Spitalfields and Banglatown - Changing Places

Question 1

What flows cause demographic changes?

Answer 1

• Flows of people
• Flows of money and invesment
• Demographic characteristics are to do with who lives in a place.

Question 2

What flows cause demographic changes - Flows of people

Answer 2

• Flows of people can change the age or gender balance, education level, ethnicity, population size, religion of the population, income etc.
• Signifcant bengali community in more recent times, the east india company drove migration, they employed thousands of Bengali seamen known as ‘lascars’ on ships from Calcutta to the docks of england. They came to look for work and establish cafes wich caused the beggining of the booming restaurant trade in the area.
• They came to east London in the 1960s, where they found work in the Jewish-owned textile factories around Brick Lane.
• 2011 Census data Spitalfields and banglatown ward was 57% BAME, 41% Bangladeshi and 27% White british.
• 2011 Census data 18% christian, 41% muslim, that number has risen to 46.5% in the 2021 Census.
• ‘Brick Lane is very important for us Bangladeshis – we feel safe here and it’s where other Bengalis come and visit.’
• Jewish people arriving from eastern Europe, fleeing from the Pogroms, from 1881 onwards the number of jewish migrants increased. In 1899 a quater of the population of spitalfields were Jewish, this number rose again after WW2.

Question 3

What flows cause demographic changes - Flows of money and investment

Answer 3

• This is done either by governments, buisnesses, TNCs or other stakeholders. They can change the demographic characterisitcs of a place.
• In the UK the London Docklands Development Corporation, based in Tower Hamlets was set up by the government in 1981 to redevelop the Docklands area, the schemes imrpoved the built enviroment, economy and oppurtunities in the area. The population has more than doubled between 1981 and the 21st century.
• A large shopping area was constructed close to Canary Warf. A number of parks have been created where buildings once stood. More recently the Millennium Dome was built in this area, DLR (Dockland light railway).
• Tower Hamlets saw the largest percentage growth in population in England between 2011 and 202, increasing by 22%, the population of london rose by only 7%. ALSO DUE TO MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE.
• Tower Hamlets has also become the most densely populated local authority area in the country, Home to around 112.1 people per football pitch-sized piece of land, compared with 91.8 in 2011.
• 24.5% of people in the borough arrived from outside of the UK over the last decade. MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE.
• Crossrail Whitechapel, new Elizabeth Line station at whitechapel, a big factor. It will bring new workers into the area. It will create growth and opportunity eg will make it easier for people to work at hospital, work at new life sciences bio park etc.

Question 4

What flows can affect the Cultural characteristics of a Place?

Answer 4

The cultural characteristics of places are to do with how people live their lives, for example the food they eat, the traditions, language, art, beliefs, religion and values.

• Flows of people
• Flows of money, investment and ideas.

Question 5

What flows cause Cultural characteristics to change - Flows of people

Answer 5

• People visitng or moving to a place bring their cultures with them, this can have a long lasting effect and forever change a place.
• Movement of people from Bangladesh in particular has created a multi-ethnic culture in the community, with a greater mix of languages spoken, religions practised and foods eaten.
• 2011 Census data, 22.6% speak Bengali and 60% speak english as a first language. In the UK 0.4% of the poppulation speak Bengali.
• Massive influx of curry houses and Bengali food shops that came from Bengali migrants, the south of the bridge the services are dominated by Indian and Bengali culture, curry house, hairdressers and supermarkets are heavily Bengali. ENDO FACTOR?
• In the mid-2000s there were 60 curry houses on brick lane, there are now only 23 as of 2020.
• Arabic and Bangladeshi writting next to the street signs on brick lane represent the bengali influence

