4a Birimingham: a region that has been impacted by structural economic change Flashcards
Where is Birmingham?
A large metropolitan region at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation
Population of Birmingham:
In 2014 – 1.1 million residents
Describe Birmingham’s technological innovation:
- 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
What proportion of British manufacture exports originate in B’ham?
25%
How did B’ham originate?
During Domesday Survey (1086), B’ham was a poor agricultural manor
First key players to influence change in Birmingham?
The De Bermingham family purchased a royal charter in 1166 – allowed them to hold a market which resulted in trade
Describe Medieval B’ham:
6 streets focused on the parish church and the market
Metal-working was established, supplied by raw materials from Black Country
Describe B’ham in 1500’s:
1563 William Camden – ‘swarming with inhabitants and echoing with the noise of anvils’
Power from watermills
Population in 1700’s?
15,000 – residents migrated form rural areas for employment
Who was a key player in driving industrialisation in 1700s?
Matthew Boulton – entrepreneur and engineer who established first factory in world
‘Soho Manufactory’ employed 700 people
Industries present in 19th century:
Gun, jewellery, button and brass industries
What large companies were established in 19th century?
- Cadbury family set up Bourneville factory and model village on southeast outskirts of city
- Lloyds bank was established in mid-19th century
What transport infrastructure opened in 19th century?
Midland terminus of the London to Birmingham Railway opened in 1838
What industries developed between 1900 to 1950s + examples
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
How did B’ham cope with the Great Depression?
Coped well due to diversity of the metal-working industries
What aided economic growth in first half of the 20th century?
Continuous population growth from natural increase in the city and immigration from rural areas
What industries was majority of employment in 1950s + percentages?
50% metals
12% commerce
2.5% textiles
What was housing like between 1900-1950s?
Large areas of terraced housing squeezed between factories - built for workers so within walking distance of work
What drove urban expansion?
Development of a middle class who could afford to commute Transport innovation included trams, suburban railways, and later buses and railways
What centred on Birmingham’s Central Business District?
A ring pattern of land-use, interrupted by sectors along major arterial routeways
Ethnicity until 1950s?
Overwhelmingly white
What % of men had skilled jobs until 1950s + examples?
60% such as lathe operators and precision engineers
Name two inter-war suburbs:
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
Name two inner city areas (of 1950s):
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)
Unemployment during 1950s and 1960s:
Below 1%
Describe earnings between 1970 and 1983:
Fell from highest in the UK to almost lowest of any region
Unemployment in 1982:
19.4%
Describe some employment structure changes between 1978-2000
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%
What reasons did economic change post 1950s?
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
What happened to the British vehicle industry in 1970s?
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
Why was British vehicle industry in decline?
- 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
What happened to car industry labour relations?
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
What were B’hams manufacturing industries primarily comprised of in 1970s?
Made of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with most occupying small inner-city sites
Why were many small industrial premises demolished?
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
How many houses were destroyed in Second World War in B’ham?
5000 houses
How many sub-standard houses were there in the immediate post-war years?
110,000
How many tower blocks built in the 1950s and 1960s?
400 tower blocks, despite local government resistance
How many dwellings built between 1945 and 1970?
81,000
Consequence of housing redevelopment?
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
Who was involved in the establishment of a green belt?
National and local governments
Green belt established around the city to restrict outward expansion – increasing land adjacent to the belt eg Solihull
What is a green belt?
An area of open land around a city where building is restricted
Describe in-migration in 1950s:
Most immigrants were from the Caribbean, South Asia and the Far East
Demographic examples in 2011:
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)
Where did immigrants ‘cluster’?
In areas of cheap housing that had good access to employment – growing service sector required low-skilled jobs eg taxi-drivers
What evidence was there that B’ham was becoming a cosmopolitan city?
- Building of mosques and temples
- Diversity of ethnic food shops and restaurants
- Ethnic clothing and fabric shops
- Banks based in home countries of migrants
Describe age of B’ham:
38% are 24 years old or younger – 31% in England
13% are 65 years or over – 16% in England
What three players are involved in regeneration of B’ham?
Role of the government
The role of planning and flagship developments
The role of transport
The role of the government: example of local government attracting investment
- 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
The role of the government: what national government schemes were implemented from late twentieth century onwards?
- 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
The role of the government: how is Birmingham promoted internationally?
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
The role of planning and flagship developments: what public spaces have been developed?
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
The role of planning and flagship developments: example of flagship development
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
The role of planning and flagship developments: Example of multiplier effect
Convention Centre – hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities benefit from visitors
The role of planning and flagship developments: example of arena
National Indoor Arena attracts large sporting events eg 2003 World Indoor Athletic Championships
The role of planning and flagship developments: how many unis and population total?
Three unis
Student population of 50,000 = youthful demographic
The role of planning and flagship developments: describe the Bull Ring
Redeveloped in 1960s
Europe’s first major indoor shopping centre
Contribute to city being one of countries leading retail centres
Flagship Selfridges building
The role of planning and flagship developments: how has environment been improved
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
The role of transport: describe transformation of main railway station
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
The role of transport: describe trail and light rail systems
Tram system scrapped decades ago but has had a comeback
Midland Metro links central B’ham to West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.
The role of transport: describe national governments flagship transport development
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
The role of transport: describe a transport legacy
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
What body guides decisions on development and regeneration in B’ham?
Birmingham Development Plan – until 2031
Deals with new housing, jobs, services and infrastructure
