Farewell North, Hello South

Well it seems like a whirlwind farewell to the north and hello to the south as I travel on the train to London! I am sad to be leaving the north and didn’t expect to discover so many interesting things about this part of the world. This trip has taught me a lot about some revolutionary characters such as Edward Carpenter, John Ruskin, the Suffragettes and the Bronte sisters, all of whom I will continue to learn more about. It is fascinating to see where reformers and creators such as these have came form. What inspired them and how their legacy has extended across time and space. After visiting Manchester a couple of times, I think I will miss that place the most. In Manchester I found a city I could possibly live in in Northern England; a city not unlike Melbourne, however having a much richer history architecturally.

I wish everyone well on their onwards travels and was happy to meet everyone and hope to stay in contact with many. I will have some new friends at university to discuss interests that are not simply confined to my area of study. The interactions with students from other disciplines on this trip has positively contributed to my understanding of the north; a place that will continue to spark my curiosity for a long time to come.
- Rose Potter (Bachelor of International Development)

Looking back

It has been a week since our class finished and a lot of us are travelling around Europe. I have a lot planned for before I fly back to Australia, but I definitely have to squeeze time in to work on my essay!

 

Looking back on my first blog post, I think that the biggest challenge that I faced over the two weeks was the group project, rather than the blogs. I always find group projects a bit difficult, and working with people I didn’t know well was intimidating. I think that we all had different strengths, and they could be seen in our presentation, although I wish that we had a bit more time to work on it!

 

I met some great people, and we went to some interesting and beautiful places. My favourites were probably York and Chatsworth house, although I absolutely loved the whole region and I went to Liverpool on the weekend, which was incredible.

 

Sheffield Hallam University was a great university and Sheffield itself was a really interesting place and I could definitely imagine coming back again.

 

I am so glad that I decided to do this class. Learning about the history of a city like Sheffield made me think about how a city develops and works, which are things that I’ve never thought about before. I’m really looking forward to researching Edward Carpenter, a 19^th/20^th century poet, philosopher and gay rights activist, who is the topic of my essay. He is one of the many people/topics that I would have never learned about if not for taking this class.

- Bethany Exiner (Bachelor of Archaeology)

Post Trip Overview

Now in Italy, after having travelled through more of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Austria, my appreciation for home and Sheffield has grown. I now realize that I belong in a mid-size city, not a metropolis like London or Paris. It is a challenge to pull myself away from exploring the Dolomites outside my window to write this blog post but I’ll give it a go. It is fitting given the nature of the study I have undertaken that my last glimpses of Sheffield were of Park Hill looming over the train station. The focus of my group presentation was on public housing in the U.K. In London there are many examples of public housing models similar to Park Hill. It is a strange thing to notice on a holiday but I can’t help myself now. My friend (Aussie ex-pat) who I stayed with in London has never visited Sheffield and has contempt for the Northerners.

It is a shame about the technical issues with the presentations. Fortunately for my group, everything fell into place nicely and I am quite satisfied with the finished product, which featured historic videos of Sheffield found on an online archive database and a local soundtrack including The Arctic Monkeys. I enjoyed the interdisciplinary aspect of the subject and learning about a variety of historical figures including the architect Le Corbusier, the entrepreneur Henry Lever, the artist John Everett Millais and the all-rounder John Ruskin. The morning lectures enhanced my experience and understanding of the places we visited. It was obvious that visiting the United Kingdom was more than just a study tour or a holiday for many students, but rather a pilgrimage to their ancestral home. I commend the lecturers for their organisation of the trip and I will cherish my memories of Sheffield and the lifelong bonds with students formed there.
- Angela Plazzer (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

Homeward bound!!

It's all over, it went so quickly yet it feels like I've been away for months but I think that is a sign of a good trip! After our frustrating but interesting day of presentations yesterday - frustrating due to the technological issues we faced, interesting due to the wide variety and high quality of projects that were presented - it was a little sad to say goodbye to everyone... And the goodbyes were quite rushed... Or didn't happen at all as some people had to leave before presentations were over as we had run over time! But one by one people began to leave, with the majority taking off today to all parts of the UK or Europe... Me though, I'm heading home back to Australia and I am actually really looking forward to being in my comfort zone again! However Liberty Works did end up feeling like home – hmmm -the me that arrived 2 weeks ago certainly would not have imagined I would be saying that! But Sheffield did end up feeling like home: I was able to navigate the city; saw the same local faces each morning on my walk to uni; I knew which pubs were the best to eat at; and the general greeting of 'hiyalurrve' from the locals began to sound normal. I spent one night in York on the last weekend, and I was so looking forward to sleeping in a comfortable bed with cotton sheets, but I hardly slept at all due to the 'strangeness' of it... I had a great sleep upon returning to Liberty Works, polyester sheets and all, go figure.

We all had difficulties becoming comfortable in our interdisciplinary groups, it was certainly a challenge, but I dare say that was the idea of the powers that be - to throw us in the deep-end and make us either sink or swim! And to our credit I believe we have managed to swim, perhaps badly, but we have made it to the end! A few stumbling blocks were encountered, some of which are to be expected, some of which may need to be considered and on future study tours could be dealt with differently. For example, mixing disciplines is positive as it allows each student to view things from a different point of view - rather than say a historical or sociological view, we learn to consider things from a planning view - thinking about how the space is used, how it can be developed and looking towards the future -which is sometimes something forgotten about when studying history! However, it became apparent that planning students and arts students tackle assignments and presentations differently - with arts students very much about the written assignment and a critical, analytical, academic take on it, but planning students appearing to be far more tactile, visual and interactive. This is great in hindsight as it brings many varied skills to the table. However with individuals not realising this until quite a way into the group assignment, it took some time to 'get on the same page' so to speak. Perhaps in future a discussion could be had about the way in which each discipline tackles their work, so that each individual understands how the other thinks and works. 

As you can see from above, I can certainly see the value to the inter-disciplinary idea, but I would have much preferred to be in a group with like-minded people, and then have been able to discover, research and report on something I am passionate about myself, rather than something that we have all reluctantly agreed upon as it sort of fitted in to each person’s area of interest. I feel I would have got far more out of this study tour had I been able to focus on a real area of interest. Of course we have our individual research projects to consider, and I am very keen to get stuck into that - but during this trip, with the very full schedule and the looming date to present our group work - I have honestly not had enough time to think about my individual project and this is disappointing. However I do feel fortunate to have visited places like the gorgeous town of Haworth where the Bronte sisters wrote their amazing novels, and of course being in Sheffield allowed me to understand how and why Bjetman saw the city as he did. I am sure as I begin thinking about my final piece of work I may realise I soaked in more detail and have more insights than I do at this point in time. 

