What is "sharrow"

n. a shared lane marking on a lane of a paved road's surface indicating that bicyclists may use any portion of the full width of the lane.

Sharrow is a district of Sheffield directly south west of Sheffield city centre. The district falls in the Broomhill ward of the City.

Typically of British inner cities, Sharrow Ward's back to back terraced housing in Little Sheffield was redeveloped in the 1970s to provide modern, high density accommodation for the area's working class population. In equally typical fashion, cultural, economic and social tensions contributed to a general decline of the district during the 1980s.

However, concomitant with the economic resurgence of Sheffield in the late 1990s, Sharrow has benefited from considerable inward investment both in improved housing stock and through development of important local initiatives such as the small business enterprise unit at Sheffield United F.C.'s Bramall Lane ground in nearby Highfield.

Until June 2004 Sharrow was also the name given to one of Sheffield's electoral wards which included Sharrow proper and a number of surrounding districts. This diverse ward, with a higher than average ethnic population, contained 17,897 people in the 2001 UK Census subdivided as follows:

• White: 69.0%
• Asian: 16.3%
• Black: 7.5%
• Chinese or other: 4.2%
• Mixed: 3.0%

This diversity is celebrated by some with the Sharrow Festival, a multi-cultural, multi-arts event showcasing local talent and fostering a spirit of pride in the local community. The annual Sharrow Lantern Carnival is the other cultural highlight in the area, and is held in April.

Sharrow is now part of the Sheffield Central ward.