Critical Evaluation of Birmingham's Big City Plan Project (Research Paper Sample)

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF A PROJECT: BIRMINGHAM’S BIG CITY PLAN (BCP) PROJECT
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CRITICAL EVALUATION OF A PROJECT: BIRMINGHAM’S BIG CITY PLAN (BCP) PROJECT
Introduction
This critical evaluation of a project will primarily focus on Birmingham’s Big City (BCP) Plan Project, which has been referred to as the most far-reaching, ambitious development project to have ever been undertaken in the United Kingdom. It is worth noting that the fundamental objective of Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project is to develop a unique world-class city centre, involving meticulous development and planning for the subsequent twenty (20) years of transformation. It is also paramount to note that Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project masterplan forms its key element envisioned to deliver transformational change in the Birmingham City centre. Notably, this was to be achieved by bringing Birmingham’s cultural life to the City’s heart, giving pedestrians back their treasured streets, creating improved and new public spaces, and supporting sustainable growth (Birmingham City Council 2022a). The launching of this ambitious Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project was done in February 2008, although it was launched officially on September 29, 2010, as a 20-year city centre master plan. Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project's primary vision has always supported and encouraged Birmingham’s continued transformation to become a unique world-class city centre. Moreover, Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project identified five major development areas that were estimated to be potentially worth Ј10 billion. Importantly, Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project presents numerous project issues, challenges, and opportunities that have continued to affect the project’s success, some that could be mitigated or prevented, as articulated in this critical project evaluation report (Birmingham City Council 2022).


(Birmingham City Council 2022a)
2.0 Scope of the Project
According to Alexander (2020), the scope of a particular project is essential since it greatly assists in achieving a successful project execution because it entails fully comprehending all the project’s key elements. The scope of a project also involves establishing the project’s boundaries and defining the precise project deliverables, deadlines, and goals (Manzoor 2019). Hence, this significantly ensures that the project objectives and goals are fully attained without overwork or delays. Alexander (2020) defines the scope of a project as a detailed outline of all the entire project’s aspects, including all associated project’s boundaries, deliverables, timelines, resources, and activities. Furthermore, the scope of a project also highlights key constraints, assumptions, processes, stakeholders, and details regarding the project's purpose. It also involves developing and writing a project scope statement, an important major document providing all stakeholders with a clear comprehension of the critical reasons the project was initiated and a definition of its key goals. It is paramount to note that many project scope statements contain various elements, including a project SoW (statement of work), constraints, scope exclusions, milestones, final deliverables, acceptance criteria, and final approval (Birmingham City Council 2022).


(Birmingham City Council 2022)
In particular, the scope of Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project involves being a 20-year City Centre Masterplan envisioned to support and encourage Birmingham’s continued transformation to becoming a unique world-class city centre. It is worth noting that Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project is also envisioned to cover each aspect of Birmingham’s built environment, including offering 65,000 square metres of improved and new public spaces (Local Government Association 2013). Others include creating a walkable, efficient, and well-connected City Centre, contributing to the UK’s economy an estimated Ј2.1 billion annually, creating more than 50,000 new jobs, and creating a new floor space of approximately 1.5 million square metres (Holyoak 2019).
On the same note, the scope of Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project also involves identifying five major development areas estimated to be potentially worth Ј10 billion. Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project was also envisioned to improve transport connectivity within the city centre’s seven “quarters” and increase the city core’s size by 25%. Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project also recognises how the population of Birmingham City centre will grow significantly, providing Ј600 million mainly for Eastside City Park that was eventually opened in 2021, a new Library of Birmingham that was eventually opened in September 2013, and New Street station’s redevelopment that was eventually opened for operations in September 2015. Moreover, this population was also supposed to provide over 50,000 new jobs and 5,000 new homes (Holyoak 2019). Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project developed six broad objectives guiding the city centre’s transformation. These six broad objectives include smart city, creative city, knowledge city, authentic city, connected city, liveable city (Local Government Association 2013).


(Birmingham City Council 2022)
On the other hand, Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project identified five transformation areas to deliver new development covering more than 1.5 million. These five transformation areas were also envisioned to enhance Birmingham City’s connectivity and environment and invest in new public spaces and high-quality buildings (Global 2022). These five transformation areas are Westside, New Street Station, Southern Gateway, Eastside, and Snow Hill District. Birmingham’s Big City Plan Project also