I would highly recommend other students participating in an overseas study tour. Even as a 'mature age' student I feel I have certainly learnt much about myself, about people in general, and the way in which I view the world. Even though I have travelled before, I have not been further than Southern Thailand and China, therefore going that extra distance has really opened up the world to me. I now feel the world is more accessible, friendlier, and the people who inhabit this world don't seem poles apart as I thought they were. Of course, England and English people are intrinsically linked to Australia and its people, so obviously that gives one a feeling of comfort. When the English realise you are Australian, they seem to feel a connection to you. However, I noticed this more so in Sheffield and around Yorkshire rather than in London – so perhaps that comes from the ‘friendliness’ of the Northerners! One local told me he thought his forebears got it all wrong when they sent the convicts to Australia... Why send the bad people to such a beautiful place?! All the 'good' English should have made their way downunder! 

- Jessica Willman (Bachelor of Arts)

 

 

 

The study tour has been great, exhausting but definitely worth it.

I was nervous about going especially after I seen the subject guide. But it has been very interesting and I am glad I got the opportunity to go. We learn when we are travelling around and going to different places, and not only study wise but in general. Travelling, especially alone for study not as a holiday also changes you as a person and makes you stronger and more mature. I think the study tours are interesting and helps you learn a lot more as you are out seeing things and learning by visiting places and not just stuck in front of a computer or in a class room. I also found that the lecturers understood how we feel and were very supportive which was nice. This was my second study tour and I learn a lot from both, and will look forward to going on the next one. It is definitely an experience worthwhile.

 

However I think that there could have been away to learn more about our discipline. Even though I found our topic on the group project interesting, I was the only planner so I don’t feel like I have learnt anything concerned with planning. I think it would have been better if people were put into groups depending on what their major is. Also I would have liked the projects to be similar to what we did on the US study tour, as I feel like we have benefited and learnt a lot as it is something we would do in the workforce in the future. However overall I really enjoyed my time on the study tour, and I am glad that I didn’t drop out as that would mean I would never get the opportunity to go to the places that we went to and wouldn’t have got the chance to experience what I have experienced in Sheffield.

- Mariam Al Maskari (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

Here I am in Fishguard, South Wales

I hired a car as it was the easiest thing to do after exploring buses and trains, and roughly about the same price. On my way to the station I walked the back street to get to where all the taxis park, and found a working foundry. I was delighted to be able to witness the molten steel being tipped from the furnace into the ladle (a huge bucket thingy) and then poured into pre heated moulds to eventually form steel bars, which are then sent off to numerous businesses to be made into stuff. What a fitting closure for my time in the steel city. Lucky ay. I then drove down from Sheffield, with a tear in my eye, arriving in Solva at 12.30, thank god for the old GPS!!. Wales is so very beautiful, and I get to spend some time sailing with my old friend before heading to Ireland on Monday. There hasn't been a dull moment and this morning as I write I am grateful for the stillness and focus writing requires. Id like now to proceed by saying something insightful and intelligent about Sheffield and the North, but I don't think my brain will let me. Anyway, here goes.. 

The multidisciplinary approach to this study tour has been really interesting and I really appreciate learning about planning and development. Not much was focused on from a community development point of view but its all community development anyway, just different perspectives. As our time grew to an end in Sheffield, community centres, projects and organisations started leaping into my field of vision, allowing me to see that there was plenty of places to go and explore in my free time (ha ha) had I taken the initiative. 

The community child care centre we visited with Trevor Hogan was run and funded quite similarly to those at home, except that it is dealing with a city clientele, a multicultural clientele and primarily it offers numerous services that childcare centres in Central Vic don't. Everything from breast feeding guidance to fathers clubs to family violence intervention. That place was one of quite a few scattered across Sheffield, but recent funding cuts have forced closures and now the remaining are under pressure from greater demand for their services. Sounds familiar.

 

Our little unit was knocked sideways during the build-up to presentations, which were brilliant, well done everyone, by the passing of Cathy's dear father Peter. We all banded together and stayed the distance, getting our tasks done. I just want to say, all you people who offered condolences, hugs, cups of tea and tears of your own are to be blessed and sincerely thanked, you were just brilliant and I know Cathy was taken aback by how lovely everyone was.

 

The next couple of days will be learning about tides and sailing culture, nice.

- Anna Hardinge (Bachelor of Community Development)

 

 

 

 

 

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Reflecting on the study tour as a whole

So I am currently sitting on a train to Glasgow, however we have been delayed! It is seriously because someone in Darlington, at the station is running around naked… The north is interesting! J Anyway, I look back at the tour, already, with a kind of nostalgia. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and enjoying spending time with the people I had made friends with. However, I am disappointed that the archaeology of Sheffield was not touched upon much. Sheffield is a goldmine for industrial archaeology, and that type of study blows my mind. It is amazing. I am disappointed we didn’t get to look into that further. However, as a history student as well, I was impressed. I do believe a few things could have been better organised, I know things can go wrong, but overall, I think it did need some more organisation. I was surprised how exhausting the entire two weeks was, some days I knew would be very full on, it is what I had expected for a 30-credit subject, but I didn’t take into account how exhausted I would be. Nevertheless, the study tour was fantastic.

- Kimberley Crabtree (Bachelor of Arts - History and Archaeology)

This is my last blog entry for this subject, and it will no doubt be the hardest to write.

How to summarise two very exciting, very strange, but above all, very fast two weeks?

I'll begin be explaining that I'm currently in London. I've spent one night here so far, since the end of the tour, and this is my very first time in London. I have to say that it feels...odd. I've become so acclimatised to Sheffield, the relative ease with which I could navigate the city, and I was so comfortable with Northerners and their mannerisms. London is a massive step away from the 'homeliness' of the North (I, at least, felt that it was very homely). Aside from the Tube system striking fear into my poor, Bendigonian heart, and just the sheer size of this monster city, I was mostly shaken by the abrupt change of attitudes, compared with people from the North. Every person who I approached for help on that first day in London was either exceedingly exasperated at just being asked, or wasn't from London. The majority weren't from London. This city feels very much like a city of lost, clueless people.

