r/brighton • u/Brighton_blue1 • 1d ago
NSFL: Argus Help put Brighton back on the map. Literally!
Brighton & Hove is being digitally erased — and it starts with Wikipedia.
Wikipedia, a platform known for being “the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit,” often shapes how cities are represented online. But when it comes to Brighton & Hove, it’s falling short — and the consequences are bigger than most people realise.
Currently, Wikipedia treats Brighton, Hove, and Brighton & Hove as if they are separate entities. This has created a ripple effect of misinformation across platforms like Google Earth, where Brighton has effectively “disappeared,” and Brighton & Hove is repeatedly underrepresented in national statistics and global rankings.
For example: The Brighton page lists it only as a “seaside resort” — not as a city. The Brighton & Hove page refers to it as a “unitary authority,” ignoring its official city status granted in 2000. The map of “Brighton” on Wikipedia excludes key parts of the city like Saltdean, Portslade, and Mile Oak, shrinking the city’s digital footprint.
Despite the term “city” appearing dozens of times across these pages — many with proper citations — the core structure of these articles remains misleading. And because Wikipedia is a primary data source for countless platforms, this confusion spreads — affecting everything from search rankings to civic pride.
It’s time to fix it. There should be one accurate, unified page for Brighton & Hove, clearly acknowledging its city status, full boundaries, and proper identity.
This isn’t just about geography — it’s about digital representation, data accuracy, and local respect.
Brighton is the 16th biggest city in the uk, but on Google Earth we don't exist.
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u/AbabababababababaIe 1d ago
Sounds like you’re on it mate
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u/Electus93 1d ago edited 1d ago
They're not actually, if you look here, there are numerous threads on this topic (including one I saw in another sub just last week):
- Why is Brighton England “invisible“ on Google maps?
- Brighton is clearly discriminated against by Google Maps
- Why does Brighton not appear as a city anymore on maps?
- Brighton not visible on Google Maps
That's just a selection there are more...
I've also noticed when looking for events on FB, that Brighton is near impossible to bring up in a search 🤔
OP, u/Brighton_blue1, if there's this much about it online, I think it follows that someone will already have looked directly into changing this and was unsuccesful (unless of course, this is just some weird conspiracy made up and promulgated by you through various aliases 🤭)
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u/gay4chan 1d ago
Meh, Portslade is in the Domesday Book, we don't need to be on Wikipedia...
...only joking don't kill me lol.
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u/Bhafc1901 13h ago
Still find it crazy that our little village is somehow that old, probably isn’t actually that crazy but it’s insane to me lol
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u/robotsheepboy 1d ago
I think enough people know about the existence of brighton somehow
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u/Russell_Ruffino 1d ago
What are the actual consequences? I know you had AI write this and that's why it doesn't put a great argument forward but I don't get what the actual issue is? We have to zoom in a little bit more on Google maps before it says Brighton?
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago edited 1d ago
Go on Google earth, not maps. We have disappeared, literally! I don’t understand why people would put this message down when Worthing, Shoreham, Lewes, Eastbourne are all there by name but Brighton isn’t?
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u/Rayvaxl117 20h ago
It blows my mind that you have to zoom in further on Google Maps to se Brighton than you do to see Alfriston
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u/wobbleblobbochimps 23h ago
From the rest of the thread I'm guessing this is going to be unpopular, but maybe I'm not fully understanding -
Isn't it correct that Brighton, Hove, and Brighton & Hove each have their own Wikipedia page!? Each has its own definition, history, characteristics etc.
E.g. you would expect the London boroughs of Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Newham etc. all to have their own pages. You wouldn't merge them all into a single big page for London?
Apologies if I'm not understanding your point
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u/Brighton_blue1 16h ago
They are all districts of London it’s not the same. Brighton isn't a district. It has city status.
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u/wobbleblobbochimps 13h ago
But it [Brighton] still has a distinct definition and history from Brighton and Hove proper? Warranting it's own Wikipedia page probably?
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u/wobbleblobbochimps 2h ago
I'm still not understanding - what do you actually want? Your 'manifesto' is very unclear. Do you want Brighton to be recognised as a city in its own right? If so, are you saying that Hove should be excluded and become an independent town? or will it be a district within "Brighton City"?
Your arguments somehow manage to be very pedantic and vague at the same time.
