Urban resurgence

• What is urban resurgence?

  The economic and structural regeneration of an urban area that has suffered from a period of decline.

  - Especially the case in cities that experienced de-industrialisation e.g. London, Manchester > now reinvented themselves to become cities of commerce and culture

  - Converted warehouses to galleries, bars, restaurants

  > Gentrification

  > E.g. Manchester Northern Quarter

  - Government led regeneration schemes driven urban resurgence with contriubtions from private companies as well as major sporting events (E.g. London Olympics 2012)
• 
  

  EXAMPLE: Shoreditch, Hackney, London:

  • Hackney has seen a bigger leap in residents' disposable income over last 2 decades than anywhere else in the world
  • Sign of gentrification (renovating old buildings)
  • Average cost of a flat £500,000+ 11th most expensive borough in London
  • Migrants invited to 'mother country' as British citizens, to address post-war labour shortages 'windrush generation' = migrants
  • Vietnamese population arrived
  • Hackney become popular for art, music, culture, nightlife
  • Population ↑ by 10%
• EXAMPLE: Silicon Roundabout:

  • Cheap rents
  • Digital industry > tech/media companies 'weightless economy'
  • Repurposed factories
  • Google > created innovation hub
• EXAMPLE: Shoreditch - gentrification & hipsters:

  Retail:

  • Spitalfields market
  • Brick Lane > 50 curry shops, vintage shops

  Markets:

  • Flower market
  • Street markets

  Nightlife, restaurants etc:

  • Brick Lane
  • Baigal bake shop

  Arts + culture:

  • Street art > graffiti, murals, posters
  • Shakespeare play house

  Transport:

  • Eurostar train, Heathrow airport, Crossrail

  Employment:

  • Google

  Events:

  • Street entertainment and 'The Stage' Theatre
• EXAMPLE: Shoreditch, Hackney:


  What was it like before gentrification and urban resurgence?

  • Lots of immigrants > Windrush generation
  • Lots of manual jobs

  What were the pull factors to Hackney (Shoreditch, Silicon roundabout)?

  • Retail
  • Nightlife
  • Arts + culture
  • Old factories closed down
  • Popular for small tech companies

  Impacts of gentrification and urban resurgence:

  • No longer amongst the poorest 20 areas of London
  • People moved out of inner city
  • ↑ property prices push out w/c, immigrants etc