Which brings me back to Sheffield. The two weeks I spent there were so illuminating. I learnt so much about the importance of place, and how geographical location can influence your persona to such a degree. It makes me wonder how much I would appear affected by Bendigo to an outsider. The divide between Northerners and Southerners is clear. And aside from that obvious distinction, people from the North seem so aware of their place in the cultural consciousness; they are very much the working man and woman, happy and homely (or stereotypical, jolly Englishmen, if you'd prefer to view it that way) despite coming from a place considered by many to be downtrodden or stagnant. This was my perception, I know a lot of students spoke to residents who felt miserable in Sheffield. Maybe if I had stayed longer I would have felt that, too. But I didn't get a real sense of depression in Sheffield. I rather felt that though many residents have their gripes and reasons to whine, not one of them would be willing to sacrifice their place there for a life in London, or anywhere else. And I believe the same can be said for most of us.

The tour itself was beneficial in many ways I didn't expect. Having never travelled before, I was evidently out of my comfort zone as soon as we stepped off the plane. But this tour has forced me to become lost, make new friends, navigate a foreign land and foreign currency and confront strangers. In turn, I can already see how that has helped my self-confidence, my sense of independence and initiative, and my capacity to handle alien situations. I think I would have curled up in a ball and died that first night in London if I hadn't had the two weeks in Sheffield to prepare myself.

 

While I was a student who had multiple concerns about the interdisciplinary structure of the tour, I'm not such a complete fool that I cannot see the immense benefits inherent in an interdisciplinary tour. It certainly allowed me to see the many different ways in which students approach their learning. My gut reaction to any learning is go to the heart; what is the author or the text trying to say? What is the contention? Where are the metaphors? I use the Arts to discover the answers. It was a shock to see so many students bypass the Arts and use town planning, politics, history or archaeology to uncover the same questions as me. In this sense, learning from students from other disciplines has given me a plethora of new resources and methods to use in my future studies.

 

I am grateful not only that I got to participate in the study tour, but that I got to see a part of England so often ignored in favour of fancy London or Manchester. It was so revealing whenever I'd tell a Sheffielder that I was Australian, and their eyebrows would go up, so surprised, and they'd ask what I was doing there, and why would I ever leave 'sooneh' Australia? This is clearly an area often bypassed by tourists, and I love that I got to see what so many travellers miss. A raw, authentic city of England, without the veneer of posh clothing stores and fancy restaurants. Just real people, a real community with a real, unpolished history. I hate to break it to any Southerners reading this, but after a few days here in London, I can already see that the Northerners are right; the North is best.

- Cloe Timperley (Bachelor of Arts)

Study tour is completed…so new questions arise!

Now that the study tour is completed, I’m in a position to reflect on some key moments in my learning.  These moments each said something; either about Sheffield and the UK; interdisciplinary work; or group dynamics.

The first week of the time in Sheffield was marked with uncertainty, especially as we had to start the group work.  I think almost everyone was a bit nervous about working with new people, and how it would all play out for them.  I felt at my most tense mid-way through the first week; the new-ness of everything – people as well as place – became a bit too much.  However, it’s important to understand when you feel at the end of your tether, it’s because you are challenging yourself and growing.  There is an easy way of doing things – to just go along with others’ ideas and not assert yourself – but of course this leads to frustration as one does not develop and grow.  So I knew that even when it was hard, I was doing a good thing.

The moment when a colleague and I started to ask each other what Sheffield residents do for work, was significant.  Apart from the universities, I’m yet to identify the key employing industries in contemporary Sheffield.  The cultural aspect is impressive, but without enough meaningful work, a locality is not secure and strong, in my view.  I am looking forward to doing more research on this aspect.

A third moment that sticks in my mind is from chatting with a long-time resident.  The resident had many observations on Sheffield, and a perspective on things that I generally agreed with.  At one point however, he referred back to the national government in discussion on Sheffield.  I asked what is the role of the national government in Sheffield’s operation, and he said, “they don’t do much for us”.  This caused me to ponder the possibility of an entitlement mentality in the UK. 

To place this in context, it’s been noted that the USA has a strong culture of volunteering: because the government provides relatively few services, people are used to making things happen through their own initiative.  Many people there have a strong Do-it-Yourself ethic, which could be contrasted with the UK (and Australia).  In the latter countries, more people seem to expect the government to make things happen.  I’m in danger of sounding simplistic here – especially given the brevity of this weblog format – but that moment with the resident did bring something home to me.  There seems to be a really embedded dynamic between people and the government here, that I don’t believe exists everywhere.    

One of the best moments in the trip was doing the final preparation work with my group members, to finalise our presentation.  It was great to see everything come together.  It is important to understand that some conflict is normal in any work environment.  My group did not have significant conflict but I sometimes feel we were so busy avoiding that, that we didn’t fully engage with each other.  Nonetheless, everyone was supportive and most importantly, made a significant contribution. 

There are some things I admire about Urban Planning and some things I have questions about.  I admire the ability to look at a city holistically and over time – with awareness of how its heritage and traditions shape it.  I feel that many of the planning students brought a professionalism to their work and the presentation of it, which marked them out as high-performing people.  I think it is important though, for any form of study to be grounded in academic rigour. 

What separates university students and graduates from other members of the community (even highly professional but non-qualified people) is our ability to think critically and synergise that thought into civilised, respectful contributions.  It is like harnessing a tiger.  You cannot have one thing (eg. a fierce intellect or impressive skills) without the other (eg. interpersonal awareness and a deep sense of humility in the world). 

Doing the site visits was a new type of learning for me – I was more comfortable with the lecture format.   This might be my own shortcoming but when placed in a locality for a couple of hours, free to ‘explore’ I find myself bereft and devoid of context.  If I had a specific mission, like a set of questions to answer, I would probably find it easier.  As it was I just relaxed; absorbing what insights I could in the circumstances.  Certainly, having been to a place gives one a sense of authority to write about it, with the aid of wide and critical reading.  

Going to Sheffield was a chance for me to do something meaningful overseas.  Know this: if I had just come here on a two-week jaunt, without the study tour program, I would feel in no position to write about the city.  As it is however, I have walked among Sheffield people.  I have done business here; had to get to places and tee things up.  To me, it is these latter factors that lend substance and authority to my time spent here.

One piece of advice for a future study tour student: be focused and resourceful, yet open to different types of learning.  I came with some research questions floating around in my mind, but mostly I just tried to take everything in.  At some moments I could have used greater initiative, to do on-site research related to my questions.  However I’m glad I had the mental space and patience to enjoy all of the site visits, even if I could not directly see their relevance to my questions.   Balancing a focused approach with tolerance and flexibility will ensure you benefit from all of the activities.

- Linda Hadley (Bachelor of Arts - Sociology and English)

 

The study tour has now reached its inevitable end.

