Urban Redevelopment Liverpool

SEPTEMBER 2005 Online 506 Geofile Sally Garrington Redevelopment of an Inner City Area – Liverpool Introduction Figure 2: Liverpool’s population, 1700–2004

Liverpool began as a small fishing 900 1937 Peak population port on the Mersey estuary but grew

800 1937 rapidly from 1700 as a result of the 2004 For the first ‘Triangular Trade’. Manufactured 1800–1937 Steep rise in population time since 1937 700 population due to increase in trade and industrial 1961 goods were exported to West Africa, growth in the surrounding area. Became increases. where they were exchanged for 600 UK’s second city. Huge migrations from 1900

Ireland. 1971 slaves. These slaves were then taken 500 1937–1955 Decline of to the Americas and the ships cotton industry in 1981 400 hinterlands. Decline of 2004 returned to Great Britain with goods 1991

Empire. Competition 2001 from other countries. such as sugar cane, raw cotton and 300 1700–1800 Population grew

rum. Port industries based on these (thousands) Population because of success of 1955–2001 Trade with EU imports grew, an example being the 200 Triangular Trade in bringing becomes more important wealth to the city. so Liverpool less well placed. Tate & Lyle sugar refinery. The 100 Out migration of population slave trade was abolished in 1807 but due to unemployment. the city continued to grow as a major 0 port for trading with the Americas. 1700 1800 1900 2000 It was also important as an Year emigration gateway for people wishing to leave the country and during and after the Potato Famines migrations of Chinese, African settle in Australia and the USA. This of the nineteenth century. Flowing Caribbeans and people from the was especially true for the Irish in the opposite direction have been Asian sub-continent.

Figure 1: Liverpool and the city centre area

Eldonian Key Village 1 Royal Liver Building 2 Cunard Building Princes Liverpool Manchester Dock 3 Port of Liverpool Building

Key 1 Pier 2 London Southport John Lennon Airport Head 3 Matthew Street Cavern Quarter Lime Street Liverpool The Strand Cultural Chavasse Main Quarter Inner City area Park Retail Irish Albert Area Sea Dock Paradise Street Development Area M6 Kings Dock Area Project Queens Cathedral Development Rosemary Skelmersdale Dock Customs Parliament Street & Excise M53 Marina

Riverside Walk Brunswick M57 Business Park LIVERPOOL M62 Garden Festival Site

Widnes Birkenhead

Runcorn River Mersey

Figure 3: Causes of the decline of Liverpool since the 1930s a ‘top-down approach’. The following are important examples in Liverpool of this approach. Decline of 19th Modern industries Decline in shipping century industries in clustered in the south movements to the hinterland. Fewer east of the UK and Americas and old • 1984 The International Garden exports. greenfield sites. Empire. Festival, held on previously contaminated land in the dockland area. It provided the money to clear Containerisation of goods. derelict and contaminated land and CAUSES OF THE 19th century docks too Older docks unsuitable. DECLINE OF small and shallow to take offered a high-profile event to Port established at modern general and Seaforth further along the LIVERPOOL SINCE attract new investors. It was container shipping. estuary. THE 1930s partially successful as it created a more attractive Mersey frontage but did not attract much inward Unemployment grew because of Increased trade with investment. containerisation – fewer dockers Port-based industries Europe means that • 1988 The redevelopment of the required and a reduction in industrial using imported raw ports in eastern UK employment. Impacted on cityscape materials such as sugar Albert Dock. This was the MDC’s are better located. – derelict areas and run down. refining also declined. flagship development and involved the complete renovation of this During the 19th century the city the abandoned, derelict docks, most of Grade 1 port complex – the largest prospered; this is reflected in the many which were silted up and unusable. in the UK. It provided quality magnificent buildings to be found in Much of the housing that remained apartments with river views and the city centre, such as St. George’s consisted of 19th-century back-to-back city centre living alongside prestige Hall and Lime Street Station. By then, terraces in poor condition. Where office space and television studios. Liverpool was the second city of the these had been demolished, largely as a On the ground level are a number British Empire, after London. The result of the clearance of bomb- of shopping outlets aimed at the city’s population continued to grow, damaged areas after World War Two, tourist as well as the Tate reaching its peak in 1937 (Figure 2), they had been replaced by 1960s tower Liverpool art gallery, the Maritime from when it declined – a process blocks. These were shoddily built and Museum and the ‘Beatles’ Story’. which is only now beginning to soon themselves required full The residential accommodation reverse. Industrial decline began refurbishment due to major problems has encouraged the middle classes earlier in the 20th century, linked to of damp and the use of poor building back into what was a largely empty the decline of the old 19th-century materials. In the 1970s Liverpool’s section of the city’s central area. industries, mainly due to competition population continued to decline so Today it is an important tourist from abroad. Figure 3 shows the main there was less housing need and many attraction, with 6 million tourists causes of decline in Liverpool during of the tower blocks were demolished in visiting the Dock every year. the 20th century. the 1980s. However, apart from improving the visual appearance of the area it has Results of the decline Figure 4 outlines the effects of a cycle not provided much improvement of deprivation. Unemployment grew as in the quality of life for the local By 1981 the city of Liverpool was in the work in the docks dried up, as did people of Toxteth, who cannot serious decline. This was evidenced by the jobs in the port industries. This led afford the apartments and for to feelings of alienation and whom there are very few suitable Figure 4: Cycle of deprivation hopelessness. By the early 1980s the jobs within the redeveloped dock. UK was once again in recession and all • 1988 Brunswick Business Park was Job losses as old industries these feelings of resentment blew up in created within the dock area. It lose out to foreign competition and relocation. the hot summer of 1981 into the created a good quality landscaped Toxteth Riots, where Liverpudlians of business environment with river Reduced Feelings of Some mainly West Indian extraction fought frontage, adjacent to the city centre personal alienation areas suffer and having access to a reliable income and running battles with the police. This and despair from income to workforce. Industries that are in residents. multiple action highlighted the problems of city via deprivation. inner city Liverpool, which was now mainly light and footloose, such as taxes. one of the poorest cities of Europe media, telecommunications and Reduced job along with Naples, and spurred the packaging, were attracted to this opportunities location. in city. Less spent in Conservative government into action. shops and on • Also in 1988, the Marina was services by developed providing high quality population. Early regeneration City becomes less middle class homes near to the city attractive to 1. Top down approach centre and with adjacent moorings business and for and yacht club if required. workforce. Move Following the 1981 riots the Results in further to suburbs or Merseyside Development Corporation • 1993 A new office development for job losses in retail elsewhere. and services. was created (the first Urban the Littlewoods chain of stores Development Corporation outside opened and the Customs & Excise London) with the aim of improving VAT headquarters was set up. Both Less money available life in Liverpool, including the of these provided a range of office to individuals and city jobs for the people of Liverpool, council to maintain renovation of the central dockland housing. area. Because it is driven by the but still very little for the unskilled government, this is often referred to as or semi-skilled worker.