Question 6

What flows cause Cultural characteristics to change - Flows of people

Answer 6

• People visitng or moving to a place bring their cultures with them, this can have a long lasting effect and forever change a place.
• Movement of people from Bangladesh in particular has created a multi-ethnic culture in the community, with a greater mix of languages spoken, religions practised and foods eaten.
• 2011 Census data, 22.6% speak Bengali and 60% speak english as a first language. In the UK 0.4% of the poppulation speak Bengali.
• Massive influx of curry houses and Bengali food shops that came from Bengali migrants, the south of the bridge the services are dominated by Indian and Bengali culture, curry house, hairdressers and supermarkets are heavily Bengali. ENDO FACTOR?
• In the mid-2000s there were 60 curry houses on brick lane, there are now only 23 as of 2020.
• In 2007, Tower Hamlets council designated Brick Lane a tourist area with a “creative and cultural focus.”
• Muslim influence driven by the movement of people, at 59 Brick Lane there is the Brick Lane Mosque at the corner of Fournier street.
• Arabic and Bangladeshi writting next to the street signs on brick lane represent the muslim and religious influence.
• Very little Jewish presence left on brick lane as they have slowly been moved away. BUT Mural on Fournier street with the word S Shwartz shows the remnents of the old Jewish east end, over 100,000 people settled here.
• Brick lanes Beigal shop also represents the ongoing jewish iinfluence that has changes the character of the place.
• The Beigel Shop is Londons oldest beigel bakery founded in 1855. On their website they say they aim to ‘Provide the historic tastes and traditions of the Jewish East End’.

Question 7

What flows cause Cultural characteristics to change - Flows of money, investment and ideas

Answer 7

• New cultural ideas introduce to places can change the characterisitcs of a place.
• 1970s government policy of deindustrialisation forced bengali workers to seek livelihoods outside the rag trade, this saw a increase in food and curry restaurant in brick lane, creating a rich muli-cultural area.
• HOWEVER urban change and regnerration in brick lane meant there has been a increase in French Patisseries, pizzar parlours and vegan cafes, by 2020 there were only 23 curry houses left in brick lane, a 62% decrease since 2005.
• One study concluded that the borough of Tower Hamlets, which includes Brick Lane, had undergone the most gentrification in London from the years 2010 to 2016.
• ‘White Chapel Masterplan’ to make the S+B more homogenous to nearby richer areas, this has seen rent increase up to 40% in the past 3 years.
• 2005 Spitalfields Market £400m investment provides city workers food stalls, an alternative lunchtime option to curry houses.
• Consequently, a local owner of The Monsoon Curry House said their lived experience had changed: ‘On a Sunday we used to get 90-110 people. This Sunday, we only served 13.’
• Massively changing the multi-cultural aspect of the area.

Question 8

What external flows can change the economic characteristics of a place?

Answer 8

• The economic characterisitcs of a place are to do with work and money, income, unemployment rates and types of jobs that are available, this is effected by flows of people, resources, money and investment.

Question 9

How do external flows change the economic characteristics of a place - Flows of people

Answer 9

• People moving to a place can change the economic characteristics of a place.
• The movement of Bengalis esstablished the dominant place of work and landuse in the area as restaurants and other services, and In 1999, the borough’s planning office permitted the conversion of shops in the central section of Brick Lane into restaurants, designating the area a ‘Restaurant Zone’.
• 2005 there were 60 curry houses. Bengal Cuissine established in 1985.
• Orginially the area was hugely industrialised, flows the french hufuenot refugees established the silk-weaving industryin the 17th century and Jewish refugees in the mid 20th century drove the boom of east londons ‘rag trade’ and the textile industry.
• In the 1950s and 60s a handul of bengalis even opened their own leather and textile buisnesses and sweatshops on brick lane.
• ‘there was a lot of poverty around here. When I started, there was poverty. People lived very poorly. People had very poorly paid jobs. People in the tailoring trade and so on – they were very poorly paid jobs. There was no security in those days.’
• Brick lane initially had clothing and leather factories, late 80s and 90s the Bengalis acquired outlets and turned them into Indian restaurants. 90s councils would help and cultivate the restaurant sector, hoping to bring in tourism from outside.