In conclusion, I would like to express my utmost enjoyment and most relieved expression that the trip was a total success and everything went off without a hitch. The final day of presentations were splendid, it was most intriguing to see that each of the nine groups pulled off a presentation within the two week time-frame that was worthy of more praise than they all received, especially considering the amount of time and pressure constraints we endured daily as the bulk of work was undertaken late at night during weekdays. While an unfortunate technical error held back one or two groups from presenting their full presentation, we succeeded in completing all set work by 4.30 Monday afternoon.

Looking back over the study tour I now have a different perspective in my arsenal when addressing planning in both urban and rural aspects. Contrasting amongst Australia, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, different growth patterns are clearly visible in relation to history, heritage, space, economy and culture amongst the many views that constitute how a city is to function and ultimately develop. This comparative thinking will further be tested, in my case and those who will continue to travel to other parts of Europe as comparisons, when it comes down to analytical thinking and observation beyond the face of the cities themselves.

 

Arriving at the conclusion and perspectives collaborated for the final presentation on Sheffield; it would have been incredibly difficult to reach a verdict without access to Sheffield’s personal archives (through the library and council portals) or site visits and interaction with local residents who all have an incredibly interesting and detrimental story to share in relation to Sheffield’s distinctive past. Any overseas trip is a radical experience in itself, while anticipating an enjoyable trouble free transition, it is sometimes through the hardship and challenges that one truly understands the emotions and hurdles that residents of a country are under in their own lives. Being lost in any country is a scary prospect, but most would want to be lost in a country with a strong English presence if one is English speaking, compared to being lost in a foreign country where English is not within the ranks of languages spoken natively. However, it is an experience to be lost in the latter situation, when in a foreign country; you’re the tourist, you understand and see things differently to those who witness locations and spaces every day.  

For future students: these study trips are highly recommended and worthwhile. Always be aware of all your belongings, there were cases of forgotten luggage, baggage mix up and a stolen wallet. It’s rare but can undoubtedly happen to anyone, always double check you’ve got everything… twice. Don’t flash your wallet too much, or you’ll get plenty of attention from over friendly locals who all of a sudden desperately need change for a coffee… happened three times during the last day of the trip when I was in most of a rush to ensure I’m at the train on time. While these are all self-explanatory tips, it is one of the worst things that could happen abroad, losing personal identification articles, money or personal health. Always recuperate after a heavy meal from the night before, or different spices that might not sit well with your digestive system.

All the aforementioned things are overlooked though; it’s the experience that counts. If you were to travel alone, it comes down to personal preparation and awareness at all times to get you by, but when you’re on a trip with 40 or so colleagues, it’s much easier to be on time to places when everyone looks out for one another and they all get along. Not to forget; an incredibly good trip thanks to all those who joined me in this experience, looking forward to the next one!

Thanks to everyone for making this trip with me, thanks to the staff for making it possible and to those welcoming us in the UK and of course all my friends, it was well past my expectation and one of the most enjoyable and memorable moments ever. Until next time…

- Phineas Istratoaie (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

 

To be honest I wasn’t looking forward to coming on this study tour

I had very low expectations and was so tempted to cancel. The only reason I didn’t is because I know that it was hard work for the people organizing it and didn’t want to give them extra work. Even when the time came for me to leave, I had it in my head that I would hate the place so bad and I would leave early. My mum dropped me to the airport and I told her I won't continue, and she told me I can do it and I said I'm not staying if I am not happy. 

 

I imaged Sheffield was going to be very dirty, ugly and a lot of homeless people and that I was not going to feel safe. But that is not how it is at all. Now I am so happy and proud of myself that I have made it to the end, and also proud of the other girls I have met as this trip wasn’t easy and we have had some very stressful days. Being on this tour I have met amazing people. And that was what frightened me most is that I didn’t know anyone personally. But now come to think of it I am actually glad that I didn’t because it gave me the opportunity to make friends with so many wonderful people.

 

I feel like we all became close in this short time, and leant on each other for emotional comfort and support, we all experienced the same ups and downs at the same time. And I think that this has brought us closer together.

 

I come from a very different background and even though I have been studying in Melbourne for about 4 years I have felt like I don’t fit in with the locals and would always make friends with people from the same background as me. I could never sit down and be myself and have a good time with the locals. Just because we are so different. I felt like there was a barrier and I didn’t know how to break it, but this tour has opened me up and I feel like for the first time I am able to have fun and be myself with the Australian students, which has been really nice.

- Mariam Al Maskari  (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

Seeing the world in a different light

Well after a terribly long and stressful day of technology not working and bookings for future accommodation going missing; I can happily say it is all over and let the holidays begin! Coming to Sheffield has been an absolutely amazing experience; I have fallen in love with this place in only two weeks. It is sad to say good-bye, but I know it won’t be forever. Coming overseas for the first time has opened my eyes; I will for now on see the world in a completely different light. There are many commonalities between Australia and England; there are only minor things that set us apart. One aspect of England that I have fallen in love with is their appreciation for the countryside and how proud they are of their history. I feel Australia lacks that to a degree, but then again we haven’t got the amount of history England has. Tomorrow morning I set off for yet another adventure, which in itself will open my eyes in a completely different way; one thing I know is that I will not understand the places I go in as much depth as I do Sheffield. I have come to appreciate Sheffield so much, for what it did in the past and how it overcame these obstacles; I hope that the members of the community appreciate this progress as it really is something to be proud of.

A piece of advice I would give to any future or current student would live by the phrase you only live once; or in the case you only Sheffield once. Sounds corny, but in all seriousness though, take hold of every opportunity that arises because if anything life is to short and you may never be given that opportunity again. Life is worth being enjoyed, don’t take things to seriously and live in the moment; because you never know your eyes might be opened too.

- Erin Smith (Bachelor of Community Development)

Last but not least! The final blog.

After a bit of down time, as I sit in a cold hostel room in Edinburgh I think about the last few days of the trip ;the mad scramble to finish group work and cram all the final arrangements in before our departure date. I had some fun times and made some new friends and certainly won't forget the experience.

If I could do it all over, I wouldn't change...much .... Maybe a bus driver or the odd field trip that left me wondering, " so... Why am I looking at this ? "

If the opportunity for a multi-discipline field trip came up again, I would do it again. I'd probably look into a little more than I did this time, I think all I saw was 'The Full Monty' and UK then signed up.... Not that doing something like that is at all out of character for me...

Has the trip changed me? No I don't think so, just another experience in the memory bank, maybe one day I'll find it useful, right now I'm enjoying bliss that any uni student has when one assignment is done and the next is due in a month, peace! ....Temporarily....

