changing places case study- AYLESBURY CENTRAL WARD

what endogenous factors of aylesbury do I need to know about? (8)

- location/topography

- physical geography

- demographic characteristics

- built environment

- land use

- infrastructure

- economic characteristics

- heritage and history

describe aylesbury's location

a bustling market town located in Buckinghamshire, south east england

- pictures of the area in 1925 prove its an old market town

describe the physical geography of aylesbury

- on average the area is 72.5m above sea level, with the market square being slightly elevated

- aylesbury is south east of the river thames

- the main soil types of the area include oxford clay and kimmeridge clay soils which are slowly permeable

- Aylesbury also has the grand union canal that was completed in 1815 that runs for 10km to aylesbury. it has 16 locks and drops a total of 95 feet

- Waddesdon manor, is surrounded by views of the vale of aylesbury

how is aylesburys population changing?

Aylesbury's population has risen by 10.3% since 2013

and this has been the 8th highest growth rate among the 371 local authorities

how ethnically diverse is aylesbury?

Aylesbury is 81% white

59.7% of the population are christian

what is there level of education?

48.3% of aylesbury central ward have 5+ GCSEs/O LEVELS

what are the crime levels like in aylesbury? what happened in January 2022?

in January 2022 there were 156 crimes in the town centre compared to 42 crimes in the old town area of aylesbury central ward

describe the overall built environment of aylesbury

aylesbury has a very mixed built environment this is seen through the range of buildings, the style of architecture is not coherent throughout the area

what building was completed in 1940?

The County Hall

describe the county hall, what style is it etc

- red brick building of seven bays and 2 stories

- palladian style with some baroque influences

what was founded in 1795

The Old Bank

- by William Rickford

- italianate classical style of buildings

- good quality architecture is a good measure of wealth that came from being the only financial building in the area

what are the main land uses in aylesbury?

- market square

- transport hubs

- restaurants/recreation

- shopping

describe/explain the market square land use in aylesbury?

- first market took place during the 13th century

- during the middle ages aylesbury also had 2 fairs per year

- markets are still held now 3 days a week

what was the exchange development

The exchange opened on 8th March 2019

Aylesbury town centre's first purpose-built mixed restaurant, commercial and residential development

Define lived experience

Personal knowledge gained through direct, first-hand involvement in everyday events rather than through representations constructed by other people.

It may also refer to knowledge gained from direct face-to-face interaction rather than through a

technological medium.

Define sense of place

The personal and emotional attachment people have to a place

what do statistics/census data tell us about places?

- they can give us lost of quantative information about what places are like, e.g population structure, average income, crime figures

- statistics themselves are objective, but they can be used subjectively as people can select what data they wish to show

- statistics do not usually tell u anything about the sense of place of an area- as sense of place is very opinion based

what do maps tell us about a place?

- maps can be used to show any sort of data that has a location, e.g they can show where physical features are

- they can also show quantitative demographic/ economic data e.g different levels of income by location

- some maps show qualitative information, such as maps of indexes that show levels of happiness- these may be more helpful for information about sense of place

- maps can show you reliable data, but they can also be missleading e.g historical maps may be inaccurate

what do films/photography/art tell us about a place- visual representations?

- visual representations show what places look like, therefore they can give you some sense of the character of the places

- however, they only represent what the artist wants to show you, and therefore can be misleading

- photographs only show what a place looks like in a given moment- photographs taken at different times of the day can make a place look and feel different. photographs can also be edited to look different from reality e.g if from a biased source

- films and television evoke a sense of place that is dependent of the nature of the story being told e.g crime show vs romance comedy might give a different sense of place

- paintings may be less reliable than films and photography at showing what places look like as they are the artists interpretation. they can be more effective at conveying sense of place though (e.g use of bright colours in paintings could suggest happy place)

what do stories/articles/music/poetry tell us about a place?

- written representations can be used to describe places, and can also evoke a sense of how it feels to be in that place

- they usually only offer the perspective of the author though, so they do not show a complete picture

- newspaper articles can give a lot of information about a place but they may be biased e.g newspapers may only focus on ideas that are likely to sell more copies-more controversial themes that give a skewed sense of place

- stories,music and poetry can give an emotional impression of places, but only from the writers perspectives

what are my 4 representations of aylesbury to talk about?