2. Bottom up approach wish to live there. It has won government departments. The aim A ‘bottom-up approach’ is where awards for its design and now was to use local knowledge to try redevelopment or action is begun by privately owned housing has and drive the economy forward and the people who live and work in an been built adjacent to it because there had to be some representation area. of what was started by the co- from the local community in order operative, to create a pleasant for a project to be supported • 1989 The Eldonian Village was residential city centre area. financially. created. It is a new-build housing • The Cathedral Development. co-operative for the less well off, The Anglican cathedral is situated in Vauxhall near the city In 1993, the city of Liverpool still situated in Toxteth and the Dean centre, which was an area of poor had many areas of deprivation. of the Cathedral wanted to try housing conditions. Major Liverpool workers only earned 75% and improve conditions in this factory closures such as the Tate of the EU average, which triggered inner city area of multiple & Lyle sugar refinery meant Objective 1 funding for the city, deprivation. In the late 1980s a high levels of unemployment, which aims to reduce the disparity small-scale housing development but there was a strong sense of between the areas of the EU. The was created using semi-derelict community. The city council grant was £630 million over six land around the cathedral and wanted to relocate people who years, with EU funding being providing homes for cathedral were living in poor quality matched by the UK government. staff, students and those needing housing but they refused, Some was spent on retraining low rent social housing. Offices preferring to stay in the area and workers for jobs in IT and the and a conference centre were also have new housing built there service industries whilst other funds built, visually improving the area where all their friends and were spent on providing capital for and providing some limited connections were. Eventually it new businesses. One of the areas employment. was agreed and the people that received funding was the Rope • Half a mile east of the cathedral, worked with architects to create Walk area, which is now a lively Project Rosemary was built on the living space they needed. area of bars, restaurants and clubs land previously occupied by The first phase consisted of 145 for the young professionals who contaminated railway sidings. homes to rent which were a have been tempted back into the This was a partnership of mixture of one, two and three- city centre by the range of government funding, Liverpool bedroom bungalows, houses with waterfront and other University and the local health between two and four bedrooms accommodation on offer. This area authority. A new hospital for and some special needs housing. also has the oldest Chinese women and babies was built, a The homes were well built and community in the UK, whose new hall of residence for the set at angles so that every home presence is announced via the university, some new housing was overlooked by another as a largest Chinese arch in Europe. and a factory producing quality form of crime prevention. cake decorating materials which Facilities include a village hall, Of the service industries, tourism is provided 200 jobs in an area of sports centre and a home for the the most important for the city. high unemployment. elderly. Today the community is Liverpool has more museums and thriving and expanding, with a galleries than any other British city waiting list of hundreds who Situation at the end of the outside London. Eight of the museums are classified as national 20th century museums and have free entry, which Figure 5: Breaking the cycle At the end of the 20th century, is a pulling point for visitors. The although Liverpool still had Beatles continue to be an Government Derelict and contaminated and EU funding multiple problems and was still international attraction, with the land restored along losing population, a start had been Beatles’ Story exhibition in the waterfront. made on breaking the cycle of Albert Dock. The Matthew Street Money available International Garden Festival deprivation, and positive changes area where the Cavern nightclub for retraining of highlights improvement. workforce. were occurring (Figure 5). was situated has been revamped and is now an attractive part of the city. Regeneration of dock areas In 1991 City Challenge was including flagship Albert Dock. launched with money from several

