Bath is one of the most beautiful cities in the world
In 1987 the entire city area was inscribed on the United
Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s
(UNESCO) list of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its
‘outstanding universal values’.
This designation pays tribute to Bath’s cultural and social
history and to a range of features including its thermal springs,
its Roman archaeology and, not least, the harmony of landscape
setting, urban design, architecture and materials which so
successfully reinvented the city in the 18th century.
A study of Bath’s history demonstrates a fascinating pattern of
evolution linked to the city’s ‘raison d’etre’: its three hot
springs and the social and cultural life they have inspired. The
development of Bath is not a story of gradual, organic growth but
one of bold and dramatic cycles of change which transformed the
reputation and physical form of the city centre at peak times in
its history and which were, inevitably, followed by periods of
inertia and decline.
The key catalyst for each major cycle of revitalisation appears
to have been the reinterpretation or reinvention of the hot springs
for health, pleasure and commercial gain. These cycles have defined
and redefined the city’s identity and international reputation over
the centuries and have left us the remarkable legacy of today’s
World Heritage Site.
The premise of the Future for Bath Vision is that for a
concurrence of factors, not least the emerging availability of
large development sites within and adjacent to the city centre,
Bath stands on the threshold of the next major cycle in its
evolution as a city: an opportunity no less significant than the
Georgian transformation.
The vision for the Future for Bath outlined here was initially
prepared by Bath and North East Somerset Council in the summer of
2005. Since that time it has been tested extensively in
presentations to leading stakeholders including representative
community groups, business and cultural forums, residents'
associations, campaigning organisations and government
agencies.
It has been informed by a
panel of national and international experts brought together by
the Council to help guide the future development of the city.
These pages aim to explain some of the principles and values
contained in the Vision and give residents of Bath, the business
community and other stakeholders an opportunity to participate in
the debate and decision-making process about Bath's future.