Regeneration Flashcards
explain the classification of economic activity as well as how it links to social factors
- Classification (employment into different classifications: primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, quinary as well as the nature of the employment (formal informal), part-time vs full time vs zero hour)
link to social factors:
- e.g. health (broad industrial bases often leads to fewer social problems, poor health leads to poor contribution to economy, high unemployment due to high social housing, transient population, lower levels of attachment, increased vandalism and crime)
explain changing functions in an area due to influences and overtime
- Regional, national, international and global (housebuilding targets- woking got given a target, they chose to go up through flats not over large space, international- globalisation meant that minehead had to change function away from seaside town due to lowering plane costs)
- Overtime (change in redcar, globalisation meant that its function changed due to deindustrialisation, San Francisco has changed becoming a hub of tech companies through agglomeration and clustering, global shift)
what role do physical factors have on the function of an area?
- proximity to large cities and core economic zones (physical)
- attractive environments (accessibility and connectedness)
- technology on the rise, vehicles facilitate urban sprawl and counter urbanisation
- the global shift
- locational needs or source availability change
what can be used to measure functional change?
employment trends
- reduction in employment suggests a decrease in typical function
- a reduction in industry, possibly due to global shift and industrial relocation changing the function away from industry
demographic changes
- studentification
- gentrification
- immigration increasing ethnicities, shown through ethnic composition
levels of deprivation
- industrial relocation leading to deprivation
- unemployment reduces the quality of servies and education causing a further increase in the level of deprivation
land use changes
incidence of new buildings
what is agglomeration and clustering?
agglomeration- where related industries set up near other industries
this happens because footloose industries (don’t rely on raw materials) can easily set up near similar businesses and collaborate
clustering- it happens because it creates a hotspot of industry, you can collaborate together, you can steal stuff
definition of regeneration
it involves positively transforming the economy of a place that has displayed symptoms of decline, making it viable and sustainable. it frequently goes hand in glove with rebranding and reimaging
what comes under deprivation?
- income deprivation
- employment deprivation
- health deprivation
- crime
- quality of the living environment
- abandoned and derelict land
what is myrdle’s model of cumulative causation?
the process by which one region of a country becomes increasingly the centre of economic activity
the process is from the introduction of new industry, to then more hobs and increased demands for shops to increase pop, increased income for the area from taxes to the growth of the tertiary sector and then leading to an attractive aerator business’ to relocate to innovation to then similar or related industries to be attracted leading to the creation of other industries
what are three examples of negative multipliers?
1) Mechanisation- reduces amount of jobs available leads to increased unemployment which leads to depopulation of people in search of work, reducing spending leading to rural decline
2) unemployment- leads to less motivation, reduced morale and increase in depression, leading to an increase in reliance on healthcare and prescriptions, therefore draining the healthcare funds
3) higher aspirations for young people- can increase motivation to work hard at school which can lead to a brain drain once qualified but also utilisation of the bright light syndrome as urban life becomes more attractive and in reach
what are the different variables of IMD?
- income
- employment
- living environment
- health deprivation and disability
- barriers to housing and services
- crime
it attempts to quantify deprivation in England. it is a very fine-grained index as it splits England into nearly 33,000 small areas with 1500 people each, disparities within?
what are the 4 factors contributing to QOL and inequality
employment opportunities
social inequality
service inequality
environmental inequality
what are the main reasons for functional change? (explained)
physical
- proximity to large cities and core economic zones (physical)
- attractive environments (accessibility and connectedness)
- technology on the rise, vehicles facilitate urban sprawl and counter urbanisation
- the global shift
- locational needs or source availability change
accessibility and connectedness
- infrastructure, roads, air, rail
- connectivity for businesses to other economies, help competition
historical development
- postproduction era, primary and secondary industry has ended, e.g. Liverpool’s docklands changed to world-class UNESCO site, shift from commercial to tourism
- changes in consumer trends:
in retailing, corner shops to online shopping
- increased affluence led to increased leisure and tourism functions, houses converted into B&Bs
local and national planning
- national gov policies on restructuring the UK economy
- Plan led systems, green belts introduced to relieve population pressure on cities and core regions
- Large schemes require an EIA (environmental impact assessment) in order to encourage conversions rather than renewal schemes
what are the changes in function in woking?
original function
- easy access to Brookwood cemetery from London via train station
new function
- commercial industry
- economic hub for the county
demographics
- young professionals
- families with kids
what are the changes in function in mine head?
original function
- fishing town with a small port and agriculture
new function
- tourism
demographics
- causes a younger (less) educated population
why is san Francisco a successful region?
