Birmingham Case Study 11/12/2019
Re-urbanisation
Regeneration
Marketing
Rebranding – reinventing a place for economic reasons. Normally undertaken by an agency
to try and attract investment into an area. They aim to ‘sell’ the place.
Reimaging – reinventing a place for cultural reasons. Aims to change the way a place is
represented in the media etc. and can be about contesting other images.
Re-making – an umbrella term bringing together social, physical, economic and cultural
changes a place may experience, including ones which are not deliberate.
Problems for Birmingham’s CBD:
CBD – Central Business District
Bullring developed into a shopping centre in the 1960s
‘brutalist’ design – ugly, unpopular, concrete jungle
43% of people unemployed in 1987
Broken infrastructure eg. escalators
Fear of crime put people off using subways etc
Competition forced lots of shops to close – dereliction made the area more
unappealing, so the problem worsened and less and less people came
Increased levels of crime due to homelessness, drug addictions etc.
1980’s Birmingham:
Derelict factories
Depressed – economic recession
No greenery – Urban Concrete Jungle
Highly congested, grey & dismal
Wider Issues Affecting Birmingham:
Inner city riots eg. Handsworth Riots
Unemployment
Homelessness
National & international negative image
How Is Birmingham’s CBD Fighting Back:
The city centre is the cornerstone of the City Council’s commitment to raise Birmingham’s national
and international profile. Is becoming highly attractive and accessible to visit and for business.
Reputation and influence as a major business, tourism and international meeting place is continually
growing.
Re-urbanisation
Regeneration
Marketing
Rebranding – reinventing a place for economic reasons. Normally undertaken by an agency
to try and attract investment into an area. They aim to ‘sell’ the place.
Reimaging – reinventing a place for cultural reasons. Aims to change the way a place is
represented in the media etc. and can be about contesting other images.
Re-making – an umbrella term bringing together social, physical, economic and cultural
changes a place may experience, including ones which are not deliberate.
Problems for Birmingham’s CBD:
CBD – Central Business District
Bullring developed into a shopping centre in the 1960s
‘brutalist’ design – ugly, unpopular, concrete jungle
43% of people unemployed in 1987
Broken infrastructure eg. escalators
Fear of crime put people off using subways etc
Competition forced lots of shops to close – dereliction made the area more
unappealing, so the problem worsened and less and less people came
Increased levels of crime due to homelessness, drug addictions etc.
1980’s Birmingham:
Derelict factories
Depressed – economic recession
No greenery – Urban Concrete Jungle
Highly congested, grey & dismal
Wider Issues Affecting Birmingham:
Inner city riots eg. Handsworth Riots
Unemployment
Homelessness
National & international negative image
How Is Birmingham’s CBD Fighting Back:
The city centre is the cornerstone of the City Council’s commitment to raise Birmingham’s national
and international profile. Is becoming highly attractive and accessible to visit and for business.
Reputation and influence as a major business, tourism and international meeting place is continually
growing.
