Bradford

The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley and Ilkley. Bradford has a population of 501,700, making it the fourth-most populous metropolitan district and the sixth-most populous local authority district in the UK. It forms part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area conurbation which in 2001 had a population of 1.5 million and the city is part of the Leeds-Bradford Larger Urban Zone (LUZ), the third largest in the UK after London and Manchester.

The city is situated on the edge of the Pennines, and is bounded to the east by the City of Leeds, the south east by the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees and the south west by the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale. The Pendle borough of Lancashire lies to the west, whilst the Craven and Harrogate boroughs of North Yorkshire lie to the north west and north east of the city. Bradford, the urban core is the 11th largest settlement in England, and the contiguous urban area to the north which includes the towns of Shipley and Bingley is also heavily populated. The spa town of Ilkley lies further north, whilst the town of Keighley lies to the west. Roughly two thirds of the district is rural, with an environment varying from moorlands in the north and west, to valleys and floodplains formed by the river systems that flow throughout the district.

Greenest City
In October 2007, Bradford was voted the greenest city in Britain. The city was revealed to have the lowest environmental impact of any British city, in spite of its undeniably large role in the Industrial Revolution.

Contrary to popular belief, Bradford's rivers were not polluted beyond redemption during this period in its history, and the streams surrounding the city are now a veritable haven of wildlife. Bradford also boasts large areas of green space, and has a number of successful recycling schemes in place.

Places, projects and networks

 * Bradford Community Environment Project

thumb|500px|left|[[Towards Sustainable Economies UK]]

Topic links
Education
 * Ecoversity, University of Bradford

Global connections UK

The City of Bradford, and the various towns and villages that make up the Metropolitan District, have Twin Town and Sister City Friendship Agreements with a number of communities throughout the world. Each was originally twinned with a place within the City of Bradford prior to its creation in 1974.

Open spaces

More than half of Bradford’s district is green, open space, stretching over part of the Airedale and Wharfedale Valleys, across the hills and the breathtaking Pennine moorland between. The Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District are both within easy reach.

Reduced dependence on cars UK

Public transport in Bradford is co-ordinated by Metro. Most train services are run by Northern Rail, with longer-distance routes served by National Express East Coast.

Shipley railway station is the hub of the district's railway network, which is served by four lines. The Wharfedale line connects Shipley with Ilkley, Ben Rhydding, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Menston and Baildon railway stations to the north, and Frizinghall and Bradford Forster Square stations to the south. The Airedale line connects the stations at Steeton and Silsden, Keighley, Crossflatts, Bingley, and Saltaire with Shipley, continuing to either Frizinghall and Bradford Forster Square or to Leeds to the east of the district. Both Bradford Forster Square and nearby Bradford Interchange stations are served by the Leeds-Bradford line routes. Bradford Interchange, via the Caldervale line, also connects to stations to the south and west.

There are bus stations in Bradford, Ilkley, Keighley and Shipley. The majority of services are provided by First Bradford and Transdev Keighley & District.

Waterways in the United Kingdom

There are navigable waterways that run through the district. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes through numerous towns and villages in the borough, with the Grade I listed Five Rise Locks at Bingley generally considered to be one of the finest feats of canal engineering in the country. There are also proposals to restore and re-open the Bradford Canal, which closed in 1922, as part of a wider regeneration of the city.

Related topics

 * Light Night
 * Sustainable Cities UK Index 2010

References