So long! Farewell! Au revoir! Arriverderci! Ciao!
See you all next time!
- Jessica White (Bachelor of Archaeology)

The final reaction

Sheffield, as I have stated has had its charms and its depressions, but all in all this magnificent town has had its downs and is constantly on the up and up to find new directions and initiatives to continue on every day of the year. Although in saying this from observations and research Sheffield has lagged into a slump once again where it is sitting stagnant, (without consideration of Kelham Island).

In a comparison from now staying in London for the past few days I have taken the time to observe each place and I have noticed that here it is quite different to Sheffield. Here it is jammed together in the outer rings or what used to be the outer rings and in Sheffield it is all laid out in order and has been planned over and over. In London there are roads winding everywhere and buildings smacked anywhere! Let’s say for instance in Sheffield you may see the same building three times one after the other, I thought that was bad considering that isn’t really that common in Bendigo. When I walked London I found that this same concept will be repeated twenty to thirty times. Anyway I’m sick of talking about buildings and stuff so I’ll continue on……..

During my stay in Sheffield, I have experienced new friendships, a change in the work styles from what is the “usual” uni work and have had a great time whilst doing so. The places that we were taken were amazing as each of their own had their own frontal aspects that just hit you in the face, and I have Trev, Trev and Emma to thank for that.

I have participated on an international study tour previously but this was unlike that. Although I found that this was particularly planning based it was an interdisciplinary course subject. By including other areas of university work into this course I found that I was able to learn from other people from the likes of the backgrounds of history, arts and sociology to name a few. From gaining different perspectives from these other students I was able to impair my judgement from what I solely have been taught and to look at it in other perspectives. Working as an interdisciplinary team to get to one solid objective was a challenge as we each had differing ideas and contributions to our task at hand. From this I learnt to have a greater patience and I learnt how to work in a team with people from other areas. I strongly feel that from doing this it has given me, as well as each and every person on the trip a greater array of skills to work together in the real workplace when the time requests for it. I feel privileged to have been able to attend this trip as it has widened my knowledge base and expanded my personal outlook.

My one piece of advice to future students that go on this trip or any other study tour is to not hold back, take every chance you can to better yourself when it presents itself to you! Oh and have heaps of fun, the people you will meet and the places you will see are just amazing and breathtaking respectively. (If ya go on the Sheffield one go for a night out at the Leadmill :P)

- Wallie Cron (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

 

 

My gosh! What a process this group presentation has been.

It has become a larger process than we all imagined I believe. One thing it has inspired me to do is to improve my technical abilities on the computer. We went the long way around the process of recording voices onto our PowerPoint, which was a much larger project than we intended. But you know we all pulled together at a challenging time and finished! Well done to everyone that produced some very creative work.

Many of us found this process particularly challenging due to the cross disciplinary nature of these presentations. When discussing the issue of women, and their role in the development of Sheffield, some of the challenges were to explain what we felt was important to include from each of our viewpoints. I brought up some sociology terms that were unfamiliar to the rest of the group. To work through these challenges took a lot of time and patience, but I believe we all came out with a well-rounded holistic view of our topic, which is one of the many advantages a cross-disciplinary course can offer.

- Rose Potter (Bachelor of International Development)

 

A reflection on the challenges of group work

Initially I thought the only challenge of group work would be consolidation, putting all the different pieces together and making them fluid and coherent. In retrospect, the most difficult part is, in fact, collaboration. Consolidation implies one objective with different component that eventually come together. I found that, despite using the same terminology and referring to the same themes, the breadth of the themes in question allowed for many interpretations. In saying this, none of these understanding were wrong or irrelevant. It did however make it increasingly difficult to articulate the differences between peoples’ ideas, and as a result more difficult to amalgamate them.

In terms of my personal learning, I found myself very far from my comfort zone. Most of my assignments rely heavily on a concrete view of what I deem to be important and correct. Obviously the project reflected, in fair part, my personal input. In addition, it also contained a quantity of the work of others, with my name attached. This was a strange experience for me in that, although that particular portion of the work was done in someone else’s style, I could see the merit of the things I would not have initially included.

- Cecilia Barber (Bachelor of Arts)

Journey to the end

The study tour has made me open my eyes, and reflect on what I've seen. As you can walk past something a thousand times but it's not until you stop and reflect on what you have seen until you get an understanding for it and appreciate it for what it is. By doing this blog, it has forced me to reflect on what I've seen past conceptions and ideologies.

Learning about the conditions that the mine workers where subjected to in a lecture and then being put in them are two complete different things, as you can't fully appreciate until you are put in the same confinements. I was overwhelmed by the courage of the human spirit as the conditions they worked in sufferance in where appalling, for ends meet. We could barely last an hour underground in the cramped conditions and not even 5 minutes in the tunnels that they spent 8 hours a day in.

From doing the group work it has enabled me to research the history and creation of the Sheffield Hallam University.  At the start I didn’t think I would be interested as what does the history of the university have to do with planning? Well I was pleasantly surprised during my research I was able to find out about the twists and turns of the development of the Psalter campus and the redevelopment, which required me to understand some of the different planning practices such as their affordable housing strategy. From reading the planning officers report it was interesting to see the different justification they used when addressing the polices and how the history of the site related to the ability for redevelopment elsewhere.

The hardest part about the group work was picking a topic, as we were all trying to please everyone and it was hard to find a topic that interested everyone. However by working in a multifaceted group it opened my eyes to a different way at looking at the information which gave me a greater understanding on the work we were doing. Group work was definitely the most stressful and challenging work that we had to do at the university but once you have the end result it was all worth it.
- Jacinta Morrissey (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

 

Final presentation preparations and judging time

Sunday
This is the last day before our presentation, everything drives me crazy.

Everything comes to an end, that’s the time we realize we don’t have much time left! Our group is preparing to make around a 15min video, we never expected there is so much work needed to be done to make a good video. Chris stared putting every clip together, and the other 4 members needed to do an individual sound record, every part was fine except mine, my part was really bumpy.Just before dinner time, everyone’s part was ready. We felt bad because we have to dump all the messy pieces to Chris, he had to put all the sound tracks and video clips together, that’s a huge job, needed ages to do that.

 Judging Day

Finally, the Judging Day. 

Our group had a last group meeting a couple of hours before the presentation, our video was great! It’s really built up our confidence.

