Engineering Connections

When it comes to mammoth engineering projects, China has once again shown nothing is a bridge too far with the opining of the Jiaozhou road bridge, at an astonishing 24 miles; this 3 way sea crossing between the eastern cities of Haung Dao,  Quingdao and Quingdao Airport is the longest water crossing in the world.

The Jiazhou Road Bridge (Google Earth)

The bridge cost more than 10 billion yaun (nearly £1 billion) in a build lasting 4 years. I post this in the same week the debate over a new high speed rail line in the UK intensified with campaign groups in the North of England revealing the slogan 'Their lawns for our jobs' in reference to the unsettling NIMBY culture in the South of the country which threatens to delay the project beyond its projected 2033 opening. By then I suspect the Chinese will be commuting to the Moon.


To rub greater salt into our increasing wounds, China this week also opened a Shanghai to Beijing High speed link, at 820 miles the scheme also took just 4 years to build and will cut journey times to around 4 hours and 48 minutes, with questions now being asked whether the Chinese could build our own High Speed line 2, a unthinkable proposition just 20 years ago but a deep indication of a changing global environment and one the UK increasingly risks being left back at the station. 


China is currently investing in what will eventually become the worlds largest high speed rail network with 10.500 miles of track now completed or under construction. The Beijing to Shanghai line cost £24.5 billion and the Chinese government is investing £19 billion in high speed rail this year alone. Current estimates for the planned British line currently suggest a cost of £32 billion . 


The UK has a rich engineering heritage that is increasingly compromised by a long winded and complicated planning system as well as an uncomfortable inability to manage costs. The decision by the current coalition government to scrap the IPC (1) doesn't help in this regard, nor does the lack of a national planning framework for England which could help promote greater long term and integrated thinking and perhaps prevent the North / South arguments we are seeing. 




1, This article from the Daily Mail, ( the most popular news website in the UK and the 2nd best selling daily) perhaps highlights more than ever the attitude that exists amongst households towards development, a notable quote from the article ''They (Ministers) made clear that local people who do not want expensive infrastructure projects blighting there communities will have greater power to object''


Perhaps there lies the problem 

The Endless City

A new series on BBC 1 begins this week, entitled 'Andrew Marr's Mega Cities' in which the presenter will look at 5 of the worlds largest and most intense urban environments.  The series will explore Dhaka, London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Mexico City. With more people now living in Cities and predictions that if present trends continue 75% of the planet will be urbanised by the end of the century, this should be a really interesting program.


On a personal note I am fascinated by the Mega-City, especially at the speed at which many in the Eastern hemisphere are growing almost undetected by the West. In a previous article I explored Chongqing in China, a City of 31 Million people and one of the fastest growing places in the world.


The Pearl River Delta in China's Southern Guangdong province is another such Mega-City region, comprising a area about twice the size of Wales this is one of the most populated places on Earth, with 10 Cities with populations of over 1.5 million,  of which two Shenzhen and Guangzhou have populations of around 10 million. The total population of the region is estimated to be around 100 million .


The main areas of concern are undoubtably the pollution and landscape and ecosystem damage that such dense urban sprawl will produce, and the impact that this will have on the its residents.  The Pearl delta is one of the most polluted water systems on earth, according to a 2009 Green-peace report which attributes it on increased indultrialisation within the region and the pumping of toxic waste into the delta. While increasing car ownership and relaxation of the Hukou registration system which can limit movement within the region, especially for rural migrants, will all bring further pressure.


 On a footnote the drive for growth has brought some bizarre developments notably the New South China Mall, the worlds largest Shopping Mall with 2350 units of which 6 years since it fully opened only 47 are occupied, a result perhaps of a misunderstanding of Chinese demographics on the developers behalf, its location in a peripheral area of Dongguan alongside a toll road, a highly industrialized and one of the least wealthy cities within the region.

The South China Mall: Build it and they will come.. maybe not (google)

Whether the South China Mall will prosper over time remains to be seen, but it certainly could be argued it was simply ahead of its time, increased economic development and movement within the region will certainly not harm its chances, especially as the region looks towards encouraging less polluting and better paid high-tech industries.

The Hidden side of Essex

The Department of Communities and local Government released the new Indices of Deprivation last week, which makes some interesting reading, of which the most astonishing is that the most deprived area in England is not in either the north nor a inner city, but is rather a small coastal community in Tendring District (Essex); a place somewhere generally associated with footballer pads and spray tans. 

The village of Jaywick was built at the start of the last century as a retreat for Londoners wishing to get away from the city. Over time many of the properties built as holiday homes have being converted into permanent dwellings. Despite this many of the roads and services have seen little in the form of Investment while a increase of homes under the control of a few landlords has seen many of the properties deteriorate. 

