placemaking

Question 1

placemaking process

Answer 1

involves two main elements:
rebranding –> the process that aims to change perceptions-often a new name is given to a place to help overcome negative images and is often undertaken as part of a regeneration project
regeneration –> a process that changes a place by investing in physical changes to the built and material environments-new homes, offices, shops, and transport services are typical features of regeneration

Question 2

past role of governments

Answer 2

extended little beyond the regulation of the national and regional economies
ensuring that people had jobs and taxes were paid for social services and amenities

Question 3

government role since the 1980s

Answer 3

with the acute awareness of the processes of global shift the role of governments has changed to one which attempts to actively attract capital
meaning the governments now act to draw in investment from other places
pitted against eachother competition remains the driving factor in attracting the means of economic growth

Question 4

foreign direct investment

Answer 4

it is currently essential for regeneration
called the public private partnership, governments now often work with private companies when undertaking regeneration projects and so one of their roles is to help create places conducive to FDI
in doing so they also represent places as conducive to FDI

Question 5

how governments attempt to attract FDI:

Answer 5

-create larger markets in their economies –> larger markets should experience more inward FDI because opportunities to generate profits are higher
-lower tax rates –> as higher effective tax rates decrease inward FDI since it directly impacts negatively on the after-tax profit level of investment
-spend more on quaternary industry –> higher R&D expenditures in GDP should encourage inward FDI due to knowledge spill over effects
-keep inflation low –> higher inflation deters investors because the fixed costs of production are higher
-keep wages lower –> as higher unit labor costs imply higher marginal costs and thus lower FDI

Question 6

uk government incentives to attract FDI

Answer 6

lowered corporation tax
tax relief for R+D
enterprise zones
enterprise investment schemes
helps find and assess credible uk regeneration projects and encourages foreign investors to come to the uk

Question 7

past regeneration investment scheme

Answer 7

Regeneration Investment Organisation (part of UKTI-UK trade and investment)
helped encourage regeneration investment in many Uk cities in 2014-2015 (including Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool) with a Gross Development value of £3.7bn

Question 8

gentrification

Answer 8

many argue that much of the current regeneration of the built environments in the uk occurs due to gentrification (displacement of working class residentents for an influx of the MC)

Question 9

why does gentrification occur

Answer 9

due to the rent gap theory –> gentrification is more likely to happen in areas with a large gap between actual and potential land values
the dilapidation and urban decay that helps widen the gap is actively produced by clearing out existing residents via methods like landlord harassment, massive rent increases, arson and the withdrawal of public services

Question 10

place making through architecture and town planning

Answer 10

architects and town planners are important players in the decision-making elite, and the built environment forms an important part of the places identity
the design of a place significantly contributes to placemaking and can help reflect a places culture, history or values
the decisions about regeneration, new buildings or the preservation of old buildings are made with a places character in mind and to this extent the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) advises the uk government at numerous scales

Question 11

brutalism

Answer 11

due to the growing population in the 1950s the uk architects had to design flats quickly to solve the problem
concrete became the overarching medium of large-scale housing projects that dominated urban landscapes across Britain
eg Orchard Park Estate –> it was once built to ease the housing shortage but is now synonymous with crime and disorder

Question 13

The Barbican Estate

Answer 13

an example of brutalist architecture built for the newly emerging young middle class of the latter half of the 20th century
it consisted of residential housing, and arts, drama, and business centre, a public library, a school for girls, a museum