Changing Places case studies + notes

aspects of place

location, locale, sense of place

descriptive approach

the idea that each place is distinct and can be studied as a single entity

social constructionist approach

a place is a product of social processes occuring over time (e.g. Banglatown’s locale is a product of migration)

phenomenological approach

place characteristics of a place are irrelevant, it is place perception that defines place

biomapping / emotional cartography

considering personal experience when creating a qualitative map e.g. Adam Dant’s 2011 map which also considers place ‘characters’

example of artist in Spitalfields in the 1990s

Damien Hirst

factors considered in the IMD

income, employment, health deprivation, education, crime, barriers to housing, environment

number of tourists to London in 2023

20.3mn

example of media displaying of Brick Ln.

Spitalfields Life blog since 2009

Altab-Ali

killed in 1978.

house prince increase in T. Hamlets since 2000

£145K to £450K

Street art on Brick Lane

south-side lascar mural, Stik’s multicultural, Banksy’s monkeys (2024)

IMD around Brick Lane

postcodes to the south east are <3rd most deprived decile; to the NW this shifts to >6th most deprived

percentage of Spitalfields ward that is working-age (16-64)

80.1%

example of a book discussing brick lane

2003, Brick Lane by Monica Ali - discusses a Bangladeshi woman moving to brick lane. Example quote: ‘All this money, money everywhere. Ten years ago there was no money here.’

example of insider letter / review of Brick Lane

The Guardian 2015: ‘I’m getting the impression that the ‘them and us’ mentality is coming from both sides’

Old Spitalfields market overview

Redone in 2005 at the cost of £400mn, now owned by Tribeca Holdings (more exogenous influence)

When did Brick Lane Mosque become a mosque

1976

median household income of Tower Hamlets

£30,760, (it must be noted brick lane is much higher at ~£60,000 note this)

example pub in Highgate

the Angel

when was the Highgate Hill Cable Tramway built

1884

Witanhurst House value, purchase date

$450mn valuation, bought for $50mn in 2013 by a Russian fertiliser oligarch

annual visitors to Hampstead Heath

8.1mn visitors

average income in Highgate

$40K

IMD in and around Highgate

generally >8th most deprived decile, but <3rd most deprived towards Holloway; 15.3 compared to 21.7 in England

percentage of Highgate being white British

~76%

percentage of population in two wards surrounding Highgate that have a university degree

70%

average age in Highgate

late 30s

House prices in Highgate

in the range of £1.5-4mn

poetry example in Highgate

Shanta Acharya’s Awakening (‘the old pensioner bent with age’)

investment into Hull UK City of Culture 2017

£3 million Heritage Lottery fund grant (this was the only government funding)with up to £1bn in business investments and £60mn attracted from tourism

number of tourists visiting Hull due to UK city of culture

5.3mn

Made in Hull: outline

rebranding campaign creating a sense of place (e.g. The Housemartins)

urban splash: overview

£146mn grant in 2007 to reimage Park Hill Flats (originally from 1961); 200 new homes were regenerated

amount of government investment into Stratford City

£9.6bn

unemployment rate in boroughs surrounding Stratford in 2010

13%

cost of living rise in Hackney since 2010

69% or higher

number of new homes created in Stratford City

~1200