Jaywick has great potential, it has a excellent beach for one; it is close to London while the surrounding areas include some of the most prosperous in the country. The homes need love and attention but the potential for a small quirky resort of real character is there. The question is of how this could be achieved.

 Only 8 years ago the village had the highest rate of property ownership in the area , now four fifths of all the housing stock is rented, with the landlords only regard making a quick buck leading to an almost gypsy like turnover of residents, and the lack of permanence that can create a community. 

Perhaps one idea could be for a locally run housing association to purchase vacant properties, and to rent them to local people on secure and long term contracts. This would give people greater control over the properties and a sense of ownership which seems to be missing.

There is also a duty for  Essex County Council to ensure the roads are fit for purpose, again what does it tell local residents when the local council cannot even be bothered looking after its roads. 

There is a major caravan park on one side of the village which shows there is still some demand for holidays in the area and all it takes is for enterprising locals to buy and renovate some properties back for use as holiday chalets. 

Whatever the outcome I hope this report illustrates to rural authorities that it is not just the inner cities that are prone to deprivation; what shocks me is that it takes such a report to bring this desperately needy area any attention. 

England 2010

From above

Major changes to planning system announced in Spring Budget

As expected the UK chancellor George Osborne has used his budget to announce some major changes to the UK planning system, which he called a 'chronic obstacle to economic growth'  with the aim of encouraging development for economic gain.


The changes include relaxing planning regulations to try and kick start house building, following many years of  declining numbers of new homes constructed.  The fear for many here is a increase in greenfield sites swallowed up for development, there is also a fear that the government will remove guidelines specifying density levels which could lead to overcrowded residential areas.


Local planning authorities have also being given a 12 month time limit for the processing of ALL planning applications, including appeals. This may be fine for a rural authority but in a urban borough with many major applications in at once this will surely be a tough ask. 


Enterprise zones have also made a welcome comeback, the first of which will be located in Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester Airport, Liverpool, The Tees Valley, Nottinghamshire, The Black Country, London, Derbyshire and the West of England.


Each enterprise zone will feature simplified planning processes as well as discounts on businesses that choose to locate in these areas. Critics have argued they simply run the risk of simply shifting businesses from one area to another.

Vince Cable Blasts UK Planning System

Vince Cable the UK business secretary has attacked the UK planning system, (1) calling it 'slow and prescriptive' and a major barrier for businesses, with what he describes as a presumption against development in many cases. He said that 'thousands of 'no decisions have prevented economic growth, for example the retailer regenerating a town or international headquarters moving elsewhere. 


Mr Cable also reveals that through speaking to major corporations  keen to invest in the UK, many were put off with the time consuming process of the current system. 


Mr Cable is proposing the re-introduction of Enterprise zones which were highly successful in the 1980s, through streamlining planning system in these areas and launching tax incentives for business.  


The UK has a strong planning system which ensures development is appropriate and that over development does not take place, all development is considered on its merits and relationship to policy and thus I cannot help feel that many planners will find Mr Cable's initial comments hard to digest; no planner would refuse a scheme if they felt it was of  the best interests of the area for development to take place.


Perhaps the biggest problem that the UK planning system faces is a 'fear' of development amongst many committee members, who will go against planning officer advice, leading the council and taxpayer into a costly battle against businesses and developers. 


With regard to  simplified planning zones, this is a sensible idea and one that has shown to have worked both in the UK and across Europe, notable examples include the London Docklands and Manchester Castlefield districts. 

Linking Town Planning and Obesity

Exercise, look away and it may be gone  

According to this months Sainsbury's magazine, around a third of all 0-15 year olds are either overweight or obese in the UK.  A shocking yet perhaps unsurprising statistic. 

Much talk is given over to how changing peoples eating habits is key to combating the obesity epidemic, while sales of weight loss DVDs and fad diet guides dominate the entertainment charts in the months after Christmas. 

This got me thinking, can town planning help in the battle of the bulge, especially to prevent kids getting fat at a young age? I think it can, here are some ideas, 

1) Professor Philip James, chairman of the international obesity task force warned in 2008 'Urban designers have created  Obesogenic environments by planning public spaces around the car (link), this dominance of the car has made it too dangerous for kids to play on the street and discouraged walking. The UK should therefore look at the Dutch home zones as a viable method of calming traffic through creating a shared pedestrian and vehicle space. 

This creates a safer and more pleasant environment for children and adults alike, and is all about the reclaiming the streets from vehicles, as the vehicles are forced to slow. 

