Block 9 (The Rebranding Process + Players In Urban Places) Flashcards
Define boosterism and what does it do
Combination of rebranding, regenerating and reimaging
- Helps to attract investment to an area
What image do urban areas try to project?
The image they think will attract most investment
What are the main methods of boosterism in urban areas?
- Sports + music stadia (host major event, publicises)
- Cultural quarters (attracted to unique experience)
- Festivals (boost tourism)
- Industrial heritage (reimages decline in a positive way)
- Flagship developments (high profile investment, acts as catalyst)
What players complete boosterism?
- Governments
- Corporate bodies
- Community groups
Give an example of boosterism through sports stadia
Olympic Stadium, Athlete’s Village, Stratford, London
- 2012
- Gov investment
- Positive : promoted investment by positively changing image and improving facilities - revamped town hall, Westfield Centre built
- Negative: ‘affordable’ housing was too expensive, outpricing locals as only 12% of housing was in their budget
Give an example of boosterism through music stadia
New Co-op Live Music Venue (will have largest capacity), Manchester
- Hope to be complete by 2023
- Priv investment of £350 mill (overseen by ‘Oak View Group’)
- Positive: will act as an attractive flagship to increase further investment + help the city’s improving image, 10,000 jobs directly, 1,400 jobs indirectly, possibility to double live events in Manchester per year increasing tourism and spending
- Negative: increased traffic congestion
Give an example of boosterism through cultural quarters
Chinese Quarter, around Hurst Street, Birmingham
- Informal cluster from 1960s (immigrants from China + Hong Kong), officially recognised in 1980s
- Positive: attracts a large number of tourists which has positive multiplier effect, events increase tourists (30,000 for Chinese NY)
- Negative: some argue its changing Birmingham’s individual culture
Give an example of boosterism through festivals
Pride, Birmingham
- Every May (29th-30th)
- Largest LGBTQ+ festival in UK (75,000+)
- Positive: attracts tourists which have positive multiplier effect, helped reimage as more colourful and positive, helped rebuild community
- Negative: potentially controversial, hasn’t helped with any permanent infrastructure
Give an example of boosterism through industrial heritage
Black Country Museum
- Since Black Country lost last coal mine in 1968
- Positive: reimaged the negatives of deindustrialisation rather than concealing them, attracts tourists and schools, educates, likely to see more investment (recently become UNESCO Global Geopark)
Give an example of boosterism through flagship developments
The Mailbox, Bham
Give an example of boosterism in Birmingham by the government
Eastside, Birmingham (Part of gov Big City Plan)
- Over 20 yr period
- Area was largely derelict, now positive, green, workable
- Aspects include: Eastside City Park, learning quarter around Aston Uni, removal of Masshouse Circus (Concrete Collar)
- Positive: increased sustainability (e.g. city park), increased environmental quality (increases investment and health), city able to grow (collar gone), intellectual businesses attracted to agglomeration (e.g. ThinkTank)
- Negative: acts as top down regeneration as may not help low skilled demographic in the area who won’t benefit from business growth (particulary intellectual around Uni), used £6-8 mill city council money
Give an example of boosterism in Birmingham by a corporate body
The Mailbox (by ‘Birmingham Development Company Ltd’)
- 2000
- Area was Royal Mail Sorting office, now mixed use scheme with internal street
- Aspects include: 2 hotels, 16 restaurants/bars, 200 apartments, high end shops, offices, BBC studio
- Positive: high end brands attract visitors which has a positive multiplier effect, footfall continues to rise (increased by 40% in 2017), has stimulated further investment (£50 mill - Harvey Nichols - 2015)
- Negative: acts as top down regeneration as may not help public who cant afford these services, cost the company £150 mill initially
Give an example of boosterism in Birmingham by a community group
The Pioneer Group, Birmingham
- Ongoing work
- Aim to improve life for communities
- Aspects include: affordable housing (2500 at Castle Vale), affordable services (work with Merlin Ventures to provide nursery care)
- Positive: acts as bottom up regeneration to help improve local lives, help families afford to live and work in Bham (so they can contribute to economy+positive multiplier effect)
- Negative: may not help with large scale reimaging of the city/bringing investment to the area (more focused on qual of life for individuals)
Give an example of boosterism not in Birmingham by the government
Newcastle NE1 bid (one of the identified 137 Business Improvement Districts)
- 2009
- Aspects: ‘Alive After 5’ campaign to reimage the 24hr economy + stimulate growth , e.g. extended shopping hrs with free parking
- Positive: 9.7 mill more visitors/yr , £100 mill to region per yr, 300+jobs
What are incubator + accelerator programmes?
When banks, big companies + unis make contributions to boosting new economic activities in the city