New business attracted to waterfront location at e.g. Figure 6: Quality of life indicators for Dingle Ward (Toxteth) Liverpool and the Brunswick Business Park New jobs UK – (2001 National Census) and Princes Dock including new technologies. Factor Dingle Liverpool UK %Unemployed 5.4 6.0 3.4 City has higher and More secure incomes % Permanently sick/disabled 12.6 11.4 5.5 more positive profile for city residents leading and attracts further to increased spending % No qualification 40.2 37.8 29.1 inward investment and power. More spent on % With no car 53 48.3 26.8 redevelopment house maintenance %No central heating 21.8 27 8.5 projects. and areas will have more positive feel. %Owner occupied housing 49.8 52.6 68.9 % Lone parent 13.5 11.5 6.5 Europe’s Capital of Culture 2008 highlights what the city has to offer and will lead to a broader industrial base. household with children

Recent regeneration plans • An area around Paradise Street businesses who might locate in or and Chavasse Park is Europe’s near the city centre. Being the Liverpool still has areas where the largest retail-led regeneration Capital of Culture is expected to: quality of life is below the UK scheme. It will have a mix of average and this is especially true of retail outlets including a John • create 14,000 new jobs the inner city areas. Figure 6 shows Lewis department store plus • attract an extra 1.7 million some quality of life indicators, residential units and two hotels. tourists over the year compared with Liverpool as a whole • In the heart of Liverpool is the • encourage £2 billion worth of and the UK. Cultural Quarter, including investment. buildings such as St George’s In 1999 Liverpool Vision was Hall and Lime Street Station. Already some impacts can be seen. created, which is an urban The modern station is the public House prices have risen, even in regeneration company whose initial transport gateway to the city and previously undesirable areas such as funding is from the government. its frontage is being redesigned to Toxteth. Coutts Bank, the bank for Their aim is to lead and co-ordinate add to the appeal of the area. the wealthy, now has offices in inward investment for Liverpool. • The City Centre Movement Princes Docks and whereas in 1993 Between 2003 and 2008 over £2 Strategy has been set up with the fewer than 4,000 people lived in the billion of investment is expected in aim of making the city accessible city centre, now there are over Merseyside as a whole within the for all and with good pedestrian 10,000, mainly living in the Strategic Regeneration Framework. connections which are safe and redeveloped middle class dock areas The following schemes are planned green. In 2007 the Merseytram – a good example of reurbanisation. or already underway: will be introduced, 50 years after Liverpool’s population in 2004 • The Waterfront including the the last tram ran in the city. A new park and ride scheme is recorded an increase for the first Pier Head and the Albert Dock time since 1937 (see Figure 2). It has area is Liverpool’s flagship planned to be situated near the M57, with electric buses forming large universities and an associated regeneration area and has been high tech sector, a successful and designated a World Heritage Site. the connection with the city centre. increasing range of retail areas, Further work to enhance its several important annual festivals attraction is planned. The Pier These and other regeneration such as the Matthew Street Music Head is the front entrance to the Festival , world class museums and city and is already important for schemes are already improving the visual look, the air quality and galleries and a buzzing night life. It ferry services. Its facilities are to would seem that Liverpool has a be expanded to take cruise ships housing and open space provision of the city centre. bright and buoyant future, with its wanting to stop at the historic heart still based around the original location. The lower floors of the reason for its existence, the River ‘Three Graces’ (the Liver, Capital of Culture 2008 Mersey. Cunard and Port of Liverpool Liverpool aims to celebrate the buildings) are to be converted culture and the people of the city from office space to more tourist- and in so doing raise the profile of friendly uses to make the the area. The central theme is ‘The waterfront area seem more lively. World in One City’. This will help There are also controversial plans attract further funding and continue for a modern ‘Fourth Grace’ the city’s regeneration. Tourism will building. The waterfront location increase – both national and is to be enlivened with more international – as people become water features such as jets and more aware of the city and what it fountains, as well as restaurants has to offer. John Lennon airport is on the River Mersey itself. The growing and likely to expand further Princes Dock is to have further due to the publicity associated with prestige office developments and the Capital of Culture designation the Kings Dock area will be the and will add to the general appeal for focal point for the Capital of Culture celebrations. It will have conference and exhibition Focus Questions centres as well as hotels, apartments, open space and a 1. Using an example you have studied, assess the extent to which central piazza to further enhance inner city redevelopment has slowed the impact of centrifugal forces the appearance of the former within the city. docks and to provide additional employment opportunities. 2. To what extent has the redevelopment of inner city Liverpoool • A new stretch of canal is planned improved the quality of life for its residents? to link the terminus of the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Stanley 3. How successful is waterfront regeneration in encouraging the economic Dock with the attractions at the growth of a port city? Albert Dock. It will act as an additional tourist and business 4. To what extent can the redevelopment of inner city Liverpool be attraction. regarded as sustainable?