- High rates of employment, only 8.4% unemployed
- Inward migration allowing for cultural enrichment and diffusion, 35% of population are immigrants
- Low levels of multiple deprivation
- Santa Clara county (the san Francisco bay area of California) has seen a growing population and GDP, though the size of Kent it has an annual GDP of $180 billion (similar to the Czech Republic)
- San Francisco industrial port, gold rush
why has San Francisco grown?
- Good train links, connectivity, (created to move gold)
- Many shops to facilitate the large navy community, spurring Myrdal’s model of cumulative causation
- Highly qualified workforce available through Stanford graduates, specialised in engineering/technology (link to silicon valley), the navy employing engineer graduates for military systems and aerospace
- America spends the most globally on military (40%) leading to huge investment in their navy base
- Stanford industrial port, created post war, offers many trade opportunities
- Migrant workers to man factories due to location near Mexican border, filling labour shortages
- Footloose industries have clustered in Silicon Valley, hosting the HQ of Apple and Adobe
why do companies now locate in san Francisco?
- Huge investment opportunities, agglomeration and clustering of tech and engineering industries offers opportunity
- Large number of unicorn companies, Silicon Valley companies, contributing to high disposable income of the local pop, growing economy
- Good transport links (boat, air and rail)
- Highly educated graduates from Stanford (innovative)
- Positive press news reports vs the cynical views in NYC
- Has a tech ‘ecosystem’ with good infrastructure (broadband)
- High risk innovation of their tech industry sparks new business models
what are the prices and drawbacks of the success of san Francisco?
- High property prices has led to a housing affordability crisis (e.g. 64,000 new jobs created yet only 5000 new homes built) making prices very high due to problems with supply and demand, if not resolved then the social stratification will start to resemble countries like Russia where a small group of elites control a vast share of wealth
- Skill shortages forming
- Social inequality, e.g. homelessness due to regeneration and gentrification
- San Francisco ranks first in California for economic inequality (average income of top 1% is 44 times the average income of the bottom 99%)
- Environmental repercussions of the growth of the global hub
- Rise in affluence has led to drug using becoming common, increase in dealers and crime
- Hostility has formed between different groups, fight between high and low-income residents
explain the wage inequality in San Francisco
- Neglects measuring/establishing a higher level of local minimum wage and upgrading the vulnerable low-wage service jobs that employ more than 45% of the region
- Chronic and concentrated neighbourhood poverty solving this is the backbone of a truly sustainable and resilient economy
- First in California for economic inequality (average income of top 1% is 44 times the average income of the bottom 99%)
regeneration strategies in woking
- More apartments for commuters are being constructed along with new restaurants to attract a younger, professional population to pay more tax so that more money can be invested into services, things such as the Victoria square skyscraper project were proposed in 2014 to attract a younger population (costing around £250 million)
- The development is expected to bring £25 million into Woking’s economy
- The Victoria square project is popular because it intends to bring a new large M&S, shopping and retail facilities, a 190-bedroom 4-star hotel with conference facilities, space for a medical centre, 392 residential apartments, a local energy centre and new highway arrangements.
why is woking seeing significant investment?
