EQ2- Why might regeneration be needed?

Characteristics of a successful place

High rate of employment

Inward migration (internal + international)

Low deprivation

High property prices

Skill shortages

Berkshire, UK - a successful urban region

Employment: 50% of workers in managerial, knowledge based + professional occupations (quaternary + quinary sector)

Migration: Recruited 7000- 11 000 workers from outside EU. 40% migrate for work.

Deprivation: 0.4% neighbourhoods classed as deprived by the IMD.

Property prices: Price has risen by 40-50% between 2005-2015. Prices are out of reach for 20% of pop. in the county.

Skills shortage: high competition with London, immigration of high-skill jobs drives demand for services, but is doesn’t meet supply of skilled workers.

Multiplier effect

Industries attracted to area→creates more jobs→improved labour+higher incomes→increased demands for goods+services→creates more jobs to cater for growing demand

Worcestershire- successful rural region

Growing faster than many large urban areas in terms of population + economic output.

• growth in small businesses, leisure, tourism- tourism brings £500M revenue annually

• transports, cyber + technology innovations e.g. motorways to London, Malvern Hills Science Park attract highly skilled professionals to live in rural locations.

Unsuccessful regions: Rust-Belt, USA

Causes of decline

Region of the North East USA that suffered from the decline in metal manufacturing since 1950s. Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh.

CAUSES

Overseas competition+outsourcing e.g. China produced same products for lower cost.

Mining companies using machinery leading to less jobs + unemployment.

Consequences of industrial decline in Detroit, Rust-Belt, USA

Spiral of decline causes social deprivation:

Education: <30% graduate from high school.

Health: Life expectancy of 69 years old.

Crime: 2nd highest murder rate of any US cities in 2014.

Access to services: severe shortages of public sector workers (teachers, nursers)

Living environment: pop. declined by more than 50% from 1970-2015

Different communities needing regeneration

Social segregation: Low income households restricted to low cost housing.

Residential sorting: High income households seeking to cluster together.

Communities

Declining rural settlements: Rural areas where the quality of life + deprivation is seen to be worsening.

-regeneration for housing, health, employment. Llansilin, Powys, Wales (pop. 700) scored 50% on deprivation index.

Commuter villages: Settlement where large proportion of residents commute daily to cities for work.

-regeneration for service precision + affordable housing as avg house price over £500k

Sink Estates: Housing estates characterised by high levels of economic+social deprivation+crime, especially domestic violence, drugs + gang warfare. e.g. the Barracks in Glasgow

-regeneration for low income groups who need social assistance being segregated from the rest of society.

Gated communities: Wealthy residential areas that are fenced off + have security gates and entry systems.

-regeneration needed as locals are socially segregated from the gated community.

Engagement

The interaction between the people who have control (e.g. gov) and the general population.

Types of engagement

Political: voting, members of party, activists

Community+voluntary: community groups, charity, faith groups, PTA’s.

Factors influencing political engagement

Age: 18-24 half as likely to vote as 65+.

Ethnicity: Ethnic groups are less likely to be involved with community engagement- lack of information.

Gender: Even between men and women, although women are more likely to be engage in community activities.

Length of residence: People who have lived in an area for longer have more of a lived experience- want their voices heard.

Levels of deprivation: Deprived areas have little involvement in engagement + politics, creating a cycle as they are more and more excluded.

Successful communal engagement: Grampound, Cornwall

General store closed in 2013 due to retirement.

-locals decided to open a shop + coffee shop run by village.

• 257 out of 280 households became shareholders

• countryside fund awarded £19 000

• grants, charities raised £10 000

• overall the village raised over £50 000

Demographics in Grampound, Cornwall

AGE

18.7% of population is over 65, compared to 14.2% nationally- more time to spend on community activities.

TIME

Has a low rate of short term residents- people are more likely to stay for a long time + be invested in the local area.

GENDER

More women engage in community work. In Grampound, women were in the majority of many working groups + committees.

ETHNICITY

In some cultures e.g. Bangladesh culture, sense of community organisation + engagement is stronger.

Factors affecting variations in engagement

Engagement at 3 levels: EU referendum (national), mayoral elections (local), local elections (local community groups)

• Factors impacting these: %born abroad, %working population with a degree, IMD score, average age.

National election turnout in UK: low incomes less likely to vote, rural areas are more likely to vote, older people more likely to vote than younger people, only 55% ethnic minority groups voted.

Local election turnout in UK: often below 40% as people don’t engage with local communities.

• factors influencing decision to vote: language barriers, lack of trust in politicians, lack of sense of belonging, feeling no one has influence e.g. disadvantaged groups

Local community groups: NIMBY groups protest over planned developments e.g. Blackpool residents on natural gas extraction, some community groups focus on fundraising +helping the vulnerable e.g. food banks

Conflicts over regeneration- Olympic Games 2012

REASONS:

Groups disagree about what regeneration is for

Inequality- local people fear that only those with incomes will benefit from regeneration. e.g. university towns

Conflicts arising from Olympics regeneration

• Newham council demolished the ‘Carpenters’ estate, with UCL campus building replacing it.

+UCL specialised in science + high tech- new jobs + skills created as a result, in order to regenerate the area.

-local residents were forced out their homes, breaking up community- social costs arise. Campaign group formed ‘Carpenters Against Regeneration Plan’ to battle local authority + question the treatment of local residents being ignored.

• Investment in infrastructure (Olympic Park)

+urban renewal of Olympic Park, 40% of new homes are ‘affordable’ (2800 homes) in Olympic village.

-unaffordable to Newham’s poorest households, where 1/3 mainly consist of workless households.

-few jobs created for local people during construction. There was still high levels of unemployment in Tower Hamlets, missed opportunity to train people for work. This still leaves it deprived + with residents living in poverty.

The need for regeneration in Custom House- factors determining need for regeneration

Statistical evidence (determining the need)

Median household income: 31 840 compared to london avg of 51 770

Qualification levels: high % with no qualifications 25.3% compared to London average of 17.6%.

IMD: 2, meaning it is in the 20% most deprived areas.

EQI: 10/34- buildings are poor, general quality is poor.

Media (questioning the need)

Evening standard newspaper: “Crossrail is a huge boost for custom house. It is currently out on a limb, served only by the DLR.“

Oral accounts: “We were initially in favour of regeneration, as our homes were below standard. Now rents are higher + people’s health has deteriorated because of stress.'“ - Betty O’Connell.

-subjective: some places depicted as worse for dramatic effect, some portray favourable image

Different representations- portrayal of place from images, news, documentaries (influencing the perceived need)

Local authority: highlighted areas of decline, established LDDC

News reports: The Times documented abandonment of wharves.

Documentaries: focused on job losses due to containerisation.

-may not represent whole community

-small no. may be interviewed

-selective images