4a Birimingham: a region that has been impacted by structural economic change

Question 1

Where is Birmingham?

Answer 1

A large metropolitan region at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation

Question 2

Population of Birmingham:

Answer 2

In 2014 – 1.1 million residents

Question 3

Describe Birmingham’s technological innovation:

Answer 3

• 1730s saw invention of cotton processing machines, pneumatic tyres, electro-plating
• 1775 Boulton and Watt revolutionised steam engines
• 1896 first medical X-ray
• WWII radar development

Question 4

What proportion of British manufacture exports originate in B’ham?

Answer 4

25%

Question 5

How did B’ham originate?

Answer 5

During Domesday Survey (1086), B’ham was a poor agricultural manor

Question 6

First key players to influence change in Birmingham?

Answer 6

The De Bermingham family purchased a royal charter in 1166 – allowed them to hold a market which resulted in trade

Question 7

Describe Medieval B’ham:

Answer 7

6 streets focused on the parish church and the market

Metal-working was established, supplied by raw materials from Black Country

Question 8

Describe B’ham in 1500’s:

Answer 8

1563 William Camden – ‘swarming with inhabitants and echoing with the noise of anvils’
Power from watermills

Question 9

Population in 1700’s?

Answer 9

15,000 – residents migrated form rural areas for employment

Question 10

Who was a key player in driving industrialisation in 1700s?

Answer 10

Matthew Boulton – entrepreneur and engineer who established first factory in world
‘Soho Manufactory’ employed 700 people

Question 11

Industries present in 19th century:

Answer 11

Gun, jewellery, button and brass industries

Question 12

What large companies were established in 19th century?

Answer 12

1. Cadbury family set up Bourneville factory and model village on southeast outskirts of city
2. Lloyds bank was established in mid-19th century

Question 13

What transport infrastructure opened in 19th century?

Answer 13

Midland terminus of the London to Birmingham Railway opened in 1838

Question 14

What industries developed between 1900 to 1950s + examples

Answer 14

1 Engineering industries and small firms supplying parts:
- Austin car plant in 1906 at Longbridge with Dunlop tyre company in 1916 establishing a large factory employing 10,000 people by 1950s
2 Chemical industry
- Bakelite manufactured in B’ham

Question 15

How did B’ham cope with the Great Depression?

Answer 15

Coped well due to diversity of the metal-working industries

Question 16

What aided economic growth in first half of the 20th century?

Answer 16

Continuous population growth from natural increase in the city and immigration from rural areas

Question 17

What industries was majority of employment in 1950s + percentages?

Answer 17

50% metals
12% commerce
2.5% textiles

Question 18

What was housing like between 1900-1950s?

Answer 18

Large areas of terraced housing squeezed between factories - built for workers so within walking distance of work

Question 19

What drove urban expansion?

Answer 19

Development of a middle class who could afford to commute 
Transport innovation included trams, suburban railways, and later buses and railways

Question 20

What centred on Birmingham’s Central Business District?

Answer 20

A ring pattern of land-use, interrupted by sectors along major arterial routeways

Question 21

Ethnicity until 1950s?

Answer 21

Overwhelmingly white

Question 22

What % of men had skilled jobs until 1950s + examples?

Answer 22

60% such as lathe operators and precision engineers

Question 23

Name two inter-war suburbs:

Answer 23

Northfield and Marston Green – classic areas of semi-detached and detached housing but also included some of largest local authority housing estates in country eg Kingstanding

Question 24

Name two inner city areas (of 1950s):

Answer 24

Aston and Handsworth – poor quality housing at a high density
Decades of industrial activity left land sites, canals, and rivers highly polluted and air pollution (smoke, sulfur dioxide)

Question 25

Unemployment during 1950s and 1960s:

Answer 25

Below 1%

Question 26

Describe earnings between 1970 and 1983:

Answer 26

Fell from highest in the UK to almost lowest of any region

Question 27

Unemployment in 1982:

Answer 27

19.4%

Question 28

Describe some employment structure changes between 1978-2000

Answer 28

Metal goods and vehicles fell from 28.4% to 5.8% Finance and business services rose from 7.3% to 21.4% Other services eg law, health rose from 22.4% to 31.1%

Question 29

What reasons did economic change post 1950s?

Answer 29

Global recession of 1970s – oil crisis of 1973 - Fragile geopolitics of Middle East resulted in Arab-Israeli War - Western countries support Israel - Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) dominated by Arab states used oils as a ‘weapon’ - Resulted in an embargo on supplies and oil prices increases tenfold - B’hams traditional industries already started to suffer from competition from overseas TNCs, aided by oil crisis

Question 30

What happened to the British vehicle industry in 1970s?

Answer 30

British vehicle industry was in decline despite car ownership levels rising Eg Number of people not owning a car in UK dropped from 49% in 1970 to 21% in 2010 Eg Number of people owning two cars rose from 5% in 1970 to 28% in 2010

Question 31

Why was British vehicle industry in decline?

Answer 31

- Foreign-based TNCs, particularly Japanese manufacturers whose products were seen as more reliable and better value for money - VW, Renault, Peugeot - Overseas manufacturers established factories in UK but not one in the East Midlands as companies strongly influenced by grants from central government

Question 32

What happened to car industry labour relations?

Answer 32

Strikes were frequent in the 1970s and both management and unions were players involved in decline affecting the industry; made B’ham less attractive to potential investors

Question 33

What were B’hams manufacturing industries primarily comprised of in 1970s?