Presentation didn’t go very smoothly, obviously the ‘technology problem’ was the biggest problem. We waited more than one hour to get everything ready, that was bit annoying. But thankfully, the overall quality of our presentation was pretty high, I was so anxious about my part of the video, I was so afraid that someone would turn around and laugh at me! But I was fine, my part was bumpy, but it went smoothly.

 Guess this is the last day I stay in Sheffield, I want to come back again, hopefully I will!
- Yunhao Guan (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

Presentation woes

Yesterday has been very stressful for our group, and trying to put the audio on to the slides was very annoying as we all are bad with technology. We had to research how to upload them onto the slides, which gave us even more work. And when we think we are done, we notice that some slides are missing or have not saved. Another issue was  that the recordings wouldn’t work on my laptop so we had to use one laptop to upload, save on a memory stick then upload to the other laptop.

We thought we should take a break as we have been stuck in the room and have not eaten all day so decided to go for dinner. It was good to have food outside instead of prepackaged food that we have been eating most of the time. But then I started to get nervous and just wanted to get the presentation out of the way. So we did all the recordings before we slept and made sure everything works, then went to bed. We woke up at 9 am to upload the photos and finally finished and went to the university but when we got there the sound wasn’t working so that delayed the presentations.

People finally started presenting but we still couldn’t get the voice to work. We have tried so many ways but there was nothing; I started panicking as I had a flight to catch and wanted to get the presentation out of the way. So I had to leave to catch the train in the end. And just when I thought my day couldn’t get any worse, it got so much worse. I went to get my suitcase and dropped it on the stairs straight onto my toe, then walked to the station and had to carry it up some more steps. I finally got on the train and felt so much better, until my cousin called me who was reserving me a window seat and tells me that the travel agent had refunded the money so I don’t have a ticket, she said I could buy a ticket at the airport but I obviously can't do that with 60 pounds that I have left. So I called my dad and he didn't answer, I was so scared and just wanted to get home. I hated everything, thank god my cousin called back and said the guy who she called was just an idiot and made a mistake and all is fine.

I’m finally here and have found a Freddo Frog chocolate bar in my bag, so all is good. 
- Mariam Al Maskari (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

So this is it for Sheffield - the last day for me!

Got presentations soon. It's been an interesting experience, and I have learnt a lot about advertising, Sheffield, and England. I think that Sheffield is kind of like a big sister to Bendigo, both tree-filled, friendly, and walkable cities. I suppose perhaps because of this it doesn't feel that different from home. It's a strange thought though that Sheffield is currently warmer than Bendigo!

I've been all over the north of England, but Sheffield actually still ranks high on my list. One aspect I hope Sheffield continues to retain is its community mindset. If that is lost, the character of Sheffield will be lost as well.
- Terence Bell (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

Today we had our group presentations

My group decided to do a video with our own footage and pre-recorded voiceovers. This meant that only one of us had to get up and introduce and conclude our presentation. Even so, I was nervous in the morning. With all the technical problems that were had with the sound, the presentations went for a lot longer than expected, and my nerves were pretty much gone by the time it was our turn. Our presentation didn’t go quite as expected, but we were all glad that it was over and we could go and get a beer.

 

And now it is our last night here. The second week was a blur, and the focus definitely seemed to be more on the work rather than getting to know northern England (although we still got to see some great places!). We were all very aware that the presentations were around the corner, and that the focus needed to be there, rather than on our individual essays.

 

I think the group became a lot closer this week. We all seemed to be more comfortable in Sheffield, in our accommodation and amongst each other. The last few days have been really difficult because a personal tragedy befell one of the students. It was awful to see someone go through this, although it was heartening to see the support and care that the group gave her.

- Bethany Exiner (Bachelor of Archaeology)

Presentations

The last few days have been pretty crazy being torn from experiencing and living in Sheffield to analysing its use, culture, identity and function especially around the city centre.

Part of my last few days has been around understanding Sheffield’s city centre along with specific mention of the Castle Markets located within the Castle gate area not far from the Don River. Come to think of it I am quite surprised at the lack of water frontage use and development within Sheffield, something that is highly sought after and generally one of the more prominent types of real estate back in Australia. While walking around the Castle Market viewing various people using the space it was amazing to think that the city harboured so many run down shops and businesses. It also made me wonder what it would mean for those that regularly use this space, will there be other places to conduct their shopping or for those to sell their unwanted goods to the masses?

Something I noticed more was the higher density of urban development that Sheffield and (England) has in comparison to Australia without the loss of rural landscapes especially in Sheffield, possibly the UK’s largest village? However, with such a large amount of students and professionals starting to live in Sheffield which seems like the only real drive or vision that is being pursued by post-industrial Sheffield what does that mean for the communities within Sheffield’s city? Will we see middle class and the capable aspiring working class moving to other areas or continue to seek the benefits of the professional lifestyle in Sheffield? What would that mean for those ill-equipped to better their opportunities? Will they move further out onto the fringes of the city like many do as inner city living heightens in demand and expense? If this is then the case is Sheffield just heading towards problems that many global cities have?

Sheffield isn’t the only place in Transition, there are many that are on the tip of needing to transition, I think part of Sheffield’s difficulty with transitioning effectively is partly due to its ‘forced’ de-industrialisation, the move was not out of choice nor was it the only thing for Sheffield to have done and as such meant that there was no drive to move forward in a different direction.

Despite all this concern about if Sheffield even knows its future I still found it really quite surprising how comfortable living within Sheffield is, I did expect a more significant culture change, or rather to be able to spot the differences more regularly. Although among saying that it became clear I was different everytime I tried to order something that I thought was familiar.

- Josh Lee (Bachelor of Community Development)

Impressions and interpretations of Sheffield

As this will be my final blog post of the study tour, I intend to reflect upon my impressions and interpretations of Sheffield through the roles of government and place, as well as the implications of class and urban renewal. Whilst government, place, class and renewal are all just a few of the elements that make up the fabric of a city, I felt that the four themes listed here were the ones which stood out the most to me here in Sheffield. Subsequently, I feel that Sheffield’s fabric is heavily influenced by such themes.

Firstly, I have found that the role of government, or that of governmentality, has been incredibly significant in Sheffield’s narrative. From my initial reading of Sheffield about Governmentality on the Park Hill estate, to tones of Thatcherism, the role of unions and the Labour Party, as well as the efforts of the local government in urban renewal, it is clear that government and power have been significant themes in Sheffield. Here, governmentality has absolutely dominated. From the economy, such as eras of protectionism to free trade and economic readjustment, to society, where the planning of Park Hill and notions of the ‘Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire’, power and influence has indeed played a role in Sheffield’s development.