2) Walkable nighbourhoods are also essential, according to Richard Jackson, a leading professor of public health in the US , walking to the shops, school  or work can help people keep off an average of 7 pounds (link). 

 3) Cycling should be encouraged as the norm; safe mini-cycle networks should be devised for all schools  avoiding main roads. While new developments should look at incorporating cycle storage spaces. 

4) Richard Jackson warned 'prescribing a minimum amount of physical activity is useless if there is nowhere to exercise (link) and in an age when more people than ever are living in urban environments, and with many people without gardens this is too true for far too many people living in the UK today. School playing fields are often the only areas of large open spaces in many communities, yet it is a sad fact that when the schools shut the playing fields are also often locked up, there is no need for this. If kids and teenagers have the space to play informal sports, they will. Lets protect playing fields for community use. 

Michael Donnelly at Planningblog offers an interesting but somewhat different perspective on the issue with this article .

Planning should be about creating environments that are pro-active to human use, the post war car boom years saw many urban areas re-modeled to accommodate the car, shopping in retail parks miles from anywhere became normal and cyclists and walkers became the minority. The culture of the west was changed, its about time we changed it back and reclaimed our streets and our cities for what they are for. 

The formation of the planning movement links back to the early 20th century health reform movement, yet the two, overtime have become detached, but the same fact remains ... healthy citizens equals a healthy economy. 

The Economic Future of Britain's Cities

The Centre for Cities have recently published its latest report analysing how individual cities across the UK were affected during the last recession; this coming as the UK economy slumped 0.5% in the last quarter of 2010 and government cuts are taking hold. 


The report reveals that Barnsley, Doncaster and Hull all saw some of the biggest rises in people claiming for benefits (behind Swindon) between February 2008 and June 2009, the close geographic nature of these settlements is worrying; highlighting localised issues, that could affect more people than those within the city boundaries. 


Despite this some cities have managed to bounce back more strongly than others and it is the demand for low skilled workers which has made the strongest recovery and places with a strong low skill sector have seen the strongest growth, with Doncaster and Hull both seeing the claimant count drop between March and November 2010. This is not to pretend Manufacturing is the answer to our cities woes; the sector accounting for around 10% of all GDP in 2006, steadying out after 30 years of continuous decline. Thus any significant % rises in the sector will be small in comparison to the entire jobs market. 


A major concern will be how our cities cope, with significant reduction in welfare spending; only today Liverpool city council announced significant job cuts, this a city with the 2nd highest welfare bill per capita, only behind its cross river neighbour Birkenhead. Which leads to the question, is it cheaper to the government to have an increasing number of people on welfare than doing government or council jobs? The cuts in Liverpool will remove around £192 per resident, this equates to less money in the economy and more importantly less localised spending, which can only lead to struggling businesses and further job losses. The cycle can be fatal. 


The North / South divide is also very prevalent with 6 of the 10 least affected areas of welfare cuts located in this region. There is opportunity for growth in these tough times with Aberdeen, Bristol and Leeds, 3 places which the Centre for Cities report sees as having the potential to grow, a result of strong private sectors built up during the boom years. 


Despite 1 in 3 private sector jobs  (37%) currently located within the 11 major Cities, it was the smaller cities located in the south which saw the fastest population growth between 1999 and 2009. It is important these places can retain and attract jobs. The Yorkshire cities of York (2) and Leeds (6) were the only Northern Cities in the top 10 fastest growing cities by population. York also has the 7th lowest claimant count (Nov 2010) while Leeds is only one of two places which saw its employment rate increase between June 2008/9 and June 2009/10. 


Unfortunately employment rates can be deceptive, for example City A may have 80% of people in employment but all earning around minimum wage while City B may only have 60% employment but all within the countries top earners, this means that it is City B which has the most money swirling within its local economy. 7 of the UKs highest earning cities are in the South of the country, the exceptions are  Warrington, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Of cities with the lowest average wage 9 are in the North, the exception is Hastings, the bottom 2; Grimsby and Hull both located within close proximity to each other and are both highly isolated from significant areas of population, a factor which makes it harder than ever to keep money flowing within the local area and any prospect of recovery even more difficult. To compound its problems between 2006 and 2010 Grimsby saw a -1.8% decrease in earnings (at 2006 prices). 


The next economic quarter will be crucial in determining whether the country slips back into recession, the key is to keep money flowing within our cities, I fear this will prove harder than ever as public sector workers see there jobs disappear something which could potentially lead to localised problems within cities with an over reliance of public sector jobs. 


The report can be read in Full here