Richard Dye
master brummie
I agree Tinpot, in the US the land ownership system is different. What you describe is called eminent domain where the government, state or federal take the land as you described. This for the last 50 years or so has been fought by the populous tooth and nail, mostly winning. What is such a shame is there are alternatives it’s just that the government just want to take the easy path!It's also the where. When I look at the photos of areas of redevelopment what has happened in the city is a redistribution of land use from families to business alongside accommodation of the car with massive road development. This also meant that large tracts of land are simply used for car parking for a lot of single floored warehouses/industrial units.
What I see and read on the Forum is SO much wonderful history, knowledge and beautiful architecture, here in the US because the country is so new (by comparison) it is devastating to see so much destroyed.
I spent so much of my early years on the platforms at Snow Hill, I learned about Brunel, went to the William Murdoch school was in Boulton house etc. I study the Industrial Revolution intensely. Snow Hill and GWR was not just another station, it was WORLD history!