Rebranding Flashcards
Define regenerating
Positively transforming the economy of a place that has experienced symptoms of decline
Define rebranding
Developing a place to reposition its image and change people’s ideas of it, helping to ‘sell’ the place to a target audience
Define re-imaging
Positively changing the standing a reputation of a place through specific improvements
What are the three focuses of any rebranding exercise?
Environmental - to improve derelict infrastructure and the quality of the environment
Social - to overcome a spiral of decline and deprivation and the cycle of poverty
Economic - to improve job opportunities and bring income into the area
What does CBD stand for?
Central business district
What factors influence CBD decline?
Planning policies can provide development out of town e.g. The metro centre
Companies find peripheral locations cheaper
Cost of upkeep of CBDs is high
Congestion reduces accessibility of many CBDs
City centres are often perceived as dirty and unsafe
The reconstruction of Birmingham’s image in the 1990s was caught between two factors, what were these?
The historical importance of the car industry to the identity of the region
A series of negative associations that had become linked to
that industry
Summarise Birmingham’s rebranding
1993 - initial development of Brindley place - now home to the sea life centre, ikon gallery and royal bank of Scotland
2002 - millennium point opened
2003 - bullring development opened creating over 8000 new jobs - over 35 million visitors in opening year
2005 - completion of £40m redevelopment of Matthew Boulton college, teaching over 500 course to 7000 students
What problems do coalfield communities experience?
Between 1984 and 1997 170,000 coal mining jobs were lost in England
Areas characterised by high levels of dereliction and ground contamination
Not a strong tradition of business set ups and self employment
Lack of education and training
What challenges do the countryside face?
Lack of transport infrastructure
Disappearance of rural services
Changing rural economy - less guaranteed jobs
Pockets of local depopulation - particularly as a result of young people leaving to find better opportunities
Agricultural change
What are some of the reasons for the decline of coastal areas?
Foreign holidays
Improvements in air transport
Development of ‘package holidays’
Changing expectations
Changing holiday patterns
Increase in car ownership
What problems are faced at the seaside?
Most coastal settlements are dependant on a seasonal, resort economy, which is shrinking
Many coastal areas have experienced a decline in their traditional fishing industries
Location often means they can only be accessed from one direction and they tend to be remote and hard to get to
What are the impacts of package holidays on Birmingham?
Less than two decades ago Blackpool dew more than 17million visitors a year, now it struggles to draw more than 10million
Fewer tourists mean fewer jobs - unemployment now stands at 7%
Wages have fallen - in 2002 the average blackpudlian was paid 17% less than the average Brit, by 2006 the gap was 23%
Population growth is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Numbers from census data
Generally growth is a good thing but sometimes cities grow just because in-migration from rural areas is rapid
More and better jobs is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Data on employment categories
Rising employment is key - multiplier effect
Education level is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
School scores using league tables in UK
There is a strong correlation between successful cities and high levels of educational attainment
Rising income is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Per capita income figure at a local level
Yes but beware of an average when looking at data - if the gap between rich and poor is widening an average might disguise this
Improving retail figures is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Shop occupancy rates and retail turnover figures
Declining CBDs lose their retail functions and thus negative multiplier effects
Improving property values is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Comparative studies - use sites such as www.upmystreet.com
Property values will rise when demand for proper rises - linked to population growth
Population health is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Health data can be derived from the multiple deprivation database on www.communities.gov.uk
Poorer societies are usually less healthy. Higher rates of alcoholism, smoking and drug related illnesses are frequently found in failing cities
Crime rate is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Look at newspaper reports of changes in both the frequency and pattern of crime in an urban area
Quite a strong correlation between crime rates and poverty but this does not work across national boundaries
Culture and sporting environment is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Study league tables and concert venues
The venues of top cultural acts often signifies success.
Declining cities often struggle to have sports teams competing at top level
Attractive/successful neighbourhoods is one way of measuring success in urban rebranding. How is it measured and is it always a sign of success?
Photographic evidence and archive material
Sometimes it is easier to judge success in cities just by looking/photographing them
Who are stakeholders?
Individuals, groups or organisations that have an interest in a particular project. They may be involved finically or emotionally because the development is in their neighbourhood
Who are players?
Usually someone, or a group, involved in the day-to-day planning, operation and management
Players, stakeholders and policy makers have adopted 3 main strategies to tackle rebranding projects. What are these?
Top down approach
Bottom up approach
The partnership approach
What happens in a top down approach?
Rebranding decisions are made by authorities or agencies and imposed on particular people or places
What are the pros of a top down approach?
Happens quickly
Funding is there
Strategic
What are the cons of a top down approach?
Might go against will of local people
Ignores local knowledge which could lead to mistakes
What happens in a bottom up approach?
This is based on listening to local opinion and devising local solutions rather than producing an overarching plan
What are the pros of a bottom up approach?
Fair - meets locals needs
People feel involved and empowered
What are the cons of a bottom up approach?
Sometime ineffective
Hard to get funding
What happens in a partnership approach?
This approach aims to combine the best features of the top down and bottom up approach. Partnerships are made up of representatives from the state, private and voluntary sectors so that a range of voices are heard
What are the pros of a partnership approach?
Combines advantages of top down and bottom up approaches
What are the cons of a partnership approach?
Sometimes an imbalance in power
Decision making process is long winded
Give an example of a rural partnership approach
The European Union leader programme;
Leader was started in 1991 with the aim of regenerating local communities in the poorest areas of Europe
Groups in these communities can apply for funding according to a specific set of criteria
Give some features you would expect to find in a sustainable urban area
Employment close to communities
Preservation of heritage and culture
Innovative design minimising waste energy and resources
Give some features you would expect to find in a sustainable rural area
Limited use of artificial chemicals
Local foods and produce
Use of technology to support agriculture
What is heritage tourism?
Visiting places because of their interesting history
What are some reasons for the growth of heritage tourism in the UK?
Local authorities saw it as a way of improving the economy to counteract the effects of deindustrialisation
More media coverage on historical topics
What are some problems associated with tourism?
Pollution
Overcrowding
Over use of facilities
What’s happened in Bradford to aid regeneration?
After the decline of the UK’s woollen industry, Bradford struggled to replace its closing factories. However in the last 20 years the traditional woollen industry has become the focus of a local heritage industry
What are some of Bradford’s heritage attractions?
Industrial museum - recreating life in Bradford in the late 19th century
The Alhambra theatre - one of Britain’s best preserved Edwardian theatres
Saltaire model Victorian industrial village
The village of Haworth - home of the Brontë sisters
keighley and Worth valley historic steam railway