CASE STUDY - Rebranding and Regeneration (Liverpool)

Question 1

What is the purpose of the Liverpool case study?

Answer 1

To explore how rebranding and regeneration has had affect on place making in the area.

Question 2

What is rebranding?

Answer 2

Changing the brand/image of a city in order to remain competitive with other cities by changing aspects of the city’s urban environment, essence and its brandscape.

Question 3

Why was regeneration in Liverpool needed?

Answer 3

1. Social conflict acted as a push factor away from the city as tensions between the local police and black community caused the Toxteth riots of July 1981.
2. By 2002, Liverpool has dropped from 3rd to the 17th most visited shopping centre in the UK.
3. After the decline of industry around the docks, the city centre became dominated by derelict warehouses and brownfield land.

Question 4

How has the urban environment of Liverpool changed following regeneration?

Answer 4

1. The Albert Dock rebranded as a tourist attraction, containing ‘The Tate’ a modern art gallery which has over 4 million visits a year.
2. The Liverpool One Shopping centre (originally the Paradise Project) opened in May 2008 and is now the 5th most economical shopping centre in the UK.
3. Ropewalks has partnered with Urban Splash and Liverpool Vision to refurbish listed buildings into trendy living spaces.

Question 5

How has the brand essence of Liverpool changed following regeneration?

Answer 5

1. The economic profile of the city is improving so gentrification is a concern amongst many low income residents if they are unable to afford rising property prices and rents. In 2008, the city’s economy was boosted by over £800 million of additional income.
2. Local people has lots of opposition to the removal of public rights of way and the use of cheap labour which avoided investing in low income communities of areas like Everton.

Question 6

How has the waterfront and the Albert Dock changed following regeneration?

Answer 6

The albert Dock has been revamped as a tourist attraction due to investment from services and media companies:

• Attendances increased by 30% at the Albert Dock social venues
  -The Museum of Liverpool re-opened in 2010, costing £10 million to build.
• In 2004, the Liverpool waterfront was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Question 7

How has the brandscape of Liverpool changed following regeneration?

Answer 7

1. Liverpool was awarded the status of European Capital of Culture in 2008
2. In recent years, 8-10 million tourists have visited Liverpool each year from the UK and globally (especially Japan and the USA).

Question 8

Define urban environment.

Answer 8

A city’s artefacts such as the cityscape and its buildings.

Question 9

Define brand essence.

Answer 9

Peoples experience of the city.

Question 10

Define brandscape.

Answer 10

how the city positions itself in relation to other cities