City and Borough of Salford: From Docks to MediaCity in a Generation
Salford occupies the western bank of the Irwell, directly across the river from Manchester city centre. For most of its history, the two were essentially one urban area divided by water — L.S. Lowry painted the matchstick figures of Salford's streets, and the industrial landscape he captured was interchangeable with Manchester's. The docks at Salford Quays, where the Manchester Ship Canal widened into basins for ocean-going cargo vessels, closed in 1982. What happened next was one of the most dramatic urban regenerations in England.
MediaCityUK, built on the former docks, opened in 2011 as the new home for BBC Sport, BBC Breakfast, BBC Children's, BBC Radio 5 Live, and significant parts of ITV's operations. The Lowry theatre and gallery, designed by Michael Wilford and opened in 2000, anchors the cultural offer at the Quays. The Imperial War Museum North, Daniel Libeskind's angular aluminium building on the canal bank, opened in 2002. These institutions, combined with the University of Salford's expansion into the area, turned Salford Quays from dereliction to a destination in twenty years.
Away from the Quays, Salford retains working-class areas of significant deprivation alongside pockets of regeneration. Eccles, Swinton, Walkden, Worsley (where the Bridgewater Canal began in 1761), and Irlam each have their own identity. The population is around 270,000. The Metrolink tram connects the Quays and Eccles to central Manchester, and the extension of the network continues to draw development westward.
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Salford occupies the western bank of the Irwell, directly across the river from Manchester city centre. For most of its history, the two were essentially one urban area divided by water — L.S. Lowry painted the matchstick figures of Salford's streets, and the industrial landscape he captured was interchangeable with Manchester's. The docks at Salford Quays, where the Manchester Ship Canal widened into basins for ocean-going cargo vessels, closed in 1982. What happened next was one of the most dramatic urban regenerations in England.
MediaCityUK, built on the former docks, opened in 2011 as the new home for BBC Sport, BBC Breakfast, BBC Children's, BBC Radio 5 Live, and significant parts of ITV's operations. The Lowry theatre and gallery, designed by Michael Wilford and opened in 2000, anchors the cultural offer at the Quays. The Imperial War Museum North, Daniel Libeskind's angular aluminium building on the canal bank, opened in 2002. These institutions, combined with the University of Salford's expansion into the area, turned Salford Quays from dereliction to a destination in twenty years.
Away from the Quays, Salford retains working-class areas of significant deprivation alongside pockets of regeneration. Eccles, Swinton, Walkden, Worsley (where the Bridgewater Canal began in 1761), and Irlam each have their own identity. The population is around 270,000. The Metrolink tram connects the Quays and Eccles to central Manchester, and the extension of the network continues to draw development westward.
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