AQA Changing Places Case Studies

Amsterdam Rebranding Strategy

The "I Amsterdam" campaign, placing a massive physical sign to shift the city's reputation away from soft drugs/prostitution toward culture and art.

Amsterdam Rebranding Outcome

Generated massive social media engagement but ultimately caused severe over-tourism, leading the council to physically remove the sign to disperse crowds.

Whitley Bay Historical Exogenous Factors

The late 19th-century railway expansion connected it to industrialized Newcastle, bringing working-class tourists and cementing its identity as a bustling seaside resort.

Whitley Bay Decline

Suffered severe economic decline in the 1980s due to the rise of cheap commercial flights and package holidays to Spain, which destroyed domestic tourism.

Detroit Exogenous Boom

The rise of the "Big Three" auto manufacturers (Ford, GM, Chrysler) drove massive inward migration (the Great Migration), cementing its identity as "Motor City".

Detroit Exogenous Bust

Global shift and automation decimated the auto industry. The city suffered extreme structural unemployment and officially filed for bankruptcy in 2013.

Detroit Social Segregation

Deindustrialization sparked racial tensions (1967 riots) and "White Flight" to the suburbs, leaving a deprived inner city geographically divided by the 8 Mile Road.

Detroit Grassroots Resurgence

A bottom-up revival featuring extensive urban farming on abandoned lots, a thriving local arts scene, and tech start-ups moving into cheap downtown real estate.