Carboniferous limestone and the search for relevance.

Charles RawdingEdge Hill UniversityGTE Conference Swansea January 2012.

‘As the length of time grew between the year when we graduated and the present, so we became no doubt more proficient practitioners in the classroom, but what we taught bore less and less resemblance to what current university geographers were doing’ (Graves, 1972:10).

Content

Now Nirvana

How do you turn ‘nirvana’ into ‘now’ ?

Mainly resort, administrative and commercial.

1.Mainly seaside towns2.Mainly spas, professional and administrative centres3.Mainly commercial centres with some industryMainly industrial

4.Including most of the traditional railway centres5.Including many of the large ports as well as two Black Country towns6.Mainly textile centres in Yorkshire and Lancashire7.Including the industrial towns of the north-east seaboard and mining towns of Wales8.Including the more recent manufacturing towns

(adapted from Pacione, 2009:123).

Classification of British towns, 1961.

Mainly resort, administrative and commercial.

1.Mainly seaside towns2.Mainly spas, professional and administrative centres3.Mainly commercial centres with some industryMainly industrial

4.Including most of the traditional railway centres5.Including many of the large ports as well as two Black Country towns6.Mainly textile centres in Yorkshire and Lancashire7.Including the industrial towns of the north-east seaboard and mining towns of Wales8.Including the more recent manufacturing towns

(adapted from Pacione, 2009:123).

Classification of British towns, 1961.

Mainly resort, administrative and commercial.

1.Mainly seaside towns2.Mainly spas, professional and administrative centres3.Mainly commercial centres with some industryMainly industrial

4.Including most of the traditional railway centres5.Including many of the large ports as well as two Black Country towns6.Mainly textile centres in Yorkshire and Lancashire7.Including the industrial towns of the north-east seaboard and mining towns of Wales8.Including the more recent manufacturing towns

(adapted from Pacione, 2009:123).

Classification of British towns, 1961.

Location Years. Comment

London Docklands 1981-98 Regeneration of rundown docklandsMerseyside 1981-98 Regeneration of rundown docklandsTrafford Park 1987-98 Derelict industrial landBlack Country 1987-98 Derelict industrial landTeesside 1987-98 Derelict industrial land along River TeesTyne and Wear 1987-98 Derelict industrial landCentral Manchester 1988-96 Derelict industrial landLeeds 1988-95 Derelict riverside and canalside landSheffield 1988-97 Derelict industrial land, lower Don valleyBristol 1989-95 Derelict land, parts of eastern BristolBirmingham Heartlands 1992-98 Run down housing, derelict industrial landPlymouth 1992-98 To redevelop docklandsSource: adapted from Bradford:2009.

UK urban development corporations.

Reasons for innovation

Better geographyMore relevantTopicalityDynamic and varied geographiesEnhanced subject status

‘The value of an academic subject depends on whether it answers questions we are interested in.’ (Tony Wrigley)

Successful geography departmentsRelevant

Topical

Up to date

Reflect the cutting edge of geography

Fun and interesting

Value of fieldwork is emphasised

References:M.Bradford: ‘Evaluating recent change in Manchester city centre.’ Geographical Association fieldcourse. April 2009.N.Graves (Ed) New movements in the study and teaching of geography. Temple Smith, London, 1972.M.Pacione: Urban Geography. Routledge, London, 3rd Ed, 2009.M.Roberts: ‘Investigating Geography’ Geography 94,3, 2009, p181.