Socially Constructed Places
- Places change as a result of a combination of specific processes carried out by stakeholders
- Stakeholders are groups in society, so their actions have a huge role in constructing place identity
- Place identity and character do not happen by accident but instead through choices made by society to construct a distinctive sense of place
- Stakeholder groups within society have the power to change and shape places through investment, voting, or protesting
- Focus E15, a campaign group, successfully protested against the demolition of the Carpenter’s estate in Stratford, a rapidly gentrifying area of London
- Torbay Council in Devon is investing £150m to develop new homes and the local economy in the area
- The Brexit referendum vote to leave the EU shows how voting can have a huge impact on placing a character on a national scale
- The forces of change acting on a place will change the lived experience of those in the area
A force of change for place identity
- When there are flows of people that change a place’s demography and culture, lived experiences can be different due to a whole new set of experiences being available.
- Immigrant communities often start food businesses or celebrate festivals from their culture which changes lived experience in the area
- The ‘Curry Mile’ is a nickname for part of Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, South Manchester
- Economic growth or decline due to changes in investment will affect the services available and change the lived experience
- Gentrification and globalisation are both processes that are strong forces for change when it comes to placing character
- Investment by TNCs from overseas is a very strong way in which globalisation affects place character
- The Australian TNC ‘Westfield’ has invested in many areas in London such as Stratford and Shepherd’s bush to create shopping and leisure areas
- This brings jobs and a new element of identity to these locations
- Gentrification is a powerful process that can affect house prices, average earnings and levels of deprivation
- An example is the St Philips area in Bristol where a new university campus is being built that will attract thousands of students and change the demographic and economy of the area