ITC Discussion Evening 5th October 6:15pm
On behalf of the Independent Transport Commission I am writing to invite you to our Autumn Discussion Evening on 5th October 2011, hosted at the Alan Baxter Gallery in Farringdon, London. Your details were passed to me by John Worthington, one of our Commissioners, who believed you might be interested. We will be debating the consequences of High Speed Rail for our cities and regional infrastructure, and the evening will be an opportunity for experts to address these critical issues in a sociable setting. Our expert panel will be chaired by Nigel Hugill, Chairman of the Centre for Cities, and guest speakers will include the acclaimed urbanist Professor Sir Peter Hall, Dr Henry Overman of the LSE, and Jonathan Bray from the Passenger Transport Executive Group.
As you are aware, the British Government has recently announced plans to launch a High Speed rail network linking London and Northern England, at an estimated total cost of £34 billion. Much debate has focused on the costs of the scheme, and yet these new links connecting our cities also invite a raft of new questions regarding Britain’s urban infrastructure. Will High Speed Rail create a new Mega-City Region extending from Manchester to London? To what extent will these links enhance London’s economic dominance? And what of those regions and cities bypassed by High Speed Rail – how will their connectivity and growth be affected? We will cover all these questions and invite you to join us and share your ideas.
The evening will begin with drinks at 6:15 for a 6:30pm start. Following the discussion you are invited to stay for a complimentary buffet supper and wine from 8:15pm to 9:00pm. Please see the attached invitation and map for further details, and RSVP by 26th September to me at matthew.niblett@keble.oxon.org.
We would be delighted if you were able to join us to explore this important debate.
kind regards
Matthew Niblett
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Dr Matthew Niblett
Secretary
Independent Transport Commission
Keble College, Oxford, OX1 3PG
http://www.theitc.org.uk
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