Manchester - Urban decline and regeneration/development

Manchester - Urban decline and regeneration/development

1. History

   • Site of world's first passenger railway station
   • Led political and economic reform of 19th century Britain as the vanguard of free trade
     • RAPID URBANISATION
       • Boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial revolution
       • People flocked to the city = employment
       • 1900: Manchester City Region was the 9th most populous in the world
   • Mid 20th century saw decline in Manchester's industrial importance = a depression in social and economic conditions
   • Subsequent investment, gentrification and rebranding from the 1990s on changed its fortunes
     • Revingorated Manchester as post-industrial city
   • What went wrong?
     • Great depression in 1930s and competition saw the textile industry collapse
     • Widespread decline and depopulation
     • Andale building bombed by IRA, 1996 - regeneration opportunity

2. The re-imagining of the late 1980s

   • Bring back some residents to the city centre
   • Attract private investment in housing, office, leisure and tourism, and retail
   • Compete amongst global cities (market)
   • City to move from production to consumption - attract wealth

3. PARTNERSHIP SCHEME

   • National gov and local stakeholders working together
     • National gov input = QUANGO
       • Central Manchester Development Corporation - design change and attract money
         • CMDC part of the Urban Development Corporation, 1988-96
       • 'Property-led regeneration'
       • Use public money to lever in private investment
     • Local stakeholders include the NHS and Urban Splash (Architects in Manchester)

4. Successes of the Partnership Scheme

   • An exemplar of regeneration - iconic design
     • 14,000 people living in the city centre
       • Used old factories as new apartments - old working areas have not become derelict
   • Manchester hosted the 2002 Commonwealth Games - a catalyst for regeneration in East Manchester
     • East Manchester = most disadvantaged area in Manchester, work still ongoing
     • Created more jobs and introduced new sporting opportunities
   • CMDC attracted investment, leading to the addition of Harvey Nichols, many hotels, clubs, and office developments
     • Employment
   • Environmental success - canal towpaths connected and used to attract more affluent people

5. Negative impacts of the Partnership Scheme

   • No link to Ancoats, City Challenge in Hulme or the Training and Enterprise Council
   • Of Manchester's wards, 47% are amongst the 10% most deprived in the country (2010)
   • Regeneration of the city centre has increased inequalities in Manchester
     • E.G: In Harpurhey the residents lack skills - 51% of people aged 16-74 have no qualifications! Many are on incapacity benefits
       • The people do not feel part of the boom, instead feel marginalised and uninvolved.
       • 2010: Harpurhey was the 2nd most deprived ward in England!
     • Suggests that the 'trickle down' idea of the CMDC did not work