Sir - I would like to congratulate Robin Dallaway for capturing the essence of the cultural, recreational, environmental and economic case for a piazza in Worcester located in the Cornmarket area (Worcester News, 26 February). I hope it will inspire others who have enjoyed such developments around the country and abroad to give the idea some momentum.

Old cities such as York, for example, have taken up urban renewal projects to accommodate modern living without destroying their heritage and historical buildings, and have been very successful and popular. In London, a 75,000sq ft square (Kings Cross Square) has been designed and built where there could have been buildings instead. In Copenhagen, 30 years of continuous urban renewal has seen miles of pedestrianisation created and superb transit systems by road and rail built above and below ground as well as integrating an exclusive infrastructure enabling over 25% of daily commuters to use bicycles in safety.

In the current climate of austerity, there is a sense of public services and civic pride being in decline. Worcester City Council would like to sell the Cornmarket to a developer to ease financial pressures and that is understandable. However, if we allow the city to grow piecemeal without a vision, it may yield a few developers’ cheques but lose us something more precious in the end.

Peter Nielsen

Worcester