The character of a city is shaped by many things. The mix of cultures of the residents, the micro-climate, the traffic system, the green spaces and trees, and the buildings and the type of businesses they house. This hidden gem of a city has moved on from being the leader in providing the world with sharp, bladed objects (something it still excels at with regard to high quality items), and now has other industries which define it. The more noticeable of these areas of business are in technology, education and the public sector. Less noticeably the city produces more steel by value annually than it ever did at any point during its renown as the centre of world steel production.
But it isn't just the major businesses that add to the above, there are also the smaller independent enterprises that contribute to the nature of the place.
But it isn't just the major businesses that add to the above, there are also the smaller independent enterprises that contribute to the nature of the place.
One example of the diverse elements that add character of the city can be defined by the shop Rare and Racy. The independent shop selling records, CDs and books has been there since 1969 and is a well loved institution to many. The shop still has copies of International Times pasted up in lieu of wallpaper in alcoves in the shop - or at least it did the last time I stuck my head in an alcove. Alan and Joe who run the place are happy to give advice on a wide range of musical styles and can often be seen around the city at various musical events.
Here is the shop seen pictured in March 2002.
It is a shame then to hear that plans to demolish the block which includes the shops Rare and Racy, the Natural Bed Company and Syd and Mallory’s Emporium, have been recommended for approval, the final decision being made on Tuesday 24 March. This block which makes up the row of shops at 162 to 170 Devonshire Street contains some of the outstanding shops of the type of establishments that make up what is now called the Devonshire Quarter.
A city loses it character by being chipped away piece by piece, in that way where people don't notice it until the character is finally gone. Buildings with no listed status have very little protection, buildings with listed status don't often fare much better. And in this case the plans for replacement include shops, cafes and apartments. More of the same, high turnover, clone outlets. Surely we should be saying that when there is something good why is there a need to remove it to replace it with the bland and sterile.
We can look at other examples of the buildings intended for shops, cafes and apartments that are visible further along the same street. These other new builds have a high turnover of all types of businesses, pretty much mostly filling the brief of being characterless, featureless, transient, ephemeral, and crap. It's odd that we've adopted the trendy 'Quarter' naming convention for our cities from Paris but we haven't adopted the Parisienne convention of insisting on retaining the elements that combine to make up the character of a place that deserves such a description.
We can look at other examples of the buildings intended for shops, cafes and apartments that are visible further along the same street. These other new builds have a high turnover of all types of businesses, pretty much mostly filling the brief of being characterless, featureless, transient, ephemeral, and crap. It's odd that we've adopted the trendy 'Quarter' naming convention for our cities from Paris but we haven't adopted the Parisienne convention of insisting on retaining the elements that combine to make up the character of a place that deserves such a description.
Compare the local approach taken here in Sheffield to that of Barcelona where hundreds of shops have recently been given protected status in order to preserve the identity of the city. Many of these protections were on architectural grounds, however some were due to the character and nature of the businesses they contained. Similar projects are taking place in other cities around the world to prevent the homogenisation of their communities.
Sheffield should get off the bandwagon of short term development for short term profit for the benefit of nobody but a small number of rapacious property owners and instead make steps to capitalise on the characteristics that make it a popular place to live and work.
Sheffield isn't alone in having this process of ravaging and sanitising taking place, London's SOHO is currently being neutered by the demands of the developers too. It's all down to greed. The greed of people that have no interest in a city being for the benefit of the citizens. These are people not interested in the recognition that benefiting citizens will give the best long term return. It's an example of how right wing politics diminishes our lives and world.
Sheffield isn't alone in having this process of ravaging and sanitising taking place, London's SOHO is currently being neutered by the demands of the developers too. It's all down to greed. The greed of people that have no interest in a city being for the benefit of the citizens. These are people not interested in the recognition that benefiting citizens will give the best long term return. It's an example of how right wing politics diminishes our lives and world.
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