The Doughnut Effect On British Cities

Britain's inner suburbs are paying for the success of inner city revitalization.

1 minute read

January 27, 2002, 7:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Britain's second city [Birmingham] used to be a byword for urban blight. After the planners got to work on Birmingham in the 1960s, its centre was a grim confusion of concrete and flyovers. But in the late 1980s, an enterprising council started to reverse the trend with a mixture of public and private money. Since then, the citycentre has been transformed... Whilst the centre has prospered, those parts of the city that planners call the "inner suburbs" have crumbled, leaving many stranded in the no-man's land between the booming centre and the plush outer suburbs. Planners call the Urban Village movement that emerged from America in the early 1990s, whereby the segregation of urban areas into retail, industrial and living areas was abandoned, and cities reverted to mixed-use development. Editor's note: The full text of this article is available to subscribers only.

Thanks to The Practice Of New Urbanism

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

2 hours ago - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

3 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

4 hours ago - Cities Today