urbanpollinators.co.uk

Welcome to Urban Pollinators

This site exists as an archive of Urban Pollinators’ work. Julian Dobson, Urban Pollinators’ director until 2022, can now be contacted via the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University.

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A critical hope is the foundation to #BuildBackBetter

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by Julian Dobson and Rowland Atkinson In the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, the hashtag #buildbackbetter became a rallying cry on social media for those who saw the need and opportunity to reconstruct our cities. Demands included closing streets to traffic to reduce pollution and create spaces for play; investing in renewable energy; creating affordable […]

Squalor plus philanthropy: no recipe for healthy parks

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In the squalor of Victorian Britain, the creation of the first great public parks was a beacon of humanity and hope. Philanthropists and civic leaders understood that greenery, a place to breathe and somewhere to walk and play were the least that could be done to lighten the nasty, brutish and short lives the Industrial […]

Beyond the butcher and the baker: local government gets re-imagining

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If you thought we were all deserting local shops, think again. Apparently nearly four-fifths of us believe our high streets depend on local butchers and bakers, according to the Local Government Association. A new poll shows just how deep this care for local retailers lies, especially among older people: Nearly eight in 10 local people […]

A risk we have to take

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Few people still seriously believe a wave of new social enterprises and co-ops will step into the many breaches left as spending cuts take effect across the public sector. But when the dust from the current round of budget-setting has settled there will be an unprecedented opportunity to consider how to achieve the best we […]