Birmingham

Birmingham is the biggest core city in England with a population of 1,006,500 (Office for National Statistics, 2006). Birmingham is a major hub for the national motorway and rail networks.

The city features many landmarks, some dating from Georgian times. These include the recently renovated Town Hall, St Philip’s Cathedral, St Paul's Church and Soho House, home of Matthew Boulton. The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is home to one of the world’s most extensive collections of Pre-Raphaelite art. In contrast, contemporary buildings such as the unique Selfridges building and the Millennium Point also add architectural significance to the city. Accompanying the array of buildings are vast amounts of parkland. Sutton Park is the biggest urban nature reserve in Europe spanning 2400 acres.

Birmingham is a major gateway at the centre of the UK. It is one of the world’s leading cities for conferences, exhibitions and events and was the first city to be awarded the title National City of Sport. The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the National Indoor Arena (NIA) have held major events including the World Indoor Athletics Championship and the Davis Cup. The International Convention Centre hosts many national and international conferences each year, including the G8 Summit in 1998.

Birmingham is one of Britain’s premier retail venues. The Bullring is the epicentre of Birmingham’s shopping experience attracting millions of visitors a year. Other retail areas include The Mailbox, Pallasades and High Street.

Birmingham is the largest centre for banking, finance and insurance outside of London. The city is also home to many other famous businesses, including Typhoo Tea, Jaguar cars and Cadbury’s chocolate.

Birmingham has a thriving student population, due to its three universities: the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, and Aston University.

Birmingham is going through a series of major redevelopments. Eastside is the largest physical regeneration project in Birmingham comprising 170 hectares/420 acres. The project is transforming and regenerating the areas of Eastside, Digbeth and Deritend through multi-billion pound investment. Eastside is a key component in the Big City Plan, a twenty-year vision for the future of Birmingham's greater city centre.

Work is to start work in 2009 on the £600 million redevelopment of New Street Station. The development will see the construction of a new 10,500 square metre concourse, twice the size of the current one, and a giant light-filled atrium. The station will also have a new glass façade. The project will redevelop and regenerate the area around the station and will include better pedestrian connections across the city centre. It will also create 5000 new jobs.

The new Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre represents a £545 million investment in the health services for Birmingham and the Midlands. It will provide a wide range of benefits that will greatly improve patient care. The hospital will include one modern hospital, based on the needs of patients, new technology and equipment and integrated services for timely care.