Weekend in Liverpool

   

   

   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

  This Friday we left London to explore Liverpool and as soon as we began to explore, the differences between the two cities became abundantly clear. While maintaining most of the urban characteristics we find so favorable in London, Liverpool was smaller and less crowded by people. In addition, there was a slight difference in culture, as Liverpool appeared to be more of a quiet coastal town that expanded to welcome an increasing population. Conversely, London has always been a booming capital of business and cultural diversity. I believe this is also a key reason for the differences in infrastructure that I noticed while I was there. For example, the streets of Liverpool were far cleaner and well taken care of, this is possibly a sign that Liverpool, as it is a smaller city overall, has more resources to allocate towards those kinds of efforts. It is also important to consider how societies view large cities as a whole, for instance, London might not be held to the same standard, as there is a common expectation that large urban areas will be less looked after. Another thing I realized was the rampant use of hostile architecture to ward off the homeless. This again is additional evidence that Liverpool is committed to upholding a clean image. I also saw more police officers actively patrolling in Liverpool in one night than I've seen in the entire two weeks I've been in London. I believe this calls attention to how resources are allocated in urban spaces of different sizes and populations. These things allowed me to reflect on what made the two cities so different, and I came to the conclusion that the main difference is that Liverpool is largely a city that has grown over time to serve the needs of those who live and reside in that area whereas London largely functions as a place people come to primarily for work or entertainment and not a place they call home. This key difference means that safety and how a place is kept and looked after might mean something more to those in Liverpool as they spend most of their time there. I really enjoyed visiting Liverpool, especially meeting the Beatles, and learning a little bit more about what makes London unique from smaller urban areas and lifestyles.  

- Francesca :)