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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favourite stories for this weekly newsletter.
The author is a former political editor of the FT. His latest book is Made in Manchester: A People's History of the City That Shaped the Modern World.
German critics of liberal capitalism in the 19th century found their own expression for this: the Manchesteror Manchesterism. It referred to the economic liberalism of free traders such as Richard Cobden and John Bright, leaders of the Anti-Corn Law League, which successfully fought for the repeal of Britain's Corn Laws, the import duties that kept the price of bread artificially high.
There was a worldwide fascination with the northern English city, the centre of the cotton industry, which was seen as a model for the world’s industrial future. In the 1840s, anything seemed possible: new ideas, industrial processes, social and political movements. Benjamin Disraeli, the novelist and later prime minister, wrote: “Manchester is as great a human achievement as Athens… Only a philosopher can comprehend the greatness of Manchester and the immensity of its future.”
Today, it is once again in the global spotlight as a test case for the future of urban living. It has recovered from the sharp decline of the late 20th century. Jobs, output and population have grown significantly this century.
The evidence is there: Dozens of skyscrapers have sprung up. There is a heated debate about whether rapid development is destroying the city’s architectural identity and entrenching social inequality. Questions are being asked about whether “Manctopia” or “Manc-hattan” is bringing private sector support to ordinary citizens. Is it simply a playground for developers and wealthy newcomers?
Manchester is no stranger to large-scale, brutalist construction. When industrialist Richard Arkwright built his first cotton mill in 1781, crowds gazed in awe at the tall chimney. The number of cotton mills peaked at 108 in 1853; production moved to nearby towns, and the city became the industry’s financial, marketing and warehousing hub.
No one knew whether these changes would lead to prosperity or famine. Fortunes were made, but while the Industrial Revolution eventually raised living standards, it also created filthy slums and basements, poor health and pollution. The French writer Alexis de Tocqueville called the city “this new Hades.”
Manchester's modern regeneration can be traced back to 1987, when its left-wing council, then led by Graham Stringer, recognised that the private sector was needed to create jobs. Since then, there has been a partnership between the city's political leaders, developers and central government.
The regeneration included prestigious projects focusing on leisure, culture and lifestyle, a path followed by cities such as Barcelona and Bilbao. Manchester unsuccessfully bid to host the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, which brought public funding for sports facilities and laid the groundwork for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The IRA bombing of 1996 triggered a redevelopment that has revitalised the centre.
Whereas in the early 1990s the city centre had a population of just a few hundred, today the number is approaching 100,000. As of August 2022, there were 55 buildings over 20 storeys. If all buildings with planning permission were built, that figure would more than double. Strengths include digital and creative, financial, legal and business services, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, green technology, tourism, global sports brands, media and real estate. It is a key location for foreign companies.
It seems unlikely that Manchester will abandon property-led development. However, major social problems remain, particularly poverty. The city has the second-highest poverty rate of England’s 317 local authorities after Blackpool, according to the government’s 2019 Poverty Indices.
If Manchester can find a way to spread the fruits of regeneration widely, its experience could once again serve as a lesson for other cities around the world.