A Northern Renaissance? Wakefield, West Yorkshire & the Northern Powerhouse

This talk reviews both the successes and lost opportunities of recent years and considers the implications of the Northern Powerhouse concept for West Yorkshire. Their 2016 book Cities of the North (pictured below), which includes Wakefield was inspired by the work of Ian Nairn who opened many people’s eyes to an appreciation of cities, their often unexpected delights, qualities, possibilities and potential.

About the presenters:
Adrian Jones is a town planner and urban designer, formerly Director of Planning and Transport for the City of Nottingham and member of CABE’s national Design Review Panel. Chris Matthews a graphic designer, photographer and historian, who currently works as Conservation Officer for Nottingham City Council.
"Their informed and opinionated commentary, gimlet-eyed and witty, is offered without fear or favour ... This is an angry, politically acute account. It is, no doubt about it, a book for the state we are in."
Gillian Darley, ‘Release Hull: Cities of the North’, Literary Review, August, 2016

The event:

This talk will be presented in the Kingswood Suite at Wakefield Town Hall, Wood Street, Wakefield, WF1 2HQ, starting promptly at 7.30pm. (Doors open at 7pm.)

The event is free to attend and is open to all who are interested in the subject matter.

A live stream option will also be available for anyone unable to attend in person. When selecting your tickets, please make sure you select either an 'in person' ticket if you wish to come to the Town Hall, or a 'live stream' ticket if you wish to watch on-line via Zoom. A link to the talk will be emailed to you on the day of the event.

This talk is being presented as part of Wakefield's Our Year 2024 and is one of a number of aspirational series of talks and events around Wakefield district in the Key to the North programme. Talks, lectures and other events will shine a light on the rich heritage and popular culture of the Wakefield district and Yorkshire.

Host or Publisher Wakefield Civic Society