Question 10

How do external flows change the economic characteristics of a place - Flows of resources, money and investment

Answer 10

• This is the outward flow of local products or natural resourves from a place than can have a large impact on local economies.
• The growth of the ‘grab and go. Eateries and major chains such as Pret A Manger in Spitalfields market has meant that brick lane now has competition and many chose these places over the smaller curry houses.
• Reduced investment from global markets has led to the decline of primary industries in the UK OR DEINDUSTRIALISATION, resource flows have changed, fall in the exporting of manafacturing goods and the rise of the creative, service industry. Truman brewery for example closed down in 1980, hundreds of people were removed from their jobs and the site was changed into a venue for creative spaces, pubs bars and restaurants are also located around here.
• Truman Brewery was sold for £4million and refurbished into a site used for art and gallaries.
• • Bangladeshi restaurant owners were very conscience of being priced out of brick lanes market during the constantly ricing and changing rent prices. The rent went up by 40% in 3 years. Profits fell by 20%.

Question 11

How do external flows effect social inequality?

Answer 11

• The social characteristics of a place are to do with what peoples lives are like, their overall quality of life, their access to food, healthcare, education sanitation and other social issues.

Question 12

How do external flows effect social inequality - Flows of people

Answer 12

• Migration from Bangladesh has resulted in a signifcant amount of racial and social unrest in brick lane.
• Dan Jones Brick Lane painting represents brick lanes issues, Protests in the corner show the racial struggle and protests that came in Banglatowns history, Anti Nazi signs, Nazi symbols shows the presence of the Jewish community and their struggle during the second world war against Nazi Germany and the holocaust.
• The Altab Ali park shows the legacy of social unrest and inequality, he was a bangladeshi textile worker who was stabbed to death on the 4th May 1978, 10 days after the death, a group of protestors marched across central London in a campaign to end racism.

Question 13

How do external flows effect social inequality - Flows of money, invesment and resources.

Answer 13

• Gentrification in the North of Brick Lane and Spitalfields has led to signficant income inequality.
• The Index of multiple deprivation 2010 shows us that in one area 98% of older people live in income deprived families, whereas in other areas that number is as low as 41%. HUGE INEQUALITY.
• Bengalis are being forced out of brick lane.

Question 14

External forces driving change - Government policies

Answer 14

• Development of S&B through regeneration, who succesfully bid for government regenration grants to facilitate the development of the area.
• ‘White Chapel Masterplan’ to make the S+B more homogenous to nearby richer areas, this has seen rent increase up to 40% in the past 3 years.
• 2005 Spitalfields Market £400m investment provides city workers food stalls, an alternative lunchtime option to curry houses.
  Tower Hamlets, had undergone the most gentrification in London from the years 2010 to 2016.
• Local Bengali community can consequently no longer afford to stay there, rent rises by 40%.
• Elizabeth line expansion and the London docklands project has facilitared poppulation growth.
• 3 November 2016: Immigration rules demanded a new English language requirement at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This, alongside income requirements, have made it very difficult for restaurant owners to get staff – particularly chefs, but also waiters and kitchen staff.
• 1980s: Curry houses were dominated by Bangladeshis, who made up 80% of the businesses and workforce. In recent years, 25 businesses have opened and closed in the past 4 years. At its height in the mid-2000s, Banglatown was home to around 60 Bangladeshi or Pakistani-owned curry restaurants and cafés. In February 2020, there were only 23 such outlets on Brick Lane and Osborn Street – a decrease of 62% in 15 years Shows how national scale decisions are influential on a local scale
• East india company policy intitilay drive bengali migration.

Question 15

External forces driving - TNCs

Answer 15

• Deindustrialisation forced bengali workers to seek livelihhoods outside the rag trade, increase in curry houses to 60 in 2005 .
• Reduced investment from global markets has led to the decline of primary industries in the UK OR DEINDUSTRIALISATION, resource flows have changed, fall in the exporting of manafacturing goods and the rise of the creative, service industry. Truman brewery for example closed down in 1980, hundreds of people were removed from their jobs and the site was changed into a venue for creative spaces, pubs bars and restaurants are also located around here.
• Truman Brewery was sold for £4million and refurbished into a site used for art and gallaries.