Birmingham Met

• Characteristics before industrial revolution
• Socio-economic:


  before the industrial revolution, Birmingham was already known for metal works, with power coming from water mills
• Demographic:


  1. Birmingham was a small town consisting of 6 roads

  2. it had a population of 15,000 by 1700s
• Cultural:


  developing clearly differentiated housing areas based on socio-economic status
• Economic changes between 1700 and 1900
• Which industries dominated?


  gun, jewellery, button and brass
• What major business was set up?

  the Cadbury family set up their Bournville Factory
• What was founded there in the mid 19th century?


  Lloyds and Midland banks- job creation and stability, economic diversity other than metal working!
• What major service was developed? How?

  • transport infrastructure

  • national canal network and Midland terminus of London to Birmingham railway was opened in 1838
• Role of players who influenced changes before the 19th century
• de Bermingham family


  owned most of the land and purchased a royal charter in 1166 to hold a market
• Matthew Boulton


  • established the first factory in the world in 1761

  • brought 700 employees

  • other factories were set up to provide materials
• Cadbury family


  • set up their Bournville factory and model village for workers in 1831

  • improved housing stock of Birmingham as they felt a duty to look after their workers

  • built affordable housing with services such as schools, hospitals and village green for residents
• Local authority


  built houses for people who could afford to rent privately in suburbs such as Northfield and Marston Green

  large areas of terraced housing built for workers squeezed into spaces between factories
• Big industrial companies


  Dunlop and Austin brought income to Birmingham

  Dunlop employed 10,000 people by 1950
• Impacts of economic change between 1900 and 1950s
• Socio-economic:


  1. Birmingham survived the great depression due to diverse metal-working industries

  2. middle-class started to develop as people could afford to commute leading to urban expansion
• Demographic


  continuous population growth due natural increase and immigration from urban areas
• New business growth


  Austin car plant opened in 1906 at Longbridge and 100s of small firms to supply industry with vehicle components grew
• Infrastructure


  large areas of terraced housing for workers
• Characteristics of Birmingham in 1950s and 60s ...
• Socio-economic


  unemployment was below 1%
• demographic


  international migration to inner city areas, particularly from the Caribbean and South Asia into cheap, inner city housing
• cultural


  diversity of ethnic food shops, clothing and restaurants
• infrastructure


  1. post-war there were 110,000 sub-standard houses

  2. 400 tower blocks were built, which wasn't in favour of the government, however such as large scale of housing was needed
• environmental


  air pollution had reached high levels of emission from factories with no control- particularly SO2
• economic changes in Birmingham since 1970s


  1. earnings fell from highest in the UK to almost lowest of any region

  2. unemployment reached 19% in 1982

  3. biggest decline in work force in metal goods and vehicles and biggest growth in finance and business services

  4. oil crisis of 1973, where oil was 10x as expensive- couldn't afford energy for factories, leading to closure

  5. in 1970s, vehicle industry went into decline and foreign-based TNCs began to sell in British car market

  6. overseas car manufacturers set up factories in less well-off places due to grants from local government

  7. strikes frequent during 1970s
• role of players in economic change since 1970s
• national government


  refused to give grants to attract investment into Birmingham
• workers


  multiple strikes put off investment
• local government


  promoted inner city region, attracting investment to construct the National Exhibition Centre and expand Birmingham International Airport- attracts international conferences, attracting investment
• role of planning and flagship developments

  1. more public spaces developed in the centre, such as Centenary Square

  2. EU funded the building of the Symphony Hall and the Convention Centre- attracts conferences and brings multiplier effect as hotels and restaurants benefit from tourist income

  3. universities- 50,000 students- youthful demographics- students provide market for many services and goods

  4. bullring redevelopment- opened in 2003- attracted large clothing brands
• National Indoor Arena


  attracts large championships such as World Indoor Athletics Championships 2023
• role of transport


  1. Birmingham New Street transformed by £700 million invesment- involved Network Rail, private investors and created an area called Grand Central- provided 1000s of jobs

  2. Midland Metro- links city centre to West such as Wolverhampton for commuting

  3. HS2 train- will link Birmingham to London- will involve range of players including local and national government, major TNCs in engineering, NGOs, banks etc

  4. many major motorways including M6, M5, M1- by national government
• Impacts of economic change since 1970s
• socio-economic


  1. City Challenge and Single Regeneration Budget- government scheme to help access funding for development

  2. New Deal for Communities- scheme that provided broadband access in inner city area and set up work-experience programmes to improve employment opportunities

  3. Bullring- Europe's 1st major shopping centre
• demographic


  1. 38% are 24 or younger- large number of university students

  2. elderly accounts for only 13%
• cultural


  since WWII, Birmingham has encouraged immigration of workers- migration of those from South Asia, Caribbean and Africa- BALTI TRIANGLE
• environmental


  1. greenbelt land around the city- great for improving environment, but not density of housing

  2. European Regional Development Fund- improved insulation for run-down housing