Secondly, the role of place has been another central theme of Sheffield. By place, I don’t just mean a physical location such as Sheffield, Abbeyfield or the Castle Markets. I am concerned about people’s connections to the above mentioned sites, and how systems of the economy and class have impacted on such connections. My initial example of this is the Park Hill estate. The estate was a place impacted on many levels; by government, the economy and Sheffield’s society. As such, people’s connections to Park Hill were shaped by issues of the estate’s social and historic location in Sheffield, the economic status of the estate’s residents and today’s renewal efforts. It is worthy to note that the estate’s decline coincided with the decline of Sheffield’s economy; thus highlighting the connection of one place to the entire city. Indeed, other places such as the Castle Markets, which plays an important role as a meeting place and for social gatherings for many residents of Sheffield is being removed and retrofitted; all in the name of urban renewal. This process of renewal is seeing a profound shift in the meaning of places to people in Sheffield. Former factories are now apartments and public housing estates are now privately owned. As a consequence, the question of place in Sheffield is one that encounters elements of socio-economic status, the role of social history, and the legacy of the city’s economy.

Thirdly, the implications of class in Sheffield have been of particular note to me; in particular, the physical implications of class. Sheffield is clearly a city divided, where the city heart at the northern end is dominated by lower-end businesses and people of lower socio-economic status, whilst the southern end is more associated with higher-end retail and as such people with more spending power. Furthermore, as the prevailing winds from the city’s factories blew the smog and pollution to the east, the western suburbs are the traditional homes of the middle-to upper classes of the city, whilst the east housed the manual workers of industrial sector. In addition, as Sheffield transitions from an economy based on manufacturing and production to a new economy based on services and global connections, it is worthwhile noting the transformation this process is having on the city’s social mix and it’s place in Britain. On a side, it is also marked that, as mentioned above, the processes of renewal and gentrification have also caused implications of the economy, society and history of the city, which brings me to my fourth and final point.

The role of urban renewal in Sheffield has been a theme of much interest to me as a planner, and as being a significant part of my individual research. I have been interested in how renewal has changed perceptions of place and space in Sheffield. As an example, the old Kelham Island industrial hub has become a latest place to live in the city, whilst the reception to the revitalisation of Park Hill has been mixed. Indeed, this tale of urban renewal is not unique to Sheffield, but is arguably more striking here.

Notably, I have also focused my interest on the role of heritage in the city’s revitalisation and renewal strategy. As my individual research topic explores this issue, I have enjoyed taking note of the kind of development occurring in the city heart, how new developments have responded, or lack of response in some instances, to the historic atmosphere of the inner-city. Indeed, as Sheffield continues to renew its sense of self through physical transformation, I am interested in developing perspectives on how the city has retained its physical heritage.

On a final note, I will offer some advice to future students on taking this subject. From what I have observed on this international study tour and others previous, those who engage with the material, who make the most of the field trips, study topics which they enjoy and find interesting, and those with positive energy, have the best time. By ensuring that each day you are ready to be involved in as much as you can, your international study tour will be the absolute best you can make of it.

- James McLean (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

 

 

 

Nearing the end of the road

As it nears to the end of this study tour, I am finding myself wanting to stay longer as it always happens. I have come to find Sheffield as a city that is constantly striving to find ways to improve on what is already here. Sheffield as a city previously consisted of varieties of areas with different purposes split into quarters but as the years have gone on these quarters have become a whole with each area producing multi-functioned development enabling living in all areas.

 

Sheffield as a steel city is still evident through the structures that continue to exist today, but the difference is that these spaces that are mostly now shells of what they previously were, have been retrofitted to give these abandoned buildings a new function and this has been staggeringly common throughout Sheffield.

 

I have found Sheffield to be an invigorating experience, at first it was a challenge I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to flush money into this area as I obviously hadn’t seen the city for what it wholly was. I have come to understand and see the history behind Sheffield and learnt about how, why and when events happened through the ages and how Sheffield upheaved itself out of the gutter to become what it is today.

 

Not just Sheffield as a city but as a social destination is another level of influence on the city. The people I have met, the people I have seen and the friends that I have made are an amazing bunch of people, the sort of people that you don’t always come across or find. Sheffield has given me a new outlook onto the world as does every trip I attend.

Once again I will head back abroad to Australia with this new outlook, this life experience and carry it with me for all time.

 

I would like to give thanks to Trevor B, Emma, and Trevor H for their efforts that they have taken to get us here, the amount of organisation that has had to take place for this and all the people behind the scenes at La Trobe and Sheffield Hallam. I would also like to thank Ivan Burge for his help with filming. This trip has been a blast and I wouldn’t have wanted to have to spend it with any other group of people!!!!!

- Wallie Cron (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

A slower pace

After a busy week of adjustment and trying to get into a proper sleep pattern and continuously waking up at 5:30am, I found I desperately needed to have a couple days of nothing but relaxation. 

Saturday I spent exploring Sheffield with Mariam, another girl on the tour. We found the inner part of the city and found various shops and other interesting places that are foreign to the typical Australian marketplace. After a couple hours of exploring and shopping, we finally returned back to the accommodation.

Sunday was a day spent talking to family and friends, as well as finding out more information about the various of places that we are going to visit this week.

Upon reflection, I find it interesting not only how different stores in Britain, but also the difference of price. Items such as food seem to be a lot cheaper than the stuff that you might find in an Australian supermarket. Also, aside from markets there seems to be only a small amount of fresh fruit and vegetables available to the British public at supermarkets. I will admit that I did find this to be an interesting thing when thinking of it in comparison to the ‘traditional’ Australian supermarket.

All in all this week has been a much needed break! :-)

- Hayley Geri (Bachelor of Arts, History Major)

 

Preparing for final presentation

We are almost at the end of course now, and our presentations are really soon. Nerves are definitely setting in, but I hope our video represents at least part of the experience that I’ve had here!

 

Last week a few of us took a train to Edale and went for a hike in the Peak District. It was so beautiful, and at the top of the hill, you could imagine that you were in a Jane Austin novel (besides one or two power lines in the distance!).

 

At the start of this week we went to York for an afternoon. York is such a stunning place, with an incredible history. The Minster, the old city walls, the castle and the Viking museum – it felt really incredible to be in a city with such a rich history that is still visible today.

 

We’ve had a lot of time for our group work this week. Group work is always a difficult thing to do, but I feel my group has worked really well together under the circumstances – getting to know each other and putting together a presentation about a city we have only been in for two weeks. We are almost finished, and although we were all a bit worried for a while, I think it has come together really well.

