Shrinking Cities Economic Geography Dr. Gordon Winder Summer Term 2008 Georgina Gilchrist
Overview Introduction Reasons for urban decline Case Study: Detroit Case Study: Manchester Summary
Introduction Today, every 6th city in the world can be described as a shrinking city. Phenomenon where cities, parts of cities or metropolitan areas are experiencing a dramatic decline in their economic and social bases. Characterised by a loss of employment opportunities leading to the migration of population. Embedded in the context of globalisation.
Reasons for urban decline Long term industrial transformation Rapid economic breakdowns Environmental threats Political transformation
Case Study: Detroit The great American contradiction. Would the last one to leave the city, please turn off the light. 1920s Mitch Kope (2004) Today
Historical background 1 Start of Industrial formation (Civil War to WWII) 1899 first car industry established Taylorism introduced Motor City - Detroit s Industrial boom between the World Wars. Emergence of a regional and industrial centre. Mass immigration of black workers
Historical Background 2 1950s start of deindustrialisation. Decentralisation and relocation of Industry 1970s Oil crisis and industry decline hit the city hard Start of white flight Growth of suburbs; driven by car ownership and racial hatred. Decline of the inner city. Became the epitome of sprawl and of racial segregation.
Cityscape Between 1923 and 1928 all the city s skyscrapers were built. 1930s New Deal motorways and private housing built 1950s New through-roads were built. Tram lines were torn up. Today there is hardly any public transport. Between 1978 and 1998, 108 000 buildings were demolished. Devil s night, October 31st arson attacks on buildings
Cityscape Detroit today
Re-urbanisation No quick fix available. A lack of cultural commitment and financial energy. Downtown is experiencing a slow urban recovery as a result of new corporate investment. Aimed to attract white residents back to the city ignores the existing black population. Calls for attention on sustainability, local economy and community. Suburbia is taking over the inner city.
Case Study: Manchester 3rd Largest City in England Capital of the Industrial Revolution
Historical Background 1 Beginning of 19th Century Manchester transformed itself into the cotton centre of the world. Supplied The British Empire with cotton 1894 Creation of the Manchester Ship Canal 1914 Start of Deindustrialisation WWI Cut off overseas markets Increasing competition from overseas competitors Continued decline until the 1980s, which marked the end of Manchester s Industrial base.
Historical Background 2 The City was badly hit by unemployment and deprivation. Emerging service sector was not enough to absorb all the unemployed from the manufacturing sector. 1985 Only 25% of the City s workforce was employed. Restructuring of the City; slum clearance programmes
Regeneration Successful regeneration based on; Grass-Roots initiative Youth Culture Rediscovery of the Warehouse Municipal Entrepreneurialism Re-invention through branding, self-promotion and re-building. The fastest-growing shrinking city in the UK Phil Misselwitz
Summary Shrinking cities are a global phenomenon. Many different reasons for urban decline, although the common denominator is globalisation. Characteristics of shrinkage: urban sprawl, vacant properties, poverty blighted areas, high levels of crime. Cities are becoming larger in area and less dense. Evidence that cities develop unanimously; it is less the layout that shapes a city, but rather the cultural developments, forms of communication and establishment of social networks and processes.
Resources http://www.goethe.de/kue/arc/dos/dos/sls/wus/en1359138.htm www.shrinkingcities.com http://www-iurd.ced.berkeley.edu/scg/index.htm Mason, Colin. M. (1980) Industrial decline in Greater Manchester. 1965-1975: a components of change approach. Urban Studies. Vol 17. No.2 p.173-184