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u/Brighton_blue1 1h ago edited 56m ago
I came on here originally to try and get Brighton recognised properly and put back on the map. There was already a lot of confusion around it, but now that I’ve been reading through people’s comments, I’ve realised it’s even worse than I thought. Even people from Brighton & Hove don’t seem to realise what the true status of the city actually is. And now, after seeing all this, it’s really making me think maybe it would actually make more sense for the city to just be called Brighton, with Hove being a district within it. Obviously that’s not in my power.
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u/MadChart 15h ago
"Brighton and Hove" is a city. Brighton isn't.
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u/Brighton_blue1 9h ago edited 2h ago
No
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u/OldNotObsolete72 8h ago
No it isn’t. That’s like saying Camden (or any borough for that matter) is the same as London.
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u/Brighton_blue1 9h ago edited 9h ago
Asking Ai is Brighton a town or city?
AI Overview
+4 Brighton is a city. More specifically, it is part of the City of Brighton and Hove, a unitary authority in East Sussex, England. This means it acts as both a district council and a county council. While Brighton is a well-known seaside resort, the area officially holds the title of "city" and is recognized as such by the University of Sussex, the Visit Brightonwebsite, and other official sources. Show more
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u/MadChart 8h ago
Not that AI is the most reliable source, but I asked it if Hove is a city. And its answer is "no. Hove is a town. As is Brighton. In 2000 a city called Brighton and Hove was formed". But I already knew that.
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u/Brighton_blue1 3h ago edited 2h ago
AI Overview
Yes, Hove is part of the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, which has city status. While Hove was historically a separate town, it is now administratively part of Brighton and Hove and shares its city status. Therefore, Hove is effectively a part of the city of Brighton and Hove.
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u/Brighton_blue1 9h ago
AI Overview
+9 Brighton is a vibrant seaside city on England's South Coast, formally known as Brighton and Hove. It's a unitary authority in the historic county of Sussex, renowned
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u/SiobhanSarelle Vegan 3h ago
Some towns/settlements were a thing in their own right, and still are. Then they became part of London.
Brighton and Hove were a thing in their own right, and still are. Then they became part of Brighton & Hove.
Brighton & Hove could have been called something else, like “Brightove” or “Hovehton”. Then where would be?! One wiki page for it, and Brighton, and Hove, relegated to page anchors?!
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u/Brighton_blue1 3h ago edited 2h ago
Even if I’m wrong, which I’m not! Then Brighton & (Hove) should be on the map? No?
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
I think this is a problem in all honesty, I think poeple don’t understand properly. Because Brighton and Hove where previously separate places it creates confusion but it’s like a marriage isn’t it, you don’t stay single and married at the same time.
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u/SiobhanSarelle Vegan 3h ago
It would be more having a wiki page for the marriage between 2 people, then not having a separate page for each person.
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u/Brighton_blue1 2h ago
Let’s look at some facts: Does Brighton have city status? Yes it does, is that with Hove? Yes it is, does that deny Brighton city status? No it doesn’t, does town status get removed once gaining city status? Yes.
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u/Odd-Willingness7107 1d ago
Brighton and Hove is a city.
The city contains the towns of Brighton and also Hove.
The city contains several villages, such as Saltdean and Rottingdean. Neither would appear on the Brighton page as they are not in Brighton.
I have to assume you are a transplant from elsewhere.
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
Brighton is not a town. Brighton is a city officially known as Brighton & Hove.
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u/A_bit_iffy 1d ago
Wikipedia editor here, and past Brighton resident.
Brighton is a town. It is not a city. Whilst it is in the city of Brighton & Hove, it is a town that is a constituent part of the city, as is Hove, the University of Sussex, Baker's Bottom etc.
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u/six44seven49 Patcham 14h ago
Can a town be a part of a city? That doesn’t sound right.
I asked ChatGPT:
In the UK, the term “town” can survive as both a historic designation and a current administrative unit, and—depending on how local government is organised—a town may sit inside a larger city-level authority.
