eXtended Realities – We Must Learn From the Harsh Lessons of the Past 30 Years
Professor Bob Stone is a Human Factors specialist and a 34-year “veteran” of the international Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality community. In this article, Professor Stone warns that as we are about to enter the fourth XR (eXtended Reality) hype cycle, the West Midlands is perfectly placed to thrive in this space – IF it […]
“The campaign to end the cladding scandal is not party political. It is about doing what is morally right”
In this article, Paula Shalloo (Member of the Steering Committee for Birmingham Leaseholder Action Group ‘BrumLAG’) provides an overview of an emerging national scandal, which is destroying the lives of millions across the country. The situation is complex; the price tag of fixing the properties is astronomical – but how can it be right that […]
Engage men earlier – BEFORE the point of crisis
In recent years, Mental Health and Wellbeing have become much more prominent themes across our lives and broader society, but yet suicide is still the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 . In this article, Julie Bentley (CEO, Samaritans) introduces ‘five key principles’ on which anyone designing, running, or commissioning wellbeing groups for men should consider […]
“Our region has bounced back before – and will do again” – Andy Street (Mayor of the West Midlands)
In his first article for the Centre for the New Midlands, Andy Street (Mayor of the West Midlands) considers how the ‘reclamation of Longbridge’ has the potential to be the tangible reminder that the West Midlands region has bounced back before – and will do so again. “A New Year brings a sense of […]
The ‘Terraced Melting Pot’ – Moving the regional economy forward
In 1996, Paul Baker jointly launched Vector Research, and after 25 years of delivering a suite of work for literally hundreds of clients is ‘hanging up his audio recorder and boxing up the clipboards’. Given that a high proportion of those projects were in the West Midlands, Paul uses this article to reflect on an […]
Making the case for Youth Inclusion in the West Midlands
In this article, Aisha Masood and Chris Burden (Co-Chairs of the West Midlands Young Combined Authority Board) make the case for Youth Inclusion in the West Midlands, to ensure that as we rebuild after Covid-19, the voice of young people is heard. “COVID-19 has ravaged our country, and it looks as if the West Midlands […]
A brief history of house-building: what can we learn?
In the first of a two part series for the Centre for the New Midlands, Dr. Steve McCabe provides a brief history of house-building in the UK and considers what we can we learn from the recent past. The second part of the series will consider the types of radical interventions which could enhance and […]
The West Midlands is perfectly placed to benefit from the phenomenal growth of esports – let’s not miss the opportunity
Significant focus has been placed on the role of construction, manufacturing and the digital environment in ensuring the region rebounds swiftly from the devastation of COVID-19. In this article, Dr Richard Oddy (Subject Group Leader – Sports, Events, Esports and Hospitality at Birmingham City University) gives an insight into the booming esports industry and why the […]
A change in approach from ‘national impositions’ to ’empowered regions’ is urgently needed – and it’s not too late for Government to act
When the Prime Minister announced that England would have to enter into a second national lockdown for four weeks, from 4th November to 2nd December, it was on the understanding that “the restrictions would be eased and regions would go back to the tiered system”. The public and parliamentarians did not expect that this would […]
Green Industrial Revolution – Sound strategy or more sound bites?
On 18th November, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s ‘Ten point plan for a green industrial revolution’, setting out the approach government will take to ‘build back better, support green jobs, and accelerate our path to net zero’. In this article, Cllr Beverley Nielsen considers what is missing from the plan and argues for more […]