Liverpool's appetite for change

The city of Liverpool has a fine legacy of nineteenth century and early twentieth century townscape. Its remarkable history as an international seaport and its impressive historic and cultural heritage have resulted in much of the city centre being designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Over the past decade, the city has developed a confident understanding of placemaking and has rejuvenated much of its tired and shabby public realm. The city now boasts an enviable network of streets and open spaces on a par with many of its European counterparts. This paper traces the unfolding of Liverpool’s fortunes and identifies the components that have helped the city regain its new-found confidence. Embedded within its story are many practical lessons for the quality of urban life and sustainable development in the twenty-first century.