Answer 33

Made of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with most occupying small inner-city sites

Question 34

Why were many small industrial premises demolished?

Answer 34

Local authority’s desire to bring about comprehensive redevelopment as part of a slum clearance programme. As a result SMEs had difficulty finding suitable premises and purpose built premises built by the local authority were unaffordable to start-up businesses

Question 35

How many houses were destroyed in Second World War in B’ham?

Answer 35

5000 houses

Question 36

How many sub-standard houses were there in the immediate post-war years?

Answer 36

110,000

Question 37

How many tower blocks built in the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 37

400 tower blocks, despite local government resistance

Question 38

How many dwellings built between 1945 and 1970?

Answer 38

81,000

Question 39

Consequence of housing redevelopment?

Answer 39

Redistribution of people Central zone was cleared of residential land-use and people relocated to peripheral estates such as Castle Vale to the northeast People also moved to new towns eg Redditch in the South Flows into the centre, where the majority of services were, increased

Question 40

Who was involved in the establishment of a green belt?

Answer 40

National and local governments | Green belt established around the city to restrict outward expansion – increasing land adjacent to the belt eg Solihull

Question 41

What is a green belt?

Answer 41

An area of open land around a city where building is restricted

Question 42

Describe in-migration in 1950s:

Answer 42

Most immigrants were from the Caribbean, South Asia and the Far East

Question 43

Demographic examples in 2011:

Answer 43

53.1% white British (79.8% in England) 13.5% Pakistani (2.1% in England) 6% Indian (2.6% in England) 4.4% Caribbean (1.1% in England)

Question 44

Where did immigrants ‘cluster’?

Answer 44

In areas of cheap housing that had good access to employment – growing service sector required low-skilled jobs eg taxi-drivers

Question 45

What evidence was there that B’ham was becoming a cosmopolitan city?

Answer 45

- Building of mosques and temples - Diversity of ethnic food shops and restaurants - Ethnic clothing and fabric shops - Banks based in home countries of migrants

Question 46

Describe age of B’ham:

Answer 46

38% are 24 years old or younger – 31% in England | 13% are 65 years or over – 16% in England

Question 47

What three players are involved in regeneration of B’ham?

Answer 47

Role of the government The role of planning and flagship developments The role of transport

Question 48

The role of the government: example of local government attracting investment

Answer 48

- Construction of the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in west of the city - Expansion of adjoining Birmingham International Airport in the west Both developments attract international conferences and exhibition market bringing significant money

Question 49

The role of the government: what national government schemes were implemented from late twentieth century onwards?

Answer 49

- City Challenge and the Single Regeneration Budget designed to help areas access funding - Birmingham Heartland Development Corporation established in 1992 to bring regeneration in old areas eg Nechells (old industrial area) - New Deal for Communities Scgeme 1999 provided broadband access and set up work-experience programmes to improve employment

Question 50

The role of the government: how is Birmingham promoted internationally?

Answer 50

City council has a European and International Affairs Team £235 million secured from EU Social Investment Fund for 2014-2020 Money from European Regional Development Fund gone to projects such as improving insulation in social housing and building small premises for start-up SMEs

Question 51

The role of planning and flagship developments: what public spaces have been developed?

Answer 51

``` Centenary square in the centre Victoria Square (water cascade with public art) and surrounding buildings eg Council House and Town Hall (19th century statement buildings) have been refurbished ```

Question 52

The role of planning and flagship developments: example of flagship development

Answer 52

Funded by EU – International Convention Centre and Symphony Hall – 1991 Symphony Hall is home to City of B’ham Symphony Orchestra = example of cultural player bringing economic change

Question 53

The role of planning and flagship developments: Example of multiplier effect

Answer 53

Convention Centre – hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities benefit from visitors

Question 54

The role of planning and flagship developments: example of arena

Answer 54

National Indoor Arena attracts large sporting events eg 2003 World Indoor Athletic Championships

Question 55

The role of planning and flagship developments: how many unis and population total?

Answer 55

Three unis | Student population of 50,000 = youthful demographic

Question 56

The role of planning and flagship developments: describe the Bull Ring

Answer 56

Redeveloped in 1960s Europe’s first major indoor shopping centre Contribute to city being one of countries leading retail centres Flagship Selfridges building

Question 57

The role of planning and flagship developments: how has environment been improved

Answer 57

Streets pedestrianised and provided with high-quality street furniture and tree City’s canals are being improved by The Canal and River Trust Regeneration of Gas Street Basin and Brindley Place

Question 58

The role of transport: describe transformation of main railway station

Answer 58

``` New Street (main railway station) transformed by a £700 million investment Involved Network Rail, private developers and retailers (John Lewis) to create area known as Grand Central – creating 1000 new jobs ```

Question 59

The role of transport: describe trail and light rail systems

Answer 59

Tram system scrapped decades ago but has had a comeback | Midland Metro links central B’ham to West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.

Question 60

The role of transport: describe national governments flagship transport development

Answer 60

``` HS2 – 50 mins from London by HS2 £20 bn phase 1 links London to B’ham via high-speed railway Plyers include: National and local government TNCs in major engineering Banks Local community groups NGOs eg National Trust ```

Question 61

The role of transport: describe a transport legacy

Answer 61

West Midlands’ motorway network: M6 links to M1 in east M42 provides a ring road from southwest to southeast of city Private investment responsible for toll motorway on M6

Question 62

What body guides decisions on development and regeneration in B’ham?

Answer 62

Birmingham Development Plan – until 2031 | Deals with new housing, jobs, services and infrastructure