geo changing places - brick lane case study

source - statistics

Census data, employment data

Two dominant ethnic groups are Asian and White
White decreased from 2011 to 2021, Asian increased
Asian the largest group - Banglatown
Dominant religion is Islam
Muslim and no religion increasing - everything else decreasing
Main cluster of ages is 24-50 - older population is increasing, younger mostly decreasing

Population growth was higher in Tower Hamlets than across London
Tower Hamlets' pop change was 22.1% increase
In London it was 7.7% increase from the 2011 census (triple that of London)

Council data
10th most deprived local authority in England
4 in 10 households below the poverty line
21% of households have no adult in employment
19% of residents earn below the London Living Wage

source - maps

OS, Google Maps

Georgian - lots of green space, ~40%, church still under construction, murder and muggings a Holywell Mount lead to it being levelled, local theatres lose their relevance, agricultural practice, fewer and narrower roads due to less vehicles
Victorian Shoreditch - increase in urban built environment, railway stream, addition of Commerical street, church completed, style of new builds are terraced to allow high population density, migration leading to more demand, less green space
Modern shoreditch - chapel dedicated to Shakespeare destroyed, shoreditch music hall demolished to become another warehouse, wider less cramped roads, railway no longer steam powered, a little more green space than victorian

source - geospatial data

IMD, Public Health determinants of health, CDRC

IMD: Tower Hamlet one of the most deprived boroughs, 20% most deprived
Tower Hamlets has experienced +22.1% population (London +7.7%, England +6.6%)

source - Audio-visual media

film archives

Far less people, less lively
Less touristy - not a popular trendy spot yet
More feel that it is Banglatown - lots of south asians
Shows us visually real footage of people living there in the 80s
Narration of how life has improved for the people living there

source - Text, from varied media

Poetry, novels, social media sources including blogs

Instagram - promoting 'underrated' and 'hidden' vintage thrift stores - now no longer small and quiet, but a popular tourist place

Poem 'made in shoreditch' website

'brick lane poem' by sammy brough
Singers with guitars Lane
Walls adorned with art Lane
Hipsters look the same Lane
Thousand bobbing heads Lane
Sell your stolen shit Lane
Surely not legit Lane
Shops heaped with stitching Lane
Overpriced clutter Lane
Home is the gutter Lane
Smells like tasty food Lane
Tourists get tattoos Lane
Bagels-a-hurry Lane
"Come for best curry" Lane
Hippies in the park Lane
Scary in the dark Lane
Vintage Vintage Vintage
Check back down the passage
Shady Shady Shady
Scared lone walking lady
Slam shut the door and breathe
Hold on tight to the keys
Safely in the flat again
Just off of Brick Lane

'Window on Brick Lane' by Sally Flood
'I remember
The red brick of Stepney
Green Whitechapel and
Commercial Road
The grey slums of Spitalfields
That overflowed
Childhood speaks another tongue
Of terror, when the day was done
Them round the stove
The old folks' tales were spun
From Bethnal Green and Hoxton
There echoed far and wide
Tramping of the Jackboots
That kept the Jews inside
A ghetto without walls
A ghetto without doors
A ghetto without meaning'

source - Artistic representations

Paintings, sculpture

Dan Jones - depicts Brick Lane with its red bricks, very lively and vibrant, prominent south asian community, very busy and clustered, 2017

Noel Gibson - shows the more derelict, abandoned, empty side of Brick Lane, 1970

source - oral

Interviews, reminiscences, songs

Songs - TSwift depicts london as warm, nice, whimsical, filled with stereotypes (london Boy)
Lily Allen (LDN) - insider, themes of crime, negative, facade 'you can see its all lies'
French Huguenots (Protestants who fled prosecution due to France being Catholic)
1980s onwards - period of regeneration
1854 - Sandy's turned into a synagogue - reflects waves of immigration
Bagel shops
Mosque converted to synagogue - 1976 - seen as a community centre
Conflict in the 70s - skinhead gang - protests
Altab Ali Park - killing
Lots of Bangladeshi people in Brick Lane still working class - socio economic marginalisation
Number of people in mosques has halved
People do not want to stay here anymore - moving esp. young people
Anti gentrification movement - attacking of a cereal shop
Change now - people feel safe to walk around and pray, racism a lesser threat

brick lane location

north of river, in Tower Hamlets (Spitalfields and Banglatown ward)
east of London, next to Newham
West part of Tower Hamlets, closer to city of London
East End
Tower Hamlets is one of the larger central boroughs with 20 wards

Physical endogenous factors of Brick Lane

Elevation - 14m
relatively flat terrain - topography affects drainage patterns, residential areas, land use, layout of infrastructure
near the river - connection
not a lot of big green open spaces - urban environment
Water ways (Thames) - directly impacting Brick Lane today
Waterways historically facilitated transportation, trade, thus influencing growth and layout of Brick Lane

Brick Lane's locale

A vibrant cultural hub stretching from Bethnal Green Road to Whitechapel High Street. Known for its diverse heritage and eclectic atmosphere, the street boasts a mix of shops, restaurants, and street art, reflecting its Bangladeshi and Jewish roots. Despite gentrification (hipsterisation), Brick Lane draws in artists, creatives and visitors by its dynamic charm and distincitve edge.

