Cardiff

Cardiff was created by one family's bet on coal. In the 1790s, the Bute family built the Glamorganshire Canal connecting Cardiff to the mining town of Merthyr Tydfil. In 1839, the 2nd Marquess of Bute opened the first dock. More followed: Bute West Dock, Bute East Dock, Roath Basin, Roath Dock, Queen Alexandra Dock. By 1913, Cardiff was the world's largest coal-exporting port—more than 13 million tons that year alone. The 3rd Marquess became the richest man in the world.

The docks drew workers from everywhere. Tiger Bay—named for fierce tidal currents, not animals—became one of Britain's oldest multicultural communities, with settlers from over 50 nationalities: Norwegian, Somali, Yemeni, Spanish, Italian, Caribbean, Irish. The money flowed into stone: the Butes renovated Cardiff Castle, donated Bute Park and Sophia Gardens, and funded Cathays Park's civic center.

Decline mirrored ascent. Coal exports ceased in 1964. The East Moors Steelworks closed in 1978, eliminating 3,200 jobs. By the early 1980s, Cardiff Bay was derelict mudflats. Then came the Barrage: completed in 1999, it impounded the Taff and Ely rivers to create a 500-acre freshwater lake with eight miles of waterfront. The Senedd—Wales's parliament building—rose on the water's edge. In 1955, Cardiff had won a contested race to become Welsh capital; now it looked like one.

Today, creative industries contribute over 5% of Welsh GDP, growing faster than the overall economy since the pandemic. Creative Wales-supported productions—Sex Education, House of the Dragon, Lost Boys & Fairies—have generated £313 million in economic activity. Wales has more data center capacity than any English region except London.

By 2026, Cardiff will test whether political capital can become economic engine. The Senedd shapes policy; the question is whether the city that once exported coal can now export ideas.