Urban Communication in Leeds

Had a great time at the Urban Communication Conference in Leeds that preceded the ICA conference in London.  For several reasons.

First, Leeds is a walkable, historic city with a marvelous city market reminescent of the West Side Market in Cleveland, though it's much bigger. 

Second, the conference itself at the University of Leeds drew a good group, including the venerable Jay Blumler, who spent some time with Michael Gurevitch at Cleveland State back in the days when I was a young faculty member.  We had a couple of fine chats, and I attended his session, where he did a "fight song" for the conference that was quite amusing.

Third, I learned that there's local and there's local when it comes to beer.  I was told that most of the pubs serve the top dozen or two of popular brews in England, or parts there of, but it I wanted to get really local beer, meaning that brewed in the city of Leeds itself, I had to visit one of two spots.  Following my inclinations to support local businesses, I found the Brew Spot,, I believe that was it was called, in a two-story old brick building near the train station.  Some 20 somethings were brewing several beers and had a regular following.

Fourth, Leeds is not only walkable but it's a city of arcades, beautiful links between streets from which traffic had been evicted and full of a diverse set of shops, including some fairly high end ones in the Victorian Arcade.

Time for some photos to document the event and the city.

the conference at the University of Leeds

 

Jay Blumler, 89, who makes this ol' 68 year old feel young and still able to think about an active future.

 

a couple of phtos of the Leed City Market, including a taste of Yorkshire.

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord Mayor of Leeds welcomed us to the city in the historic city "hall," inviting some members of the Urban Communication Foundation board into the room that the Queen occupies when she comes to town.  And finallly, we have a picture of the Mayor of Leeds with the Communicative City Mayor Gary Gumpert.

 

 

finally, I have to show a couple photos of the incredible arcades that connect the walkable streets, and all of them are full of retailers of one sort or another.