- painting

- song

- article on canal murder

- review article of aylesbury

describe the painting source

1947 oil on canvas painting of the town centre by Charmain - artist

evaluate the painting as a source, what does it tell us about the sense of place of aylesbury?

- painting with bright colours that shows lots of people at a busy market

- it depicts aylesbury as bustling market town, the bright colours could suggest that it is quite a vibrant happy area

- it is also from a long time ago 1947- so it is good to compare to photos/paintings now to show change in the areas built environment/sense of place overtime, and can help to build up a 'sense of place'

- however it is a painting so it is an artists interpretation of the place which could be biased so not entirely reliable

describe the song source

2012- rap/hip hop song that about aylesbury

evaluate the song source, what does it tell us about aylesburys sense of place?

- the lyrics are very harsh and contain offensive swear words that are used as adjectives to describe aylesbury, presenting it in a negative light

- this could mean that people interpret aylesbury as a not very nice area, possibly of lower class

- however, the song was posted on a youtube account with only 10 followers, so therefore it only shows a limited scope of aylesburys character and is not very reliable

describe the article source

bbc news article about a canal murder that took place in aylesbury 2022

evaluate the article source, what does it tell us about aylesbury and it's sense of place?

- the article describes in depth this tragic/horrific event, and associates aylesbury with murder, so it creates a dangerous sense of place

- written sources often evoke a sense of how it feels to be in that place

- it suggests that crime rates are high in aylesbury which may detract people from wanting to visit

- however although bbc news is one of the biggest news providers the information is still likely to be biased, as they want to release stories that will attract attention and that lots of people will read to generate money/profit

describe the website source

a buckinghamshire based website from 2022 which compiles trip advisor reviews of different areas of aylesbury (central ward)

evaluate the website source

- all the reviews on the website are positive and present the area as a nice, with a lot of things to do. it makes aylesbury appear middle class and affluent

- however reviews are often based on one time experiences, so they do not necessarily convey aylesbury's sense of place most accurately

- small factors such as the weather can influences peoples opinions entirely, and people can also make up reviews online so they are not always trustworthy

how have past and present connections influenced aylesbury?

aylesburys built environment has been shaped by many past connections through street architecture and statues and its history as an old market town

how has the old market town shaped aylesbury?

aylesbury has held markets since the 13th century, and they are still held 3 times a week showing how aylesbury is still characterized as an old market town (insert EQI stat)

what statues are in the aylesbury exchange?

- a bronze statues of ronnie barker, a late comedian who started his career in aylesbury

- this links aylesbury to the arts, and the new waterside theatre links into this showing how performance and theatre is/ has been associated with the place for a long time

what are the statues in the town centre?

- John Hampden statue, who was one of the members of parliament and played a leading part in the civil war

- Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild of waddesdon manor gifted a 2 statues of lions to aylesbury in 1887, that were made in paris

how does the built environment represent past connections of aylesbury?

The Aylesbury Old Town residents association suggested that streets in the Old Town section of aylesbury should have street signs that are in keep with the historic character of the area. This keeps aylesbury in touch with its history and shows how the past connections are shaping the place now by altering it's built environment

what is the listed building in aylesbury called?

The Kings Head

- a pub in the old town section of aylesbury, which henry VIII visited periodically and reportedly Oliver Cromwell stayed for a period of time

what exogenous factors have influenced aylesbury?

- aylesbury garden town plan

- regeneration of the exchange (waterside north/waterside south)

what is the aylesbury garden town plan?

- aylesbury was given garden town status in 2017, as part of a government scheme, where they receive external funding to develop the area

- there are plans for 33,000 new dwellings and a new 100 hectare wetland park for tourism/wildlife

- increase in the quality of shops on the high street

how does the aylesbury garden town plan shape aylesbury

- this will change aylesburys built environment alongside aylesburys demographic, as this garden town plan is designed to attract wealthy middle class commuters

- it also creates more leisure/green spaces e.g the exchange area, which encourages the creation of third spaces, which attempt to create a sense of community in the area, possibly altering the sense of place overtime

how has aylesbury garden plan shaped aylesbury in a negative light-for what group?

