# We know how to celebrate here in the UK **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 16, 2022, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-know-how-to-celebrate-here-in-the-uk/957896 "2022-01-16T17:51:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-know-how-to-celebrate-here-in-the-uk/957896/1 "2022-01-16T17:51:29Z")
…with a large grey car park of course ! > **[Herts town where new £9m car park will be built](https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/new-9m-stevenage-car-park-6485185)** > > The car park will celebrate the town's role in this year's historic Mars landing ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-know-how-to-celebrate-here-in-the-uk/957896/2 "2022-01-16T20:15:02Z")
That sounds silly only if taken out of context. Stevenage faces serious urban problems. Built as the first British ‘New Town’, its centre was a bold and hugely influential piece of urban design. But that design has dated very badly and the centre of the town has been visibly in serious decline in recent decades. Never the most attractive of town centres, it’s now a complete dump. There are however plans for a major redevelopment, the first stages of which have already begun. This car park is part of that plan. What’s more, a big reason why the town’s original design was influential was that it was the first in the world to have a purpose-built pedestrianised town centre. So parking on its periphery has always been important. [There is a good recent book on the subject.](https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/books/id/55139/) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-know-how-to-celebrate-here-in-the-uk/957896/3 "2022-01-16T20:39:13Z")
> [@APB](#): > > So parking on its periphery has always been important. It had plenty of car parks, but they’re building on them ! IMHO, it was fine as it was. (And yes. I live there (or here, as I call it !)) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-know-how-to-celebrate-here-in-the-uk/957896/4 "2023-03-08T18:24:57Z")
Yay ! It’s nearly finished ! > **[New Stevenage Lytton Way multi-storey car park: Your questions answered](https://www.thecomet.net/news/23368141.new-stevenage-station-multi-storey-car-park-questions-answered/)** > > The new multi-storey car park next to Stevenage Railway Station on Lytton Way will be opening this spring and has 622 spaces. > “The car park has been designed with the user experience as a priority,” Stevenage Borough Council said. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-know-how-to-celebrate-here-in-the-uk/957896/5 "2023-03-09T16:25:17Z")
Meanwhile, in other news, [demolition of one of the nearby buildings has begun.](https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/destruction-stevenages-iconic-icon-building-8160808) A pity, as it was one of the more interesting buildings in the town centre.