Regeneration

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EQ1: How and why do places vary?

  • Economies can be classified by sector (Redcar = secondary, South West Cornwall = primary, Chesham = tertiary). Differences in economic activity (employment data) reflected in health, life expectancy and educaion levels, and inequalities in pay across different types of employment (quinary managerial concentrated in South East London = up to £50,000 income, low deprivation, no strneuous manual labour, 40.5% have degree, more likely to pass GCSEs. South West = £15,000 income, higher happiness than core regions, elederly retire in countryside away from stress, only 1.2% less achieve A/A* Grades than London) reflected in quality of life indices e.g IMD (English Index of Multiple Deprivation, considers healthcare, living environment, barriers to living, income, crime, employment etc).
  • How Chesham has changed function + characteristics over time - originally a market town, physical location good for trade, INDSUTRIAL loss of manufacturing of brush and shoe making (1850s-1900s). After WW2 changed to small independent businesses RETAIL, comuters town due to Metropolitan line ADMINISTRATIVE. Preserved market function, pedestrianised town centre as a result. Implementation of the Chilterns green belt = restricted housing + limited economic growth.
  • Past and present connections shaped Chesham's economic + social characteristics - as a result, 75.9% of pop. employed in tertiary sector, good income = general health, high qualifications (grammar schools). Southern Chesham near chesham bois = least deprived, cenral Chesham e.g Pond Park = most deprived, furthest from underground, not high income commuters = lowest levels of qualifications.
  • Intrenational + global influences on Chesham - high Asian population, increased diversity, greater interconnectedness with London. 
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EQ2: Why might regeneration be needed?

  • Economic and social inequalities change the perception of an area, good perception of successful San Francisco, Sillicon Valley (high employment, output levels, quality of life and low deprivation), HQ od TNCs e.g twitter, high investment, however declinig middle class due to rising house prices bad perception of The Rust Belt, spiral of decline (low levels of income due to reolcation of steeal industry to South East USA e.g Texas, low spending levels, few businesses survive on small spenig power, low revenue and tax, less money to spend on infrastructure, makes it unnattractive to investors, 80,000 jobs lost in Michigan. 90,000 gained in South East. Population drop of 26.6%, high crime and drugs use, more benefits claims. (due to economic restructuring in 1980s). Places like 'sink estates'should be prioritised for regeneration to improve inequalities. e.g Newham highly deprived before London 2012 Olympics.
  • There are variations in the lived experience of a place and engagement with them - local communities vary in engagement and attitude, lived experience varies according to gender, ethnicity and deprivation + can alter engagement. Grenfell Tower Action Group engaged more with local council over fire safety concerns (high deprivation group), absence of engagement with the super rich of Kensington + Chelsea, borugh with highest social divide in the UK. Highest engagement in rural areas = close knit small communities e.g Grampound Cornwall won investment from Calor energy company for UK's best community, opened a cmmunity coffee shop owned by the entire village. 63% voted in Parish council compared to local average of 30%. Highengagemnt = working village not second homeowners so changes effect them more + annual community events e.g villga ecarnival = community cohesion.
  • Different ways to evaluate the need for regeneration - use of statistical evidence, media can provide contrasting coverage of location, different representations of local place influence perceived need for regeneration. Sink estates most priority however, negative media coverage e.g benefit fraudsters, David Cameron called them 'everything wrong with Britain.'
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EQ2: Why might regeneration be needed?

  • Middlesborough, a declining town - unemployment rate twice national average, independent stores replaced by TNCs no local enconomy decreases academic motivation, landlords don't maintain properties, high antisocial behaviour, 1/3 schools require improvement, lower life expectancy than average,  = bad perception, no alternative industry to closed steelworks.
  • Conflicts arising due to regeneration - Stratford + London Olympics = top down development from local + national government impacts locals who don't have a voice. Schemes focus on economic motives and not social housing, local businesses replaced by chain stores in Olympic park for tourists, Carpenters estate demolished for new UCL campus, exec Mayor Robin Wales wants it to bring high techjobs and skills to benefit wider community (economically motivated), relocating families 100s of miles away. H Forman and Son had to relocate due to competition from Olympic park shops. CHANGING FUNCTION from derelict to recreational/leisure.
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EQ3: How is regeneration managed?

  • Regeneration influenced by UK government policy which affects infrastructure investment (e.g HS2 increasing connections with London and deprived West midlands and North via faster travel time, Northern Hub Project, upgrading northern railways, £600million investment, 30,00 new jobs, ensuring growth is not concentrated in London. Howeverover £2000 spent for every Londoner vs £5 per person in North East on infrastructure). Rates and types of development (e.g affordable housing, 35% goal in London)  and UK government decisions about international migration (EU open boders=1.2million Polish people settled in 2005, strain on housing, but Eatern European entrepreneurs improved economy of Corby, halving crime+antisocial behaviour) and deregulation of capital markets (opened up East London to Quatari investors who transformed Canary Wharf into high powered financial hub)
  • Local government policies to make areas attractive to inward investment - e.g local governments compete for investors. Companies collaborate with universities e.g Oxford and Begbroke science parks built on outskirts of city to encourage equal investment. Local interest groups - conflict with Chamber of commerce (ambition to encourage investment and business growth) vs Aylesbury Society as construction of Waterside theatre, waitrose and Gourmet Burger Kitchen meant demolishing grade II buildings, compromised by preserving some to maintain a sense of community. 
  • Rebranding attempts make places more attractive by changing public perception - Cornwall = 25 Jamie Oliver restaurants (food tourism), farm diversification, Eden Project built on old coal mines. Newham = Olympic park +legacy, shopping centre, gentrified, expensive flats.
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EQ4: How successful is regeneration?

  • The success of regeneration is measured by economic, demographic (increase in middle class, decline in working class due to gentrification, London Docklands, caused poor to relocate to Essex in 1980s) social and environmental factors (Newham park increased green space, reduced derelict land) -  IMD measures economic, social and environmental factors.
  • Urban stakeholders have different criteria for judging success e.g lived experience and impact of change on the reailty and image of the location. 
  • Rural stakeholders have different criteria for judging success e.g different stakeholders assess success differently - e.g Cornwall is a success from national government point of view due to resturants attracting young demographic, increasing workforce + economic growth. Locals may think differently because decline of agricultural and industrial past means it's losing its identity.
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