Durham E-Theses The spatial dynamics of commercial activity in central Sunderland Blair, D. J. How to cite: Blair, D. J. (1977) The spatial dynamics of commercial activity in central Sunderland, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10018/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk THE SPATIAL DYNAMICS OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN CENTRAL SUNDERLAND Thesis submitted as a requirement for the MASTER OF ARTS with the Faculty of Social Sciences UNIVERSITY OF DURHAJl Sunderland Polytechnic D. J. Blair March 1977 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. List of Contents Page Frontispiece (i) Abstract (ii) Contents of Chapters (iii)-(v) Figures (lists) (vi-vii) Tables (lists) (viii) Appendices (lists) (ix) Acknowledgements (x) Introouction 1-6 Chapter 1 7-18 Chapter 2 19-28 Chapter 3 29-50 Chapter 4 51-76 Chapter 5 77-107 Chapter 6 108-144 Chapter 7 145-178 Chapter 8 179-187 Bibliography 188-200 Appendices 201-228 (i) Frontispiece CENTRAL SUNDERLAND FROM THE SOUTH WEST A - the commercial core in 1800 B - the main retail area in 1976 C - the main office area in 1976 D - area of growth E - area of decline (ii) Abstract Faculty of Social Sciences Geography Master of Arts Spatial dynamics of commercial activity in central Sunderland. D.J. Blair A case study of the changing structure and behaviour of a commnrcial core of Sunderland is presented in the light of pertinent strands of theory. Considerable change is observed involving both internal reorganisation as well as external relocations. In 1800 the commercial core of Sunderland was a small and functionally mixed area tied very closely to the river and the port trade. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the commercial core expanded and shifted in response to economic change and the spread of residential areas. The modern C.A,, thertifore, contains greater functional segregation and more intense commercial activity. The present C.A. is delimited according to generally accepted methods. The spatial behaviour of commercial establishments is investigated with respect to birth, life, death, directional and distc.nce parameters. The responses of individual managers and firms to changing circumstances in central Sunderland are surveyed. General spatial patterns are discernible at varying scales which confirm expected tendencies. Finally, some generalisations on the process of commercial change in a central area are suggested by reference to a flow diagram and set of indices, which hold for all places and at all times. (iii) CONTENTS Page Introduction 1-6 the scope of the thesis 1 the case of Sunderland 2 the clarification of terms 3 the organisation of the thesis 4 operational procedures and problems 5 references and end notes 5 SECTION A. THEORY AND METHODOLOGY Chapter 1. A survey of research literature on central areas 7-18 introduction 7 non British literature 7 British literature 10 other literature relevant to the C.B.D. and C.A. 12 summary 14 references and end notes 15 Chapter 2. Theoretical background to the study of central areas with particular reference to Sunderland 19-28 introduction 14 economic perspectives 19 population perspectives 21 ecological perspectives 23 behavioural perspectives 24 classical perspectives 25 planning perspectives 26 summary 27 references and end notes 27 SECTION B. METHODS AND RESULTS Chapter 3. The origins and growth of a central area in Sunderland, during the nineteenth century 29-50 introduction 29 economic stimuli of the C.A. 29 morphological characteristics of the C.A. 33 functional characteristics of the C.A. 35 land values and commercial change 43 summary 46 references and end notes (iv) Chapter 4. Land use changes in central Sunderland Pag£ during the twentieth century 51-76 introduction: the nature of change 51 the data and procedures 52 probability transition matrices : method 58 probability transition matrices : results 61 tests of significance of land use conversion 71 summary 75 references and end notes 75 Chapter 5. The delimitation and internal structure of the C.A. of Sunderland 77-107 introduction 77 data and application of method 78 results 79 validity of the delimited C.A. 82 some characteristics of the C.A. of Sunderland 86 (i) size (ii) shape (iii) age (iv) land values internal structure 92 (i) functional segregation (ii) external structure