The maps illustrate how the centre of a town has changed since 1990. Overall, the town centre has become more pedestrian-friendly. Although the general arrangement of the centre has remained unchanged, several facilities have been replaced by new ones.
In 1990, the town used to be at the junction of three roads: Newtown Street, Green Street, and Oldfield Street. While the southern side of Green Street was occupied by two-story houses, the majority of the facilities used to be located to the north of this street. At the centre, there was a block that accommodated a park, a library, and the Town Hall. Another similar-sized block, which was located parallel to this one, housed various facilities: a news agent’s, a grocer’s, a baker’s, a butcher’s, a cafe, and a children centre. To the east of Olfield Street were two banks. The whole city could be navigated by cars.
The current view of the centre reveals significant changes in the use of cars. The space between the two parallel blocks, for instance, has been pedestrianized by installing blockades at both ends. Pedestrian crossings have been introduced to Olfield Street and Green Street. These changes indicate that the centre has become convenient for pedestrians.
Another major change is the demolition of the houses in Green Street to make way for high-rise apartment blocks. While the central block has remained unchanged, the small shops in the northern one have been turned into a large shopping mall. However, the children centre still continues to be a feature of this block to this day. A final change has been the replacement of the bank, which was located opposite to the Town Hall in 1990, into a cafe.