Changing places (distant case study Brick Lane ) Flashcards
What distant place have we studied?
Brick Lane
Where is Brick Lane located?
In the Tower Hamlets borough of East London and passes through Spitalfields
What was the population of Brick Lane (2011)?
12,578
What was the % of men to women in Brick Lane?
- 54% male
- 46% female
What was Brick Lane like in the 17th century?
- Early 17th century, popular location for breweries/market
- Late 17th century, silk weaving (French Huguenots)
What was Brick Lane like in the 19/20th century?
- 19-20th century, Irish immigrants/jewish immigrants
- Late 20th century, Bangladeshi immigrants which set up Sylheter Dak (paper set up there) and guidebooks with good curry places
What did Bangladeshi immigrants set up when the were in Brick Lane?
- Sylheter Dak (paper based there)
- Guidebooks with good curry places
What is Brick Lane industry like today?
Art and fashion industries
What is the demographic characteristics of Brick Lane?
- Primarily 20-40 age gap, jobs and youth clubs
- Muslim 41.5%
- Bangladeshi origin 41% of the population
- White British 7% compared to 47% London
What physical changes have been made to Brick Lane?
- Road signs written in English and Bengali
- Weekly Bangladesh paper
- French Protestant church 1743, converted into Jamme Masjid mosque 1976
What are social characteristics of Brick Lane?
- 4 schools are needing improvement, 2 inadequate
- 39% of children in poverty - above national average
- 55% school readiness - below national average
How has Brick Lane been represented through Adam Dant Map of Spitalfields Life, 2011?
- Counter map that gives a historical background into Brick Lane and the surrounding area
- Historical background of areas and characters who have made this area special.
What is the problem with Adam Dant Map of Spitalfields Life?
- Only presents Dant’s point of view.
- Counter mapping, scale and sizes of different areas can be manipulated
- Making it a less reliable source in terms of geographical locations
How has Brick Lane been represented through Art?
Adam Dant Map of Spitalfields Life, 2011
What are the negatives of gentrification?
- People cannot afford higher property prices or rents
- Potential loss for traditional local low order shows
- Threat to the traditional community
- Conflict between old and newcomers
What are the benefits of gentrification?
- Rise in prosperity and range of services
- Increased local tax income
- Physical environment improved
- Greater employment opportunities
What is gentrification?
When an area is redeveloped and upgraded, attracting richer people and often displacing poorer tenants
How have cultural characteristics of Brick Lane changed over time?
- Early 17th century, popular location for breweries/market
- Late 17th century, silk weaving (French Huguenots)
- 19-20th century:(Irish immigrants/jewish immigrants
- Late 20th century, Bangladeshi immigrants
- Today: art and fashion industries
What economic characteristics have caused change in Brick Lane?
- Levels of employment and unemployment
- Balance between different economic sectors
- House prices
- Crime rate
- Gentrification
What is the crime rate in Brick Lane?
25.4 per 1000 around double the borough average
What % of Brick Lane is economically active?
80.1% (16-64)
How has change over time Brick Lane been represented by photographs?
- Spitalfields market - from sheds/stalls to major renovation programme
- Changes from selling fruit and beetabe to fashion and art
- Photographs document the gentrification of east odon - e.g. housing on fournier street
How has Brick lane been represented through media?
Sally Flood - Tales from the East End, 1980 (lived experience)
How does Sally Floods ‘Tales from the East End’ represent Brick Lane?
- Very culturally diverse
- Negative words such as ‘exploited’ and ‘bullies’.
Demonstrates change through time - Evaluation, shows a strong sense of place but only one person’s point of view
How has Brick Lane been represented through books?
Monical Ali’s novel - Brick Lane 2003 - also made into a film
How did Monical Ali’s ‘Brick Lane 2003’ represent Brick Lane?
- changing prosperity of the area as it becomes a more fashionable neighbourhood.
‘You see’ said Chanu, ‘All this money, money everywhere. Ten years ago there was no money here’
What opposition has there been to gentrification in Brick Lane?
- Anti-gentrification protest in the spitalfields in 2015
- Letter written to Guardian highlight concerns about gentrification
- Attack on cereal cafe ‘scum’
