Evaluate whether rebranding or regeneration has a larger impact on constructing different place meaning. (16).

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

• Reimaging involves creating a new narrative around a place, highlighting its strengths and unique features to dispel negative perceptions and attract investment and visitors. Reimaging often involves branding, marketing, and placemaking initiatives aimed at creating a new identity for a place. Regeneration, on the other hand, involves physical improvements to the built environment, such as the construction of new buildings or the renovation of existing ones. Regeneration can help to create a more attractive and functional physical environment, which can have a positive impact on the social and economic life of a place.
• Then introduce Birmingham

Question 2

Para 1: Marketing + Advertising (Birmingham - Rebranding)

Answer 2

• Marketing and advertising have played a significant role in the reimaging of Birmingham, helping to create a new narrative around the city and promote its unique features and strengths. The most notable example of this is the advertsiment that took place as a part of the Birmingham Big City Plan, which was launched in 2010 and aims to create a more attractive and sustainable city center by 2031.
• As part of this plan, Birmingham has invested heavily in marketing and advertising initiatives to promote the city as a vibrant and dynamic destination for investment and tourism. For example, in 2019, the city launched its “Visit Birmingham” campaign, which aimed to attract 1 million additional visitors to the city and generate an extra £150 million in revenue over the following year.
• Other marketing initiatives have included the “Birmingham: It’s Not Sh!t” campaign, which was launched in 2015 to challenge negative perceptions of the city and promote its cultural and economic offerings. The campaign, which was backed by local businesses and politicians, aimed to change the narrative around Birmingham and promote it as a place of innovation, creativity, and opportunity.
• These marketing and advertising initiatives have had a significant impact on the perception of Birmingham, helping to dispel negative stereotypes and promote the city’s unique features and strengths. For example, in 2018, Birmingham was named as the UK’s most improved city in terms of its image, according to a survey by YouGov, which found that the number of people who held a positive view of the city had increased by 9% since 2015.

Question 3

Para 1: Evaluation Points

Answer 3

• Birmingham’s tourism industry has seen significant growth in recent years, with the city attracting a record 43 million visitors in 2019, generating over £7 billion in revenue. This demonstrates the success of the city’s marketing and advertising initiatives in promoting Birmingham as a vibrant and attractive destination for visitors and investors alike.
• However that being said, some might argue that whilst advertising and marketing can help to create a new narrative around a place, the often have limited impact on the physical environment of the place itself. So if people actually come to visit and don’t see any changed, then they might revert back to their old narrative
• In addition to this advertisment is more effective in the long-term as it takes time to change people’s opinions on something through advertisements, in this way, regeneration can be seen as the more effective method.

Question 4

Para 2: Regeneration

Answer 4

• Some will argue, regeneration has a greater impact on constructing different place meaning than reimaging. The reason for this is that regeneration involves physically transforming the environment, infrastructure, and economy of a place, which can have long-lasting effects on the community and its identity.
• In Birmingham, the large-scale investment by the city council, the European Union, and the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has had a significant impact on the city’s physical environment and economy. For instance, the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone has the potential to create 40,000 new jobs and make available 1.3 million square meters of floorspace over the lifetime of the project. This has not only boosted the local economy but has also shaped the identity of the place as a hub for business and investment.
• In addition, the transformation of New Street Station and the Grand Central shopping complex has created a more accessible and vibrant public space, with better links between the city centre and Southside. This has fueled expansion and regeneration, particularly in the residential sector, and has directly created around 1,000 new jobs. The city’s rejuvenated centre now attracts 20 million visitors a year, which has not only boosted tourism but has also contributed to a sense of pride and identity among the local community.
• Furthermore, the preservation and restoration of Birmingham’s canal system by the Canal River Trust, supported by charities and heritage associations, has helped to shape the physical environment of the city and increase the hygiene and appeal of its waterways. This has not only provided new opportunities for recreation and tourism but has also contributed to a sense of pride and ownership among the local community.

Question 5

Para 2: Evaluation Points

Answer 5

• Regeneration in Birmingham has defnetelely been succesful in constructing different place meaning, but some might argue that it would not have been succesful without advertising to show it off.

Question 6

Conclusion

Answer 6

Regeneration has had the largest impact on constructing different place meaning