target the areas in the city centre that had not been developed following World War II, such as the canals. The council worked closely with Argent, a developer, who redeveloped the area around the canals into a mixed use scheme Brindleyplace, which began in 1994 and was completed in early 2009. This development followed the construction of the National Indoor Arena and the International Convention Centre, which were both completed in 1991. Another major part of the plan was to redevelop the skyline of the city. The skyline mainly consisted of postwar office buildings and through the creation of the "High Places" document, the council aimed to encourage highrise development in the city once more. In 2007, a report was commissioned by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Whitby. The result was The Birmingham City Centre Masterplan: The Visioning Study by Professor Michael Parkinson. The Big City Plan was launched in February 2008. Between December 2008 and February 2009 there was an extensive public consultation stage, engaging with citizens in a variety of ways: a website, newspaper supplements, leaflets, posters, a conference, and even an exhibition on a bus that toured inner-city residential districts. Districts Following the removal of the Inner Ring Road, which acted as a 'concrete collar' preventing expansion, the city centre is newly defined as being the area within the Middle Ring Road. The Big City Plan divided the now much bigger city centre into seven districts, each with its own distinct character. City Centre Core Eastside Digbeth Southside and Highgate Westside and Ladywood Jewellery Quarter Gun Quarter City Centre Core Bull Ring A large part of the scheme was the redevelopment of the Bull Ring, which has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held. It has been developed into a shopping centre twice, first in 1964, but its Brutalist architecture became much disliked by the public and the building was seen as a major part of Birmingham's "concrete jungle" image. Realising the need for major changes to the city centre, an alliance of investment and development companies was formed called the Birmingham Alliance who put the finance together to design and construct the new £500 million Bull Ring shopping centre, which was completed in 2003. It is amongst the busiest shopping centres in the United Kingdom with 36.5 million visitors in 2004. It houses one of