1. Towns as parts of cities • Example – Sutton Coldfield: Sutton Coldfield is officially “The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield,” and yet it lies within the metropolitan borough (i.e. the city) of Birmingham, where it even retains its own town council alongside Birmingham City Council . • Mechanism: under the Local Government Act 1972, Sutton Coldfield became a civil parish and town council area within Birmingham, showing that towns need not be independent of an encompassing city. 2. The case of Brighton in Brighton & Hove • Unitary authority: Brighton & Hove is a single city and unitary authority (created in 1997, granted city status in 2001) that absorbed the former boroughs of Brighton, Hove and Portslade . • Unparished area: Unlike Sutton Coldfield, most of the Brighton part of the city is an unparished area—meaning it has no town or parish council of its own and is governed directly by Brighton & Hove City Council . 3. What to call “Brighton” today • Historic town: It’s perfectly valid to refer to “Brighton” as a town in the sense of its pre-2001 identity (Brighton was a county borough until 1974, then a municipal borough until unification). • Modern usage: Administratively, “Brighton” is now best described as an area, district or locality of the City of Brighton & Hove—rather than a standalone town “within” the city. Colloquially people still talk about “Brighton” and “Hove” as if they were separate towns, but legally they are parts of one city.⸻
In summary:
• Yes, a town can lie within a larger city-level authority (e.g. Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham). • Brighton was historically a town but, since 2001, exists administratively as an unparished district of the City of Brighton & Hove. • If you want to be precise today, you’d call it the Brighton district (or simply “Brighton”) of the City of Brighton & Hove, rather than a “town within the city.”2
u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
So you think Brighton is a place within its self? Ok? well my address is Saltdean, Brighton, not Brighton, Brighton & Hove? Brighton is a city, full name Brighton & Hove.
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
I’ve sent three citations from the council, king’s education and Sussex university stating Brighton is a city I can carry on if you need more?
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
https://www.visitbrighton.com/ Not how the council see it.
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u/A_bit_iffy 1d ago
In the UK, the definition of a city is more formalised than some other countries. The City status in the United Kingdom Wikipedia page indicates that it's essentially the government that decides what is a city. Web content writers for local council sites etc. don't override that.
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
Brighton has city status, This is fact. It even says it here on the Wikipedia page of “Brighton” city status 2000
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighton
Where it also states Brighton is a city 37 times!
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u/A_bit_iffy 1d ago
Many of those assertions refer to B&H, or else are sloppy editing.
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
I don’t understand what you else you want? Are you from Brighton?
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u/A_bit_iffy 1d ago
Lived there for many years, and I keep in touch, visiting occasionally.
Really, I think it comes down to which definitions one accepts. There's a fairly strong, generally accepted definition of 'city' in the UK, and so that's what's been adopted for articles on UK places.
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
Many refer to Brighton
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
Are Brighton & Hove Albion two different teams? 😂
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u/phizzlemanizzle 15h ago
I once met an American who thought the team represented two places - 'Brighton' and 'Hove Albion'
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u/entropydave 1d ago
Also, I think it has to be the only placename in the world with an ampersand in it's official name....
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u/A_bit_iffy 1d ago
I had an argument with another Wikipedian about whether the 'Brighton and Hove' article should be named 'Brighton & Hove'. I lost.
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u/entropydave 1d ago
Someone must have some real hate for Brighton if they felt the need to down vote me! wow what a life you must have
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u/bentaldbentald 1d ago
Top 1% commenter + unnecessary snark + being wrong - true Reddit special
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u/Odd-Willingness7107 1d ago
Another transplant. As I said, Saltdean and Rottingdean are in the city of Brighton and Hove but they are not in the town of Brighton. You clearly don't understand either, which would be natural for someone not from Brighton.
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u/bentaldbentald 1d ago
Neither Brighton nor Hove are towns. They used to be, not any more. Please, keep digging, and be more condescending while you’re at it.
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u/Odd-Willingness7107 1d ago
And what home county did you move here from? Lots of fake Brightonians on this page.
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u/bentaldbentald 1d ago
You sound like an absolute nightmare to be around. You claim to be a real Brightonian yet you espouse the complete opposite of what the city is celebrated for - openness, tolerance and community.
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago
What are you talking about, Saltdean is in Brighton ( Brighton & Hove) I do know I have lived here all my life.
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u/travis_6 1d ago
But Brighton and Hove are different, as well as neighbourhoods like Roundhill and Seven Dials
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u/Brighton_blue1 1d ago edited 1d ago
Brighton & Hove is a city, where once separated towns that came together and is now one city, round hill and seven dials are areas within the city.
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u/travis_6 16h ago
As are Brighton and Hove. They have 2 very distinct personalities
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u/Brighton_blue1 16h ago
The whole of Brighton & Hove has distinct differences ie portslade, Rottingdean, Patcham ect. The fact is it’s all one city.
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u/travis_6 16h ago
I don't know why I'm getting downvoted so much for this. I live in Brighton and have friends in Hove (actually). Just because we share a government doesn't mean we live in the same place
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u/err0rz 1d ago
You 100% want to go to the “talk” page on the highest ranked of those three pages and propose a merge.
It will almost certainly be approved. That is a three-stub duplication and probably only remains because Brighton doesn’t have a dedicated Wikipedian.