The second city of the UK, the birthplace of the civic gospel philosophy, which once led the world in enlightened municipal governance, seems to have all but forgotten what makes a place thrive, and is now carelessly risking the future of its cultural assets. Birmingham is the canary in the coal mine, showing us where many local authorities might be headed. Lacking strong leadership, pressured by funding formulas and housing targets, cities like Birmingham are demonstrating an increasing willingness to disregard their culture and heritage in a desperate bid for short term survival that prioritises investment at almost any cost.

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