After having spent 3 whole days in Sheffield I have come to really like the city. I really like the physical structure of the city with its variety in buildings and the juxtaposition of old buildings and newer buildings. I am enjoying the variety in shops, shops that are not in Australia as well as the cool and quirky shops and pubs dotted around the city. I like the high accessibility and frequency of  public transport in Sheffield with the tram, buses and trains. I am enjoying the close proximity of Liberty Works to Sheffield Hallam University and the overall walkability to either destination. I like how Sheffield Hallam University's main entrance just flows down to the station. I also really like the open shopping mall feel of the streets in town. I have spend a fair bit of time in the Fargate shopping area and I would like to eventually visit the Meadowhall shopping centre.

I haven't really got any major dislikes about Sheffield as yet, but I have noticed with all the walking we've been doing, the pedestrian crossings are not as clear as the white stripy ones in Australia and the green man is often not very visible or in an odd spot and often doesn't make any noise to let you know when it is safe to cross.

Sheffield Hallam Uni students Louise and Naomi took a group of us around Sheffield to show us some popular pubs. It was a great opportunity to experience a social aspect of Sheffield's youth. The first one we went to was the graduate on Surrey Street which was very similar to an Australian pub. The second pub we went to was Bungalows and Bears on Division Street. I really liked this one as it had a really cool atmosphere.

Visiting the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet was like taking a step back in time, especially with all the school children running around all dressed up in old fashioned clothing! It was a great opportunity to see the equipment and machinery that was part of the steel making process.

 

It was really interesting to finally get to see Park Hill after reading about it multiple times in the readings for the review essay. I thought that what urban splash is doing is really positive and the way they are going about the development is good.  Keeping a mix of apartment types and allowing for the possible development for retail and commercial space in the ground and lower levels and updating the exterior, all meanwhile keeping the essential characteristics of the original flats. I hope that the negative connotations that used to be associated with Park Hill prevents the success of the redevelopment and that people will see that it is a really great affordable housing option in a great location.
- Alice Crellin (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)