birmingham case study

Birmingham case study 

• Key idea: places are influenced by a range of players operating at different scales 

Key facts 

• Birmingham is a large metropolitan region at the heart of the west midlands 

• In 2014 there were 1.1 million residents making it the largest city after london 

• Pre industrial revolution - prior to industrial revolution, poor agricultural region with half a dozen streets, a church and a market square. Trade took off and metal workings.

Pre industrial resolution

• 15,000 people now live in Birmingham, migration from rural areas being the main growth.

• The first factory in the World Cotton machinery invented in Birmingham in 1730s along with air filled tyres, steam engines and x-rays

• During WW2 radar was developed here. In the 19th and 20th century the gun, jewellery, button and brass industry dominated and other industries grew to support the growing populations.

• The Cadbury family set up the Bourneville site on the outskirts of Birmingham, with all the industry banking and insurance firms developed in Birmingham. Birmingham was at the heart of the national canal network and was connected in 1838 to the London railway network.

1900 to 1950s 

• new engineering industries developed such as the Austin car plants in 1906, the multiplier effect meant huge amount of supporting industries expanded e.g. Dunlop tyres opened and by 1950 employed 10,000 people. 

• The chemical industry grew with products such as Bakelite. Due to Birmingham's high diversity across many industries it survived the Great Depression of the interwar years. Metal based industries accounted for 50% of total employment. 

Post war

• Birmingham continued to be a prosperous city during the 50's…