How has Brick Lane changed over time? - interviews by UCL

migrants - French Huguenots
1854 - Sandy's now synagogue - reflects waves of immigration
1980s onwards - period of regeneration
Bagel shops
mosque converted to synagogue - 1976 - changes in built environment and demographic
seen as a community centre
conflict in 1970s - gangs of skinheads - protests
Altab Ali Park - built in 1998 to commemorate 1978 murder
change now - people feel safer to walk around and pray
lots of Bangladeshi people in Brick Lane still working class - socioeconomic marginalisation
Number of people in mosque has halved
People do not want to stay here - moving
anti gentrification movement
aspiration quality amongst lots of young Bangladeshis - moving out - cannot afford

Brick Lane in photographs over time

continuity - Truman Brewery, has always been a market place/place to shop, windows still boarded up preserves history (window tax)

change - growth of high rise buildings, gentrification has brought more people into the area which was more derelict before, more colourful and vibrant

impact of local groups and community - Save Brick Lane

the Save Brick Lane campaign group is against the proposed redevelopment of the Truman Brewery, which has been criticised by some who feel the gentrification of the area is pushing them out
TH council approved the plans - for offices, shops, and a gym to be build on the TB site
TB site currently houses around 140 small businesses and a public space
the area has a long history of being a multicultural melting pot
A member of the SBL campaign group said that the local community should not assume that the development and gentrification are inevitable - they are only inevitable if no one stands up against it
there were 7000 objections to the plans, inluding from the Bengali East End Heritage Society.
Another member of the SBL group said she is not opposed to development but it needs to be in the right direction and involve the community
Some locals such as some supermarket owners are in favour of bringing more people into the area, as increasing the footfall will bring more customers and make the area more livel

yimpact of local groups and community - Gentrification

according to a study by the Runnymede Trust, Tower Hamlets saw the most gentrification anywhere in London between 2010 to 2016.
as the area has become more desirable with trendy cafes serving vegan food and artisan chocolate shops, office blocks, chain stores - rents and business rates have risen by 70%
at the same time, more than half of the Bangladeshi restaurants on Brick Lane have closed in the last 2 decades according to Runnymede Trust
A founder of a British Bangladeshi activist group says 'change in inevitable, but why does the change never include us? Who is [The TB redevelopment] for? Who is it for? It's for tourists. They come to Brick Lane to see street signs in English and Bangla, which is cute for Instagram. But what is left for the people who are still living here?'

impact of local groups and community - TATI community group

wants to bring Bangla culture back into the area
a non-profit social enterprise led by BAME women and young people in Brick Lane
a cafe inspired by Bangla food
brings together women who cook family recipes at home with young people to train, teach and gain confidence sharing Bangla culture
through creative collaborations, it aims to improve employability and entrepreneurship opportunities
asking for donations

impact of government - Liveable streets

Tower Hamlets
programme to improve roadway infrastructure, open spaces and encourage sustainable travel behaviour for residents, businesses and visitors to Tower Hamlets
multimillion pound programme aims to improve the look and feel of public spaces
make it easier, safer and more convenient to get around by foot, bike, and public transport
included feedback from local businesses and resident groups
open spaces encouraging health and exercise, decrease pollution, increase family and community feel

impact of government - Truman Brewery

local newspaper 'The Slice' quote 2024 on the TB development - in the last few years property prices have tripled between 2010 and 2020, the Zeloofs have chosen to prioitise money - large scale planning applications for malls and office blocks
Brick Lane's community is arguing that its character and heritage are at risk of disappearing - 'sterilised by rows of steel and glass retail filled with commuters with no neighbourhood connection'
proposed redevelopment would by 70% office, retail, workspace, food/drink according to Save Brick Lane coalition
residents and campaigners urged councillors to 'say no to private developers and investors who prioritise profit at the expense of our community'
the largest of the planning applications would demolish several buildings at the TB site, building five new buildings with offices, 44 homes, 6 of which will be affordable rent, a restaurant, cinema, supermarket, market
council executive summary says that the proposed floorspace would be 86% commerical and 14% residential

impact of government - immigration acts

1948 nationality act - citizens of the commonwealth had the right to be citizens of the UK and its colonies, meaning they could emigrate and settle

1963 commonwealth immigrants act - holders of commonwealth passports no longer had the right to live and work in the UK, a limited number of employment vouchers would be issued to those who had job offers or professional skills

1968 commonwealth immgrants act - banned entry to Britain to anyone without a father or grandfather born in the UK

1971 immigrations act - vouchers were replaced by work permits which were only valid for a specific amount of time

impact of corporate bodies - Truman Brewery

1995: Zeloof family bought Old Truman Brewery for £4M.
Converted 11-acre site into arts hub: galleries, studios, rental offices.
Tech startups filled many offices.
Vibe Bar opened (closed 2014).
Shifted Brick Lane from dining to nightlife economy.
Attracted younger, white, middle-class crowd.
Early ties with small businesses, especially British-Bangladeshi, were symbiotic.
Trendiness boosted foot traffic, helping independents.
Increasingly, larger spaces leased to offices and brand-name retailers.

Quotes from former regeneration representative: 'The Truman Brewery was also a massively important draw to the area for a lot of people, who wouldn't have come to Brick Lane for a curry necessarily'

Quotes from local Bangladeshi people: 'The Truman Brewery has more or less taken over and that doesn't benefit our business.'

impact of corporate bodies - Hampton by Hilton hotel

£50million project: Development of a new 118,000 sqft, 278-key, London City hotel, with practical build completion scheduled for June 2023.
The new five-storey Hampton by Hilton will comprise the refurbishment of the existing hotel with the addition of a new-build extension.Alongside 278 rooms and suites, the new facilities will provide meeting, dining and events space including a cinema room and a large function room. The hotel is located in the heart of East London by Brick Lane, an area undergoing significant investment from Tower Hamlets Council, and just five minutes from the City of London.
The hotel includes a restaurant, alongside meetings and events facilities.