- Seeing a large population increase, necessary for new houses to be built in order to accommodate the new residents
- 25 minute train connected to Waterloo is very attractive for business
- It is in close proximity to two major airports, good location for international business
- Homes an array of TNCs including WWF, Sab Miller and McLaren
- It has a highly skilled population and so it is a highly attractive area for investment, good human capital
- urban sprawl, cities widening out
what are the regional, national and international influences on woking
regional
- It has also become a hub town. Bettering infrastructure due to its increased spending. have just gained a £95 million fund from the central gov to further develop infrastructure
- the south east plan recognised woking as a regional hub town due to its economic activity and its transport interchange
national
- More commuters are therefore moving to Woking, this pop growth leads to urban sprawl so an increase in high rise property attracting students and young professionals
international/global
- Large increase in migrant workers from all over the world due to the attractive perks of the UK (free healthcare, good education). This leads to cultural diffusion across the country inc London.
- TNC’s are attracted to the area due to its relativity to London and accessibility, e.g. WWF’s headquarters, Mclaren, SABMiller, Ambassador theatre group HQ, giving job opportunities
how has regeneration in woking led to a change in identity?
- Rapid population increase means that more jobs and accommodation are needed. But this increase causes more noise, air pollution and traffic leading to congestion in the commuter town.
- It causes house prices to rise leading to a lower disposable income to be spent on the services and businesses of the town.
- Also, an increase in higher quality education leading to more young professions, however some students may go straight into work instead of university due to the job abundance.
what was done economically for Stratford?
- The development of westfield shopping centre and other businesses has led to the estimation of 20,000 new jobs to be created by 2030, bringing more than £300 million annually, this increases tax revenue for local gov and therefore has benefitted local community as it has increased social spenfing and therefore the quality of services
- East London tech hub has attracted unicorn companies such as google, amazon and facebook. Agglomeration and clustering have happened in the area furthering the economic prosperity
- From the Olympics, there were a large amount of new leisure centres including the Olympic stadium (now home to west ham football club) which generates a lot of money, the velodrome and lee valley hockey centre
what was done environmentally for stratford?
- Development of 6000 boris bikes and the increased transport links allow for a direct train line from Stratford and so it has decreased the amount of air pollution by 8.6% as people avert from cars
- The scheme has cleaned areas such as the greenway, improving the informal perception of the area and preventing excessive damage to the environment.
- 100 ha of new greenspace was created with 4000 trees, after 600,000 tonnes of soil had been cleared of contaminants like arsenic, bitumen and ammonia.
- 3 km of rivers and canals were cleared, and in many cases, replanted.
what was done socially in Stratford?
- New university designed to specialise in sport technology increases qualification and job opportunities and greater skilled workers to attract business. (6.2% more of the educated population are qualified), leading to decline in outmigration and so services are sustained
- By 2030, more than 10,000 new homes will have been built in the park, around a third of which will be affordable
- Residential areas e.g. Chobham manor and sweetwater, which will provide 9000 new homes by 2025
- increased accessibility and transport have led to a vast proportion of workers commuting and therefore a transient population
unemployment rate inward migration level of deprivation levels of education average house price
in san Francisco
unemployment rate- 6%
immigrant pop - 35% of population immigrants
level of deprivation- 9% in poverty
levels of education- 58% with degree or higher
average house price- $1.3 million
unemployment rate inward migration level of deprivation levels of education average house price
in woking
unemployment rate- 2%
inward migration- 19% non-UK born
level of deprivation- 12% of children in poverty, 46% of children in sheerwater are said to be living in poverty
levels of education- 38.4% have degree qualifications or higher
average house price- £523k/$725k
what was minehead like before and what happened to it?
Before decline:
- A trading town heavily involved with fishing and the trading of cotton
What happened to minehead?
- Due to globalisation and changes in employment its function shifted to tourism, this led to a high number of job losses, 55% of people in Minehead are now employed in the tourism industry
- They have suffered from deprivation and has been working with the government and investors to help develop the area and improve its QOL
- they tried to reimage and rebrand to be a ‘holiday resort’ and built mine head pier in 1901
what have been the regeneration strategies in minehead
- £500,000 of funding granted under the Hinkley Point C Community Impact Mitigation (CIM)
- Creating a hospitality and tourism academy to improve skills and help local businesses
- £130,000 granted by the government under the Coastal Communities initiative, the whole project is to cost £1 million
how has the changing function of minehead affected its demographics?
