ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

The centre of Manchester is a mix of old and new; 19th century grandeur brushes shoulders with modern-day retail cathedrals. It's rather as if a Victorian lady has loosened her stays, let down her hair and is wearing the latest Jimmy Choo sandals. And it's a look that really works.

Manchester's evolution from large run-down northern town to a European city is well and truly underway. Market Street, King Street and St Anne's Square put London's now tacky Oxford Street in the shade. In the most recent Retail Ranking Analysis produced by researcher Experian, every retail centre in the UK is allocated a 'vitality' index. This is based on a number of key performance indicators such as floorspace, number of major multiples, and quality retailers. This year Manchester is the biggest gainer in the top ten, rising five places to number five in the retail super-league.

Leader of Manchester City Council, Richard Leese CBE has been instrumental in helping his city to achieve this change. On the day he met with BSj, Leese was celebrating another successful international event – 55 000 Italian football fans descending on the city (planes landing every minute at Manchester Airport) and not a single arrest. Following from the highly praised Commonwealth Games, Leese has every right to feel that Manchester is on track.

"We have a vision of Manchester as an international city. We have a very clear vision of the world in which we operate – and what Manchester needs to do to be successful in that world. We want, and need, Manchester to be a city of international significance," explains Leese.

Many people see the 1996 IRA bombing of the city centre as the catalyst for rebirth. But Leese says that planning began well before that: "The revitalisation of the city probably dates back to the late 1980s. Some of our major projects, such as what is now the MEN Arena, predated '96. The roots are there. That year caused some changes of direction, and created some opportunities that allowed us to do things in a different way. But bomb, or no bomb, we would have created significant changes."

There is no getting around the significance of what happened in 1996. Over 200 people injured and 4000 m2 of city centre retail space destroyed. The first phase of rebuilding started effectively with the clean up operation. "Six to seven hundred businesses were relocated and operating again very quickly." Repairs were made to the Corn Exchange ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, which had 1 000 windows shattered. And the decision was taken to rebuild the Marks & Spencer store which reopened in 1999 and is the largest M&S in the world. The unusual pedestrian bridge linking the store with the Arndale Centre is now a landmark for Corporation Street.

But Leese says that this is also the point at which the Council took the opportunity to make major improvements. "We decided that we weren't just going to rebuild what was there. We were going to use it as an opportunity to redesign the centre of the city; to correct some of the planning disasters of the 1960's and 70's. What we would have was better than what we started with."

The major problems with the city centre were quickly identified. Firstly there were what Leese describes as "north-south blockages"; traffic flow was disrupted. The Arndale centre also needed a rethink. Leese says that the city had lost some of its heritage to modern architecture: "What was left of medieval Manchester – Chethams and the Cathedral – couldn't be appreciated. Also, the Victorians had put their buildings with backs to the river, which is something we wanted to change. We wanted to reintroduce the river to the city."

A pedestrian route was created through the Shambles, linking St Anne's Square and the Cathedral. Two of the city's oldest and most famous pubs (Sinclair's Oyster House, and Old Wellington Inn) were even dismantled and rebuilt in more salubrious surroundings!

The central vision of putting Manchester on the international stage meant that no corners could be cut. "The quality of the built environment is part of that vision. We don't want to look second class – it's not a message we can afford to deliver," says Leese.

One of the most significant developments was the new stadium for the Commonwealth Games. This was regarded as more than a one-off event. "The Games weren't an event. It was all part of the regeneration strategy for the city as a whole, particularly for East Manchester. The local benefit side was built in." Now the stadium is home to Manchester City football club.

When asked what lessons London could learn for its Olympic bid from the Commonwealth Games' success, Leese is very clear. "For all the facilities that we built for the Games, we knew what we were going to do with them afterwards. We wouldn't have built them unless we had known what to do with them!" He cites the example of the £1 million bowls centre. "We knew it was going to become a major facility. Local people even formed a new club. Everything has a post-Games use."

The city has seen massive investment. Private money has been largely responsible for the new look. Leese explains that the Council's biggest expenditure was on transport, and completion of the inner ring road. That cost £85 million. Private sector money amounts to around £500 million.

But the task is far from over. There are still areas of Manchester which make tv's Coronation Street look like Buckingham Palace. Now local people have seen what can be achieved, and there is buy-in from residents who want improvements to continue. Again, Leese is determined that Manchester should not rest on its laurels.

Manchester isn't bidding for the Olympic Games (a decision made by the British Olympic Committee, not the city itself), and this is a disappointment for Leese. He probably wouldn't admit it out loud, but it's fairly obvious that he feels Manchester would be better at it than London!

That said, Leese has other plans for development. "Looking to the future, we see Manchester becoming a 'Knowledge Capital'. Information will be the common currency of the future." Leese says that with UMIST and Manchester University, the city is well placed to be a greenhouse for the growing biosciences industry. There's also an idea to link the city via wireless based broadband. "We call the area to the south east of the city centre the arc of opportunity. There is much we can achieve," says Leese.