Perceptions altering meaning of place

• Bournville Village, Birmingham

  • Bournville was shaped by the beliefs and ideals of one industrial family - the Cadbury’s.
  • It was built as a garden village with tree lined roads and houses with front and back gardens for the employees of Cadbury’s factory. 
  • When Cadbury’s went global and Bournvulle was no longer inhabited by the employees the ‘place’ changed very little.
  • The physical appearance of the community remained largely the same.
  • 2003- it was named the ‘nicest place in Britain”.
  • Large green areas remain
• Devonport Plymouth

  • In contrast, Devonport has changed considerably in the last 30 years largely as a result of external factors 
  • It was originally a naval dockland and in the 18th century was one of the fastest growing towns
  • After WW2, the Navy requisitioned Devonport as a storage enclave and enclosed it with a metre high wall which split the town in two.
  • Naval jobs declined and led to significant social and economic problems 
  • 2001 - Devonport benefited from the New Deals for Communities. The scheme addressed, crime, community, housing and education 
  • Community groups such as the Pembroke Street Estate Management Board have been heavily involved.
  • Inter-war housing was removed and historical landmarks were incorporated into the new development- constructed osn Georgian houses to attract wealthier groups
• Medellin, Colombia

  • The ‘City of Eternal Spring’
  • Previously associated with drugs and violence Lord Pablo Escobar has enormous power until death in 1993
  • City planners have since rebranded the city 
  • Social classes are now more integrated. Poorest people can access the city centre through outdoor escalators and a gondola system 
  • Bus rapid transit system named Metroplus with dedicated bus landers and free bike sharing system
  • Education and social programmes 
  • There are still problems but optimism is high