Physical change is not the only indicator of a successful city. Nevertheless it can be one way of measuring a city's intent. Nottingham has major projects underway where planning is linked to transport so that the environment is safeguarded.
Masterplans have been drawn up for Nottingham's three regeneration areas - the Waterside, the Eastside and the Southside.
For too long Nottingham has turned its back on one its greatest assets, the River Trent. One of the largest regeneration projects in the region, Nottingham Waterside could create over 5,000 jobs, 4,000 new homes and bring in £1.4 billion private sector investment to create a landmark development with inspiring, sustainable architecture. A new Trent River Park running alongside it could open up the waterfront for everyone's enjoyment.
Stretching from the Victoria Centre to the train line, the Eastside strategy aims to link the communities of Sneinton and St Anns with city centre opportunities. There are two major sites to be transformed in the bus depot and the canal basin next to the Island. The Eastside would also extend the new hi-tech canal corridor that contains Capital One, the BBC and the Evening Post.
A major plan to transform Nottingham Station is at the heart of plans for the Southside. A regional transport hub linking train travellers to trams, buses, coaches, taxis, car travel, walking and cycling, it would open a new gateway to the city, extending the centre further south. Development on the station site would include offices, shops and homes. NET Lines One and Two would extend regeneration to the south of the station. Linking the Meadows area to the city centre is a key concept for the Southside, ensuring that residents have their fair share of the 10,000 jobs that could be created.
In addition to the major schemes, there are also plans to develop more space for business, spearheaded by the City Growth Property Strategy. Sites include Basford Gas Works, Stanton Tip, Gedling Colliery, Cotgrave Colliery, Radford Mill and sites at Hucknall, as well as smaller schemes in the conurbation. Regeneration schemes in the planned new NET corridors are also being examined, including opportunities in Chilwell and Beeston.
High technology sites include the extension land for the Nottingham Science and Technology Park, and at Jubilee campus, as well as Hucknall Technology Park.
The pace of change is accelerating in the city centre. Nottingham is one of the few cities where economic growth has not been accompanied by a dispiriting surrounding sprawl. The two key elements are the redesign of the Old Market Square - where water, trees and canopies will create an inviting urban oasis - and the redevelopment of Nottingham Station into a world class transport interchange, bringing new prosperity to neighbouring communities.
The new Broadmarsh Centre will double its shopping space, so that it equals Birmingham's Bullring, pulling in more customers from much further afield. Instead of a monolithic block, its shops will be housed in clusters that fit the fabric of the city, allowing better routes from the station to the main square. Trinity Square at the north side of the city centre is also being developed. There are over 300 retail and leisure companies who are waiting for space in Nottingham.
One and a half thousand city centre apartments have been created in the last five years, over half of them from the conversion of former factories. Another 2,300 are in the planning pipeline. Ten new hotels have been built in the past five years, too.
This new activity demands a better transport infrastructure to support it. NET Line One is already the new spine of the city, with the potential to become the backbone of new economic quarters. Two planned further lines to Clifton and Beeston would connect the tram to all three junctions of the M1, allowing for the further development of the city centre without traffic overload. The new station will bring train travellers to the core of the city. The Turning Point scheme around the inner ring road has an important part to play, too. It has already re-established walking routes from the Old Market Square to cultural landmarks, like the Castle, the Playhouse and the Theatre Royal. Soon it will civilise the area around the Victoria Centre, becoming an important bus hub for the conurbation.