed use development. Downtown's first boutique hotel being only one of the ideas inserted into the block... brilliant stuff

Building on history
Downtown's Central Business District has an extremely interesting couple of years ahead of it. Always at the heart of the city's life this area has seen some extremely important moments in the city's history. From the original seat of power of the local landed gentry (old HALL St!), through business deals that have helped to shape global patterns of trading, through to John Conteh being crowned the greatest boxer in the world at the old stadium.

St Paul's Sq project coming along nicely. The buildings may change but the history is ingrained forever

The area has changed its physical characteristics many times as it's main functions have evolved... long may this continue. Liverpool is nothing if not a vibrant commercial city whose future lies in commerce and culture. But at the heart of every mighty metropolis are it's people... living, working and coming together downtown to further improve the city.

Helping the creatives?
Downtown's creative community should take a look at this latest initiative from the national government. As we continually say, the Culture Company will only be one of the many organisations organising activity in 2008... they are also only one of the sources of assistance.

Some legacies don't last that long
Both good and bad news in the same piece. We told you last week about proposals to develop the former Trade Union building on downtown's Hardman St into a new creative hub - news now reaches us that the owners have been able to sort something else for the building, so we may be in store for yet another exciting downtown initiative, just not that particular one - never mind!

Follow the Met's approach to downtown renaissance
The new Metquarter in downtown Whitechapel, having already provided a breath of fresh air to the downtown retail offer have decided to open late evenings, on a regular, year-round basis. What an opportunity for our other business to follow this pioneering step and utilise the extra visitors the Met's actions will generate downtown?

Scenes of downtown hustle and bustle may become a more familiar site?

Downtown Week gives an opportunity
If nothing else why not try opening later... maybe even put on a new offer or service for Downtown Week? A recent article we came across (no weblink we're afraid) covering last year's Downtown Week stated that , "Liverpudlians love their downtown so much they have dedicated a week-long celebration in it's honour"... Great stuff! remember what Downtown Week is all about and get on board?

The Indians were the good guys remember
News that Chieftans' private development proposal for Skelhorn St has lost it's appeal. Government insisted that they did not have any reasonable expectation they should get planning permission.... in an area designated a tall building zone in LCC's draft planning guide!

Two lousy stories with regards decisions to reject tall buildings on one page!... sadly, not a record.

More sad and needless news to add to downtown's development saga.... what will the historians make of it all in future years?

If food be... get down to Modo
Downtown has grown an enormous number of food markets, fairs and festivals in recent years, but have you tried
LIVERPOOL VEGAN FOOD FAIR
Saturday 1st April 12pm-4pm free admission, at Modo Bar,Concert Square downtown Liverpool

Free food sampling
Guest Speakers
Information Stalls
Nutritional advice
Tasty recipes
Video showings

More variety attracts a broader community of people downtown... just what we want. Tell everyone you know about this?

DATELINE: LIVERPOOL; 1ST APRIL 2006
INTERNATIONAL EXCLUSIVE

This State of Independents
Rumours have been sweeping downtown for sometime, developments have come to a head and we can't remain quiet any longer. We finally have permission to make an announcement. Audacious plans have been finalised that will see our mighty metropolis declare UDI. Agreement has been reached that the city is to withdraw from both the United Kingdom and the EU and establish a Free State.

Entrepreneur, recluse and President elect, John Gladstoone said, "We are heartily sick of the small minded and un ambitious, englandsnorthwest, little England and the bloody European Union doing our great city down" He added "Liverpool has always been a place unto itself, so we are simply formalising the position. We have made no firm plans as yet as to who we will form alliances with, we will reach out around the world, but, structure-wise I quite like the Free City type of status as enjoyed by Singapore, or Danzig did between the wars"

City council failed to take up their full responsibility to run the city, is this building about to become the seat of an independent State?

However, perhaps a clue as to how minds are working was revealed by his mention of Condoleeza Rice? He concluded. "Announcing our intentions on the day after the visit of Condoleeza Rice to Liverpool could become an extremely important part of the story".

Are we about to apply to become the USA's 51st State? Was this the real reason for her visit? Given that this city has such close ties with the US it might not be such a bad idea. This day and date may be extremely significant, very telling! Viva Republic?