From Satanic Mills to Joy Division: Can Manchester Reshape the Spaces We Call Home?
Dr Adam North presents some practical approaches to making Manchester a more liveable and enjoyable city for everyone.
In the upcoming episode of The Northern Rose podcast, we discuss how people in the UK — and beyond — are feeling increasingly disempowered: nationally, in the workplace, and in their communities. In this article, I want to explore how Manchester could help shift that feeling by rethinking the spaces we live and work in — and, in doing so, help people feel included, connected, and empowered.
Introduction
Manchester is no stranger to reinvention. It was the engine room of the Industrial Revolution, the birthplace of the modern computer and The Guardian, and a global symbol of music, protest, and cultural creativity.
But today, in the face of a cost-of-living crisis, a mental health emergency (which we discussed with Dr John Mulligan), and the climate crisis, cities are being forced to rethink not just what they do — but how they’re built.
The challenge is not just technological or economic. It’s structural, social, and spatial. And Manchester, with its radical roots, civic ambition, and human scale, could be the place to lead the way.
This isn’t about smart-city gimmicks or futuristic skyscrapers. It’s about creating places that make daily life more humane, connected, and joyful.
Housing That Builds Community, Not Just Property Portfolios
Too much of the UK’s housing system is built around profit, not people. In Manchester, speculative development and luxury flats risk displacing the very communities that give the city its character.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Manchester has the potential to pioneer new housing models:
Co-housing and community-led developments that prioritise shared spaces and social connection.
Council-built, mixed-income housing designed for long-term affordability.
Zoning that encourages density with dignity — Urban planning that prioritises “livable density”, where you can walk from your home to work, to a green space, and the shop in minutes. A place where people actually want to live.
Rent controls that ensure people aren’t priced out of the communities they’ve built.
A home shouldn’t be a speculative asset. It should be a foundation for life — and a basic right. And we shouldn’t be building towers of anonymous tenants. We should be creating neighbourhoods where people know their neighbours and feel like they belong.
Workspaces That Support Life, Not Just Labour
The way we work is changing and so the spaces we work in need to follow. I have discussed how we could change the systems of organised labour previously for the Rose, but it is important to think about the spaces in which work occurs.
Post-pandemic, people want flexibility, collaboration, and autonomy. Manchester’s growing tech and creative sectors offer the right context — but too many workspaces still feel like relics of an old system.
Imagine:
· Neighbourhood-based co-working hubs that are affordable, walkable, and rooted in the local community.
· Hybrid-friendly offices that feel more like collaborative spaces or studios than traditional workplaces.
· Civic buildings with shared resources like childcare, creative spaces, and digital labs that support lifelong learning and innovation. Retraining and re-entering education should not be an obstacle.
The goal isn't just productivity — it’s wellbeing, connection, and the freedom to shape your own life.
Public Space as Collective Living Room
Great cities aren’t just defined by their buildings — but by the spaces in between them. The pavements, parks, courtyards, and squares where strangers become neighbours and cities become communities. Scandinavian cities may lead the way at the moment, but they offer great templates for what we can do with our city.
Manchester could lead a transformation in how we conceive and use public space — moving beyond token greenery to something more ambitious and alive.
Imagine:
Car-free city centres where kids can play and communities can gather.
Covered markets and courtyards designed for year-round life — even in the rain.
Parks with plenty of seating, water fountains, and shade — not just green space, but social space.
Public space is where strangers become neighbours. It’s where cities become communities. They are pivotal hubs for people to meet and relax.
Structures That Heal the Planet, Not Harm It
The buildings of tomorrow must be part of the climate solution, not the problem. Manchester can lead by example, integrating sustainability into the fabric of its development:
Retrofitting old mills and terraces, not demolishing them — preserving character while reducing carbon.
Mandating green roofs, solar panels, and low-energy design in all new builds.
Creating circular construction economies using local materials and skills. Manchester could become a centre of the green economy and green transition.
Climate resilience should be visible, local, and part of the everyday — not an afterthought.
A City Built for Joy, Not Just Efficiency
Ultimately, the question isn’t just how we live and work — it’s why. What kind of lives do we want to build in cities like Manchester? What kind of spaces support not just survival, but joy?
Some answers might be:
Shared courtyards where you know your neighbours’ names.
Housing that doesn’t bankrupt you or drive out locals.
Work that fits around your life, not the other way around.
Public places that invite you to linger, connect, and belong.
Community groups that give people a place to go and a reason to be.
Manchester’s next revolution might not be industrial or digital. It might be spatial — and deeply human.
And how this is all funded? Well we’ve already answered that question.
Conclusion: Manchester as a Living Blueprint
Manchester has always been a city that builds — and rebuilds — itself. If it chooses to rethink the structures we live and work in, it could once again set a standard for the world.
Not with mega-developments or imported slogans, but with homes you can afford, work you can love, and streets that make you want to stop and say hello.
The question isn’t can Manchester lead this shift — it’s whether we have the will to build it, together.