land use by zones 98 land use by floor levels 102 summary 104 reference and end notes 105 Chapter 6. The location of commercial activity in central Sunderland -^QQ J^^^ introduction 108 a conceptual framework for studying commercial change 108 data sources and operational aspects 109 evidence of the birth-life-death concept 114 (i)'births' (ii) 'deaths' (iii) 'migrants' (iv) 'stayers' some principles of commercial change 135 summary 142 references and end notes 143 (v) Chapter 7. Some behavioural aspects of commercial page change in central Sunderland 145-178 introduction 1^5 spatial behaviour and location strategy of 145 (i) shops (ii) offices a survey of factors governing the decision to migrate 154 (i) sample frame (ii) data collection (iii) analysis of results locational strategies of two individual establishments 163 (i) Vaux Brewery (ii) Binns Departmental Store some spatial parallels of Vaux and Binns 1^2 summary 1^5 references and end notes 1^6 SECTION C. POSSIBILITIES, CONCLUSIONS, AND RESERVATIONS Chapter 8. Towards a working model of C.A« change and summary 179-187 introduction ^'^ a systems approach to C.A. change 179 a working model of C.A. commercial change 181 summary and reservations 184 references and end notes 187 (vi) FIGURES Page Fig- 1. A schematic representation of the genesis of a 3 central area in Sunderland. Fig. 2. A model of central area change. 20 Fig. 3. Hypothetical relationships between a C.A. and urban 22 growth Fig. 4. A generalised map of urban spread of centres of 32 gravity of population, 1800-1855. Fig. 5. Topographic factors in central Sunderland. 32 Fig- 6. Rains Eye Plan, 1792. 34 Fig. 7. A model of morphological development in street blocks . 36 Fig. 8. Sunderland's commercial core, 1800-1850. 38 Fig. 9. Land values in central Sunderland, 1850 and 1900. 44 Fig. 10. Changing limits of the C.A. of Sunderland. 46 Fig. 1]. Grid system and street locations. 53 Fig. 12. Sample points (A) and Land use trends (B). 56 Fig. 13. Delimitation of central Sunderlar.d by the Murphy-Vance 81 method. Fig. 14. Shop frontages in central Sunderland. 83 Fig- 15. Comparative delimitations of the C.A. of Sunderland. 85 Fig. 16. Age structure of centcel Sunderlajid. 89 Fig. 17. Land values in central Sunderland. 1975. 91 Fig. 18. Triangular graph of central business uses by cells. 93 Fig. 19. Comparative data on offices space (A) and shop space (B)95 Fig. 20. Some central points in the C.A. of Sunderland. 97 Fig. 21. Land use by zones in central Sunderland. 99 Fig. 22. Land uses in relation to floor levels, central Sunderland.101 Fig. 23. Rates of change in land use at different floor levels.103 Fig. 24. Commercial 'births' in central Sunderland, 1966-1975. 113 Fig- 25. Commercial 'deaths' in " " , 1966-1975. 120 Fig. 26. Migration of retail establishments, 1966-1975. 125 Fig. 27. " " office " 1966-1975. 126 Fig. 28. " " service " 1966-1975. 127 (vii) FIGURES Page Fig. 29. Distance migrated by commercial establishments. 129 Fig. 30. Directional bias in migration of establishments. 130-131 Fig. 31. Distribution of 'stayers'. 133 Fig. 32. Measures of commercial change, 1966-1975. 136 Fig. 33. Relationship of 'births' and 'deaths'. 138 Fig. 34. Relationship of in - and out - migrants. 141 Fig. 35, Mean centres of urban functions. 147 Fig. 36. Distribution of selected types of shops, 1962 (A) 149 and 1975 (B). Fig. 3/, Distribution of Insurance Agents, (A), Banks and Building Societies, (B), Solicitors, (C), and Estate Agents, (D), 1975. Fig. 33, The spatial history of Vaux Brewery, 1894-1959, 165 Fig. 39. Vaux Brewery, 1976. 167-120 Fig, 40. The spatial history of Binns, 1927-1975. Fig, 41, The accretion process of Vaux and Binns, 1894-1975, 173 Fig, 42, A systems diagram of the spatial dynamics of 180 commercial activity in a C.A, (viii) TABLES Page Table 1. The urban growth of Sunderland in the 31 nineteenth century. Table 2, Classification of commercial activity in 40-41 High and Low Streets in 1831. Table 3, Summary of land use change, 1894-1975. 55 Table 4, Land use conversion data, 1894-1975. 62 Table 5, Land use succession, 1894-1927 64 Table 6, " " " 1927-1948 65 Table 7, " " " 1948-1959 67 Table 8, " " " 1959-1975 69 Table 9, Total land use changes, 1894-1927-1948-1959-1975, 70 Table 10, Land use Gains and Losses in central Sunderland. 72 Table 11, Chi-square values for 1894-1975, land use data.