- Bethany Exiner (Bachelor of Archaeology)

Can it really almost be over?

It is hard to believe it is two weeks since we all arrived bleary-eyed in Sheffield. Tomorrow we have the group presentations and then it is all over. I've been so impressed by how everyone has approached this study tour, especially those who have faced personal challenges alongside the intellectual ones… I suspect it will be some time before any of us can really assess just what we have learnt along the way - about Sheffield, about Britain, about our disciplines and working in an interdisciplinary way, and about ourselves!

From people's reactions about the interdisciplinary nature of the subject - especially from those who have felt it has been weighted towards 'one' discipline (and perspectives on which one have varied!) - I have started to ponder what makes it possible to work in an 'interdisciplinary' fashion. Do we actually need to feel confident and comfortable in 'our' discipline before we can branch out and start to see how this might be interrelated with other areas? Or is it just harder to 'do' some disciplines on this kind of tour? Do some disciplines just 'go' together more easily? I feel like I have learnt a lot from having students from so many different areas - it has been great speaking to the archaeologists for example, who see things in quite a different way. And in Manchester Art Gallery, the Arts students were really in their natural habitat! I'm looking forward to seeing how the mixed discipline groups have tackled their presentations tomorrow.

My biggest regret is simply not having had enough time!  Oh for another few hours in the Haworth sunshine… And if only we could have squeezed in Castle Howard and a proper trip to Saltaire … and the English seaside…
- Emma Robertson (Lecturer in History)  

Don’t forget about the metal in Steel City.

Trevor Hogan’s presentation on Monday was great, especially the documentary. It was fantastic stepping away from planning for a bit and having a look at culture and music in Sheffield. I was surprised there was no mention of the heavier types of music though, something that usually gets ignored, but not so much in Sheffield.

One of the biggest metal bands on the international circuit at the moment, Bring Me the Horizon are from Sheffield, arguably pushing the heavy music scene here in a big way. In the past two weeks we have been able to see some great punk and metal bands playing in different venues across the city. One of those was Corporation Nightclub, a club established around hosting bands from heavier genres, and playing similar music on the dance floors. This type of venue is common, but the size is incredible, and the amount of people that come to Corporation for this music is like nothing I’ve ever seen before in a nightclub.

A solid music scene is important in developing world famous musicians, but we sometimes forget what else can emerge from this scene. Drop Dead Clothing, a multi-million £ clothing company, was established by Bring Me the Horizon’s lead vocalist Oliver Sykes, and their main offices are in Sheffield.

- Brendan Aikman (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)

 

Impressions and interpretations of Sheffield

As this will be my final blog post of the study tour, I intend to reflect upon my impressions and interpretations of Sheffield through the roles of government and place, as well as the implications of class and urban renewal. Whilst government, place, class and renewal are all just a few of the elements that make up the fabric of a city, I felt that the four themes listed here were the ones which stood out the most to me here in Sheffield. Subsequently, I feel that Sheffield’s fabric is heavily influenced by such themes.

Firstly, I have found that the role of government, or that of governmentality, has been incredibly significant in Sheffield’s narrative. From my initial reading of Sheffield about Governmentality on the Park Hill estate, to tones of Thatcherism, the role of unions and the Labour Party, as well as the efforts of the local government in urban renewal, it is clear that government and power have been significant themes in Sheffield. Here, governmentality has absolutely dominated. From the economy, such as eras of protectionism to free trade and economic readjustment, to society, where the planning of Park Hill and notions of the ‘Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire’, power and influence has indeed played a role in Sheffield’s development.

Secondly, the role of place has been another central theme of Sheffield. By place, I don’t just mean a physical location such as Sheffield, Abbeyfield or the Castle Markets. I am concerned about people’s connections to the above mentioned sites, and how systems of the economy and class have impacted on such connections. My initial example of this is the Park Hill estate. The estate was a place impacted on many levels; by government, the economy and Sheffield’s society. As such, people’s connections to Park Hill were shaped by issues of the estate’s social and historic location in Sheffield, the economic status of the estate’s residents and today’s renewal efforts. It is worthy to note that the estate’s decline coincided with the decline of Sheffield’s economy; thus highlighting the connection of one place to the entire city. Indeed, other places such as the Castle Markets, which plays an important role as a meeting place and for social gatherings for many residents of Sheffield is being removed and retrofitted; all in the name of urban renewal. This process of renewal is seeing a profound shift in the meaning of places to people in Sheffield. Former factories are now apartments and public housing estates are now privately owned. As a consequence, the question of place in Sheffield is one that encounters elements of socio-economic status, the role of social history, and the legacy of the city’s economy.

Thirdly, the implications of class in Sheffield have been of particular note to me; in particular, the physical implications of class. Sheffield is clearly a city divided, where the city heart at the northern end is dominated by lower-end businesses and people of lower socio-economic status, whilst the southern end is more associated with higher-end retail and as such people with more spending power. Furthermore, as the prevailing winds from the city’s factories blew the smog and pollution to the east, the western suburbs are the traditional homes of the middle-to upper classes of the city, whilst the east housed the manual workers of industrial sector. In addition, as Sheffield transitions from an economy based on manufacturing and production to a new economy based on services and global connections, it is worthwhile noting the transformation this process is having on the city’s social mix and it’s place in Britain. On a side, it is also marked that, as mentioned above, the processes of renewal and gentrification have also caused implications of the economy, society and history of the city, which brings me to my fourth and final point.

The role of urban renewal in Sheffield has been a theme of much interest to me as a planner, and as being a significant part of my individual research. I have been interested in how renewal has changed perceptions of place and space in Sheffield. As an example, the old Kelham Island industrial hub has become a latest place to live in the city, whilst the reception to the revitalisation of Park Hill has been mixed. Indeed, this tale of urban renewal is not unique to Sheffield, but is arguably more striking here.

Notably, I have also focused my interest on the role of heritage in the city’s revitalisation and renewal strategy. As my individual research topic explores this issue, I have enjoyed taking note of the kind of development occurring in the city heart, how new developments have responded, or lack of response in some instances, to the historic atmosphere of the inner-city. Indeed, as Sheffield continues to renew its sense of self through physical transformation, I am interested in developing perspectives on how the city has retained its physical heritage.

On a final note, I will offer some advice to future students on taking this subject. From what I have observed on this international study tour and others previous, those who engage with the material, who make the most of the field trips, study topics which they enjoy and find interesting, and those with positive energy, have the best time. By ensuring that each day you are ready to be involved in as much as you can, your international study tour will be the absolute best you can make of it.

- James McLean (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)