University News Last updated 09 August 2024
Students at 探花直播 (BCU) have been praised by the Mayor of West Midlands for their ambitious ideas to turn the iconic Number 11 bus route into a tourist attraction as well as a vehicle to promote cultural pride and economic growth in the region.听听
鈥淭he Number 11 has been serving all corners of 探花直播 for almost 100 years,鈥� said Richard Parker, who, as Mayor, is head of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).听听
鈥淚t is an institution and rightly regarded with great affection among the communities it serves.听听
鈥淭hese students understand that public transport is about so much more than just vehicles, timetables and routes. It is about forging better connections between our people and communities, expanding horizons and opening up new opportunities.听听
鈥淭hey can look forward to amazing careers helping to shape the towns and cities of the future.鈥澨�
Architecture and landscape architecture students came up with a number of ideas to link the Number 11 route to 探花直播鈥檚 culture, communities, and environment, with one team suggesting using the route to showcase the hundreds of languages spoken across the city. 听
Another explored how the bus route could be used to promote physical and mental wellbeing.听听
Kathryn Moore, Professor of Landscape Architecture at BCU, said: 鈥淪tudents have developed proposals that will, by reconnecting people with their territory, help celebrate cultural identify, evoke pride and instil self-confidence across the region. 听
鈥淭he ambition for the Number 11 bus route 鈥� in addition to being a vital public transport route 鈥� is for it to become a significant tourist attraction, a catalyst for local economic growth and to support the region鈥檚 diverse communities.鈥澨�
Architecture student Milca Gennuso added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be a voice for the diverse communities in 探花直播, as well as promoting use of the bus to attend events in and around Erdington Library Plaza.听听
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why my ideas included cultural landmarks and arches to lead people to the library. I want the route to be aesthetic and create simple, happy moments in everyday life.鈥澨�
The research project is part of BCU鈥檚 (WMNP) lab, which aims to rediscover the vast, hidden, and sometimes overlooked landscape of the West Midlands.听
The students鈥� recommendations for the route are on display at a new exhibition Number 11: Know Your Place at The Library of 探花直播, which will run until October 2024.听
Visit the free exhibition to discover more about the places of interest along the route and see photos of passers-by captured by Ming de Nasty and Stan鈥檚 Caf茅 Theatre Company.听听