5: Places created through place making processes

• Placemaking

  A process through which places that people want to live, work and explore are created
• The Governments responsibilities with placemaking

  • Improving environmental quality
  • Reducing crime rates
  • Increasing social cohesion ( sense of community with no division )
  • Attracting FDI ( Foreign Direct Investment )
• FDI

  Inward investment by a foreign company, usually a TNC in a country
• Inward Investment

  Investment in a country made by investors outside that country
• Example of FDI in the UK

  Hitachi Rail
• Hitachi Rail

  • FDI from Japan opened in North-East England as part of the Hitachi Rail Europe
  • It cost £85 million
• Governments role in placemaking

  • Largest role involves attracting FDI to boost areas that are decline
  • Responsible for improving environmental quality, reducing crime rates and increasing social cohesion
  • Large scale - targets areas in most desperate need
  • Tends to be economically driven BUT placemaking is about people overall so is not solely for economic gain
• Example of the government involved in placemaking

  Hitachi Rail

  • A railway industry located in Newton Aycliffe that manufactures and suppies railway transport system
  • The manufacturing plant was built in 2015 and cost £85 million
• Planners and Architects role in placemaking

  • Designing a place - individual buildings and the appearance of neighbourhoods
  • Aims to influence the built environment and bring out a positive perception of place
  • However can also bring out negative perceptions as they can be constrained by economic factors and social needs
• Example of Planners/ Architects being involved in placemaking

  Negative:

  • 1950s house crisis > led to the development of tower blocks > Example: 400 tower blocks in Birmingham > negative perception of place

  Positive:

  • Gateshead Millennium Bridge located in Newcastle > attracts tourists due to unique look > positive perception of place
  • London's Night Czar - attempting to make London become a 24 city > makes people feel safer in the short term through focusing on transport and facilities > BUT Amy Lame has a lack of power to make effective changes
• Local communities role in placemaking

  • Makes people feel safer by establishing a positive perception of place within a local community
  • Bottoms up approach > directly meets community needs > However limited power so often small scale impact
• Top-down approach

  Strategy for developments where decisions are made solely by the top leaders
• Bottoms-up approach

  Gives everyone a voice in decisions without a sense of hierarchy
• Example of a local community being involved in placemaking

  • Housing and environment concerns eg. Neighbourhood watch keeps the area safe
  • Social media - helps to make decisions as a community and involves everyone
  • Heritage associations - protection of history
• Why does rebranding happen?

  To change negative perceptions of a place, making an area more attractive for investment
• Why does regeneration happen?

  The investment of ideas into an area to revitalise and renew its socio-economic and environmental conditions
• Why do some people contest efforts to rebrand a place ( disagree )

  Gentrification: (increase in wealthier people in an area)

  • People won't likes change
  • May displace people
  • Developers have different ideas to residents
  • Opinions on spending (investment may not be seen worthwhile whilst in recession)
• Strategies/factors used to rebrand a place

  • Sport
  • Art
  • Heritage
  • Retail
  • Architecture
  • Food

  These can be used singularly or as a collective to change a place meaning
• Rebranding Strategy: Sport

  • Major international sporting events can be the catalyst that kick-starts rebranding
  • Example: The Olympic Games
• Rebranding Strategy: Art

  • Contribute economically and culturally
  • Examples: Art galleries and art events
• Rebranding Strategy: Heritage

  • Draws upon the history of a place
• Rebranding Strategy: Retail

  • Growing importance of consumer spending and the increased emphasis given to the 'shopping experience' - rebranding can be aided by retail developments.
  • Example: Bullring, Birmingham
• Rebranding Strategy: Architecture

  • Nearly always plays a significant role as it it alters how people use a place
  • Can be used to reinforce a particular heritage look or to promote the place as modern
• Rebranding Strategy: Food

  • Some places have developed a reputation of high-quality food to help in their rebranding