- More and more retirees move to the seaside town for its aesthetics and have a large disposable income to spend
- Student population has moved away to seek non-essential employment for a stable income
- There is no uni in Minehead so students who seek higher education move away (brain drain), demographics are formed mainly from unskilled workers
- Increased seasonal employment caused an increase in the population and also impacts the ethnic community position as of an influx in migrant workers become available
give statistics on Redcar
- 42.9% of people have ‘very good’ health
- 6% unemployed
- 72% of adults are classed as obese or overweight
- 4.3% have no qualifications
- In 2015 it was the 6th out of 326 most deprived wards
what was Redcar like before and after the decline and what happened to the town?
Before decline:
- Terraced housing
- Tourism at the local beach
- Diverse industry (tourism, coal, petroleum, ship manufacturing)
Redcar after the global shift:
- High unemployment
- No large chain businesses
- Few students
- High depopulation
- Increased depression
What happened to Redcar?
- Over 2000 people lost their jobs due to steel working getting shut down, industrial relocation (global shift)
- Chinese state-subsidised firms flooding the global market with cheap product and so there was mass decline in terms of their demand, no longer economically viable, was cheaper to import from them than it was to run the industry
what were the impacts of industrial relocation in Redcar?
- Lots of vacant businesses which don’t have investors, this reduces employment and localised spending, depopulation of workers leads to an increase in abandoned property, increasing crime and graffiti
- Informal perceptions worsened, due to unemployment this has had psychological repercussions with people losing morale and motivation, people more likely to turn to depression increasing their reliance on medical prescriptions, this drains healthcare funds in the local region, contributing to deprivation
- Contaminated ground has been there for a long time, this will cost a lot of time and money to decommission, it would cost over £1bn
- Costs £100k a week to keep the old site safe
- Loss of industry has led to depopulation, lack of threshold population, closure of shops, reduced tax revenue leading to a lower amount being invested into services, less attractive for investment
- no. of people claiming any benefits is 25% above national average, lower aspirations, rise in depression, rise in healthcare costs, strain on local gov
what was the role of the government in Redcar?
- A £50 million fund was set up by the government to help Redcar’s steelworkers start new lives
- Hopes to turn Redcar into an SEZ with the council estimating it would bring in £340m of rates in the next 25 years
- Government is now funding £71m in order to turn the SSI Steelworks site into a business zone aimed at drawing clean energy and tech firms, could create 20,000 skilled jobs over the next two decades
- a £25 million grant has been allocated to Redcar to regenerate the town
what are the regional, national and global/international influences on minehead
regional
- Hinkley C Point in Somerset is a nuclear powerplant that received investment from Chinese sovereign fund (FDI) meaning that the local government can invest more into services as the company has covered Hinkley C.
- It provides cheaper electricity to Minehead also attracting more business to the area increasing employment (Murdle’s model of cumulative causation only applies to new industry as PME is triggered)
- Butlins holidays centre led to an increase in tourism and more seasonal jobs (PME) yet increased transient population.
- Poor location, not near any major cities so less money is invested into the local government so less development of the town
national
- Due to recession, increased unemployment and poverty means that less people can afford to buy/go on holidays leading to a decline in Minehead’s primary function (NME), peripheral region with little funding
- Government is pushing for apprenticeships (Minehead beach hotel took on catering apprenticeships), incentives and financial benefits, increases training, management, hospitality
international/global
- Trade is much cheaper with other countries for materials (like cotton) so declining trade in Minehead
- Better global transport makes it easier for people to go on more exotic holidays (e.g. Eurostar and planes) so less holidays to British coastal towns, aided as well through increasing global affluence
- Trade between other countries have increased (agreements like EU free trade policies) so cheaper to buy materials from other countries leading to a decreased demand for resources in Minehead causing income in the area to decline (e.g. fishing industry)
what are 3 local interest groups involved in the regeneration of mine head
1) Minehead vision group- ensured that the local population have access to the appropriate skills and training they need to realise potential, they provided a range of cultural and leisure activities
2) Local government- put ideas and projects into action by recruiting planners to organise construction, consultation meetings where people could share views
3) Coastal communities alliance- build on the strengths of the town, further regenerate Minehead, future proof it to be a vital and vibrant community, where the local population have access to appropriate skills
explain the rust belt
- The term ‘rust belt’ refers to the decline in metal manufacturing, once the world’s largest heavy metal industrial region, with coal mining in the Appalachian Mountains and steel production using ores from Michigan, it’s faced decline and industrial relocation since the 1950’s.
