Make the UK less London heavy?

[Tsarytsya]

A large part of London’s expansion was public works projects: the Underground allowed urban and suburban expansion into ever more distant rural areas (Metroland being the ur-example of this, but there are greater or lesser examples from most lines), while Bazalgette’s sewer system made greater population density possible without the sanitary problems that had previously meant – and, famously, made allowances for the city’s continued growth in its design.

Curtailing either or both of these projects might not be enough in and of itself to inhibit London’s growth, but it could shape attitudes among the powers that be against aiding said growth.

Could certainly see the underground delayed, -perhaps if the tests failed?. Looks like I could butterfly the changes that caused the cholera epidemics or even just have Bazalgate never be born so that’s another neat addition

 

[Roger II]

You don't even need to go full DC/NYC analogy, a NYC/Chicago analogy is quite sufficient (NYC being the largest city but not quite as ultra-dominant).

 

[Coiler]

The question is what impetus there could be to discourage the development of London as the main financial centre and encourage it to move to Liverpool

A war or crisis forces the government to move north, and they like it there?

 

[fluttersky]

While I’m not really interested in the tall order that is ending London’s political domination the growth of Liverpool economically and physically could be a perfect impetus, who knows if it could overtake London and become a proper New York/DC parallel but it doesn’t need to

spellcheck is weird on here, how on earth does it manage to make lonodn into Komodo

if one adds up the populations of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and nearby towns like Warrington, it already comes to several million people. Have that whole area be seen as part of a greater Merseyside capital region and I'd say it shouldn't be too hard to have it overtake London.

 

[Incognitia]

Building the sewers for current needs rather than planning for future expansion is a great idea - low key at the time, but puts a serious constraint on growth at a later date, which would apply only to London not to other cities.

 

[Ed Costello]

if one adds up the populations of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and nearby towns like Warrington, it already comes to several million people. Have that whole area be seen as part of a greater Merseyside capital region and I'd say it shouldn't be too hard to have it overtake London.

Much as the cultural chauvinist in me is enjoying the push for Scouse primacy, it’s worth noting that Liverpool and Manchester rose to prominence at the same time and long had a bitterly symbiotic relationship (until they went and built that bloody canal). A more dominant Liverpool means a less dominant Manchester, but one could never be subsumed by the other.

Not to say there isn’t scope for mega-Liverpool; one that subsumes Warrington and Wigan in the east, stretches to Preston in the north and Chester (and maybe even Wrexham and the industrial towns of Deeside) in the south… there’s a lot of infill to be done to make that happen, but it can happen.

(sorry for the tangent, but I’ve thought a lot about this over the years)

 

[fluttersky]

Much as the cultural chauvinist in me is enjoying the push for Scouse primacy, it’s worth noting that Liverpool and Manchester rose to prominence at the same time and long had a bitterly symbiotic relationship (until they went and built that bloody canal). A more dominant Liverpool means a less dominant Manchester, but one could never be subsumed by the other.

Not to say there isn’t scope for mega-Liverpool; one that subsumes Warrington and Wigan in the east, stretches to Preston in the north and Chester (and maybe even Wrexham and the industrial towns of Deeside) in the south… there’s a lot of infill to be done to make that happen, but it can happen.

(sorry for the tangent, but I’ve thought a lot about this over the years)

I think in such an event it would be a case of Manchester being included in a larger UK capital region but still retaining its own distinct identity, just as Wigan is in Greater Manchester but is hardly Manchester proper.

 

[Tsarytsya]

Building the sewers for current needs rather than planning for future expansion is a great idea - low key at the time, but puts a serious constraint on growth at a later date, which would apply only to London not to other cities.

could Compound the issues from a later sewage system so that’s a nice addition

I will admit that a Manchester-Liverpool Leviathan wasn’t exactly what I was intended with this but it’s certainly a possibility

 

[IanBertram]

Several things.

1. A rail system less focussed on London - difficult, although better cross-country links would help
2. An Underground type system in Manchester or Birmingham. Both saw a similar pattern of growth to London, with surrounding villages and small towns being swallowed up by outward expansion. Aid this by a good rail network and you boost economic growth.
3. Earlier political reform that creates a Manchester County Council (and/or Liverpool or Leeds/Bradford) along the lines of the LCC.
4. 'Home Rule All Round' leads to strong provincial governments in England (really a variation of 3)
5. Britain retains, somehow, the economic dominance gained by the economies of Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow at the height of Empire.