- the aylesbury garden town plan has meant the redevelopment/construction of new houses, but the price has massively increased

- 2021/2022 - The average sold price for a property in Aylesbury in the last 12 months is £404,654. England average is £354,631.

- so this flow of money and investment has improved the social characteristics of the area (more green space etc) but has also increased inequality. as local people would not be able to afford the new housing/ the new developments are not catered towards them)

what are the different representations of aylesbury?

- 'old market town'

- 'aylesbowiw- a place of music/art'

- a place of 'history and heritage'

- 'a garden town'

- ' a commuter town'

- ' a run down retail environment'

- a place with 'bleak architecture'

- an 'up and coming' place'

why could aylesbury be viewed as an 'old market town'

aylesbury has held markets since the 13th century, and they are still held 3 times a week showing how aylesbury is still characterized as an old market town (insert EQI stat)

why could aylesbury be viewed as 'aylesbowie- a place of art/music'

- there was a petition to officially change aylesburys name to aylesbowie in 2018, and there is a statue in aylesbury town centre of David Bowie, as he played one of his first gigs there and launched 2 albums in aylesbury. Through david bowie many outsiders will be aware of aylesbury, and to them it could represent a place of art/music

- also the recent development of the waterside theatre attracts a lot of footfall each year, the development may change peoples perception of aylesbury

why could aylesbury be viewed as ' a commuter town'

- aylesbury has a train station/bus station, with links to major cities and educational hubs such as oxford and cambridge

- so for many residents aylesbury is seen as a commuter town as it is convenient and used as a travel hub

why could aylesbury be viewed as 'a run down retail environment'

- the original friars square was created in the 1960s including a number of shops and a café

- however recently, despite new developments many shops have shut down in the area e.g topshop and staples, so the area is struggling

- there is also increased competition of nearby local areas e.g Milton Keynes, which makes aylesbury look undesirable and therefore changes peoples perceptions of aylesbury

why could aylesbury be viewed as a place with bleak architecture?

- the Aylesbury Council Tower Block was used in The Film A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrik as it was said to be a perfect representation of the bleak, dehumanised future', this is how aylesbury could be seen by outsiders through media sources

- however certain buildings stand out and are built with materials that don't match the surroundings.the elderly local people dislike the architecture more as it gets developed overtime

why could aylesbury be viewed as 'up and coming'

- it has been given garden town status in 2017 “Aylesbury Town Centre – a centre for culture, recreation and shopping”- quote from GDP

- which has brought lots of new housing developments, the opening of a new school, st michaels 2018

- this increases the population of the area which brings in new ideas/patterns

- the regeneration make the area appear more wealthy and desirable changing it's perception overtime

- there is also a new train line plan that connects aylesbury with the 2 academic hubs of oxford and cambridge

in aylesbury what % of residents feel a strong sense of belonging to the area

Most residents have a strong sense of belonging to the area that they live in: -

74.3% feel that they either 'Very strongly' (23.7%) or 'Fairly strongly' (50.6%)

belong

what % of people ranked the town square less than 3/5

95% of people we surveyed ranked aylesburys town square as less than 3/5

what was the noise level increase between cambridge street and the town centre

15.48%

suggests more footfall, could suggests ppl like the area more- however

what % of our respondents were aware that aylesbury was an old market town?

88%

what % of our respondents were aware that aylesbury was a garden town

40%

what % of our respondents ranked the shops in aylesbury not very good or average

65%

when asked to describe aylesbury in 3 words, what were the top 3 most common words?

- dull

- busy

- dirty

(this contradicts the garden town quote of- “Aylesbury Town Centre – a centre for culture, recreation and shopping”- quote from GDP)

- this is primary data, which is more reliable in terms of assessing lived experience

what % of respondents were familiar with a representation of aylesbury being aylesbowie/music/culture

61%

what % our respondents agreed that regeneration that has been taking place in aylesbury has been successful?

75% of our respondents said yes to a strong extent