Herbert Manzoni

This position put him in charge of all municipal works and his influence on the city, especially following World War II, completely changed the image of Birmingham.

In 1941, Manzoni anticipated the damage that would be caused by the Birmingham Blitz and, in October 1941, announced the creation of four advisory panels within the council to focus upon Housing, Traffic, Redevelopment Areas and Limitation of the city.

[5] Manzoni took advantage of the Housing Act of 1936 to designate 267 acres (1.08 km2) of land in Duddeston and Nechells as a redevelopment area.

Manzoni's most famous utterance on the city's architecture neatly encapsulates his attitudes:[7] I have never been very certain as to the value of tangible links with the past.

Its replacement should be an improvement... As for future generations, I think they will be better occupied in applying their thoughts and energies to forging ahead, rather than looking backward.An urban motorway system was also launched by Manzoni.

According to urban designer Nick Corbett, planners started realising from the 1980s that the Queensway "was stifling growth as well as having a rather brutal appearance.

"[9] In February 1960, Manzoni was elected president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a position he served in for 21 months instead of the customary year-long tenure due to the untimely death of his predecessor Arthur Hartley.

The controversial 1974 Birmingham Central Library (now demolished) by John Madin Design Group which replaced a Victorian building on an adjacent site.
Manzoni's plan for Birmingham's inner ring road, from the Birmingham Corporation Inner Ring Road Key Plan (1946). This was largely built as proposed, albeit without the central axis along Colmore Row.
Manzoni's name on the list of Institution of Civil Engineers presidents, at their One Great George Street headquarters