University News Last updated 17 August 2010
September marks the 70th anniversary of the London Blitz, when substantial parts of the city were bombed, many people were evacuated, and much replanning and rebuilding was needed. To mark this, an innovative multi-disciplinary conference "The Blitz and its Legacy" is being held in London on 3-4 September organised by Dr Mark Clapson (University of Westminster) and Professor Peter Larkham (Centre for Environment and Social Research, Birmingham City University).
This brings together diverse fields including history, planning, architecture, cultural studies and media studies. It has a London focus but also draws comparisons from experiences of war and reconstruction in France, Germany and Japan. The audience is also more than just academic: it brings people from public groups such as the London Topographical Society and the Ancient Monuments Society.
Peter Larkham said: "This is a serious occasion because it marks a tragedy, but it also commemorates tremendous effort in reconstructing damaged cities. It shows the growth in interest in many countries and in both academic and professional disciplines. And the lessons are still relevant today as we still need to recover from natural and other disasters".