- economic restructuring has triggered a spiral of decline which includes increases levels of social deprivation (education, health, crime, access to services and living environment)
what were the reasons for the spiral of decline in the rust belt
- Overseas competition, e.g. China producing cheaper coal and steel
- Mining companies have mechanised to cut costs (unemployment)
- £5 spent in the north to every £2595 in central London, clear divide in government spending
- Lower wage costs in SE-USA led to industrial relocation of the steel and car industries, 80,000 jobs lost here in Michigan between 1993-2008 while 90,000 were gained in Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and Texas
- Global shift due to cheap labour in SE Asia
- US coal industries only survives due to government subsidies which cost the US $2.9 billion (in 2014-15) without this US coal companies could not compete globally leading to mass closure creating a negative multiplier effect (NME)
- it has undergone economic restructuring from high-wage primary and secondary employment to low-wage tertiary in retail and local which has caused low levels of income and high unemployment
what were the impacts of the decline in the rust belt?
- Population decline and brain drain as people leave to seek high-end jobs elsewhere (Detroit Michigan net loss of 26.6% from 2000-2012)
- High unemployment and crime including drugs
- Reduced revenue for local councils as consumer spending falls (due to US policy of local sales tax paid at the till)
- Low revenue from sales and property taxes to local council as well as little money available to invest in transport infrastructure for commuting and accessibility.
- ¼ of high street shops shut/empty
- by 2014, 2/3 of Detroit’s residents could not afford basic needs like food and fuel and the poverty rate was 38%
what are gated communities and sink estates?
gated communities- wealthy residential areas that are fenced off and have security entrance systems
sink estates- council housing estates that are least desirable to live in and have the shortest waiting list for housing. They are characterised by high levels of economic and social deprivation as well as crime, tending to house the lowest income residents
e.g. Broadwater farm in north London
explain the problem of the presence of gated communities and sink estates
The juxtaposition of these two areas exacerbates the inequality between the rich and the poor. Therefore, this may become a priority for regeneration in order to recreate the social stratification of an area whereby high QOL is widespread rather than concentrated with a small few.
In rural areas, successful prosperous commuter villages may only be a few miles away from less attractive rural villages, suffering population decline and service deprivation.
what are commuter villages like?
- tend to have the residential occupations of higher sector workers who earn more and can afford to commute
- unavoidable aspect of gentrification
- ‘ghost town’ during the day, risk to small businesses
- middle class people tend to live in these areas, driving house prices up often leading to an affordability crisis. In some cases, this can force people into cheaper rural settlements. Therefore, regeneration may happen in order to avoid such a process.
what are the pros and cons of regenerating gated communities?
pros:
- Bring money into an areas as house prices increases due to a gentrified population searching for privacy, PME
- Help prevent house prices from depreciating
cons:
- Can fracture communities and breed resentment
- Increases economic inequality between population
- Highly competitive property market due to limited space for new properties
what are the pros and cons of regenerating sink estates?
pros:
- Through regeneration it will lead to not only an improved quality of housing and opportunities (commercial and social services) for the area but will also increase environmental quality through the removal of graffiti and abandoned properties.
- Poor sanitation and so investing will improve sanitation and so there will be less health problems
- will help with attachment and therefore lived experience
cons:
- High levels of economic and social deprivation, large amounts of capital will be needed to invest
- Poor informal perception, low engagement and attachment, limited aspirations so investment may be wasted, not helped by the often transient population through the temporary housing in which it offers
- Increased living prices may not be sustainable due to the previous inhabitants
- Taxpayers may not want their money to be spent on the unemployed
