Spitalfields and banglatown Flashcards
What are the physical endogenous affecting Spitalfields?
- on the floodplain of the Thames - very flat land that is easy to build on and develop
- 1.2 miles from the Thames - at risk of flooding
- allowed it to develop as a huge trade area in the past
What is the history of Spitalfields?
- 1600’s - French Huguenots - heritage represented by Fournier street
- 1700’s - movement in of Irish potato farmers after decline in Irish linen industry, high windows let in light to work at night, still there today
- 1830’s - poverty stricken, dilapidated, crowded and rundown
- 1860’s - Jewish refugees move in - synagogue built but now abandoned, beigel shop remains today
- late 19th century - terrible perceptions - time of Jack the Ripper, worst criminal area
- 1960’s - Bengali migration into Spitalfields adds to cultural diversity, street names in Bengali and English highlights multicultural aspect
How did the guardian describe Spitalfields in 1830’s?
‘close and dark lanes’ - non habitation and delapidation
‘foulest and most dangerous street in the metropolis’
What factors affect Spitalfields character of place?
- flat land with poor urban drainage
- high density terraced housing
- street names in English and Bengali, mosques and synagogues
- east of central London
- close proximity to Thames and Wallbrook river
How did people describe their lived experience in Street voices - beyond Banglatown?
Ben: too much cultural diffusion
Brenda: against redevelopment because Brick lane needs its own identity - leads to ethnic cleansing and becomes like every other street in London
Ester: feels comfortable as a migrant because it is so multicultural
What are the characteristics of Brick lane?
- lots of independent family run businesses - not a clone town
- high proportion of vintage shops 10+ - reflects past domination in textiles industry
- very narrow and congested street
- vandalism - indicates high crime rates and lack of maintenance, may also be street art which suggests sense of community eg. allotment spaces for community groups
How have elements of Brick lanes heritage changed?
- old train station built 1600’s regenerated to an indoor market - sense of community
- filled in old railway arches - eliminates past history
What is the Truman building and why is it significant?
- was one of the largest breweries in the world but shut down in 1989 as a result of deindustrialisation
- was redeveloped in 1995 - now gentrified, bars/restaurants/shopping areas/night club
- goes against small independent businesses due to high prices
- built for young white DINKIES, has led to social segregation and tensions because pushes out Bangladeshi - reduces diversity
How has Brick lane changed since redevelopment? (North vs South)
- North has seen a bigger change because there has been a huge movement of white dinkies - in the North 5% can speak 4+ languages, in the south 25% can - cultural erosion
- South still dominated by textiles and Bangladeshi families - less change
- only 1/3 houses in the North are affordable
How has Brick lane changed since redevelopment? (overall)
- number of Bangladeshi run curry houses has plummeted from 34 to 20 from 2014-19 - lost sense of place and character
- rising prices has pushed out smaller independent businesses - becoming more of a clone town
- demolished council estate forcing over 600 residents to leave - has pushed rent up from £550 to £3000 per month - 450% increase
- some elements have not changed eg. street names, beigel shop, high windows, red brick buildings
How has gentrification affected Spitalfields? (with quotes)
- areas to the North and West experiencing gentrification
- eg. Fournier street - rundown in 1970’s due to deindustrialisation and decline in the textiles industry
- NYT 2014 “place was on its knees, nobody lived there by choice”
- modernised buildings, cleaner streets but still retains heritage eg. red brick buildings, high windows, street name with French heritage
How does Lily Allen present Brick Lane in LDN?
- ‘crack whore’ - area of crime, prostitution and drugs
- ‘everything seems nice but if you look twice you can see its all lies’ - looks nice on surface but underlying problems that go unnoticed to outsiders
How do different literature sources present Brick lane?
The Brick lane I see (Monica Ali):
“Breeding ground for discontent” - written in 1980 during deindustrialisation - poverty, overcrowding, unemployment
Mount terrace (Sally flood):
“this small street is fast receding, over years I watch it crumble away” - losing character and identity, cultural erosion
Window on Brick lane (Sally flood):
“ghetto without meaning” - placelessness, no sense of identity, Jews stayed inside and felt unsafe
“grey slums of Spitalfields”
How do drawings represent Spitalfields and how effective are they?
Rooftop drawing of Brick Lane - Sanchita Islam
- built-up and eclectic buildings, very high density
- industrial - factories
- modern flats/apartments/rooftop gardens - wealth of society
get a feel for the built landscape more so than a map so strong sense of place, however conveys no human elements like culture/demographic
What does secondary census data show about Spitalfields?
- average house price = £728,000
- 1% jobs in manufacturing
- 145 people per hectare compared to 4.9 people in Rossendale
- 7.5% unemployment
What are the shops like on Brick lane?
- 91% are independent, not part of a chain/franchise
- 56% have been on the street for 10+ years, long-established and little churn
Statistics about cultural diversity in the demographic on Brick lane
- 27% white - 1/3 the national average
- 41% Bangladeshi compared to 2% in London
- 42% of people are muslim - mosques
- although there is cultural diversity, it is mainly dominated by white and Bangladeshi therefore may not be as diverse as it appears to be
