THF2

The Home Magazine 2018.
— Is Manchester losing its industrial soul to regeneration?
— Can regeneration solve inequality in the city?
— Explore the various styles/ subcultures within
the city
Manchester and the Industrial Revolution
Manchester was at the forefront of cotton production
during the late 18th and 19th Centuryearning
its title of ‘Cottonopolis’. Manchester
evolved from a small market town, to a thriving
metropolis , and exploded into global consciousness.
Regeneration of the city was key
to coping with the demands of the industrial
revolution: the canals were developed, grand
cotton mills and warehouses multiplies across
the municipality, and the world’s first inter – city
train link between Manchester and Liverpool
was constructed. Iconic buildings like the Royal
Exchange were built to facilitate the commercial
deals that powered the industrial revolution.
Manchester’s economy and reputation boomed.
The Manchester Bee
The Manchester working bee symbol was adapted
during the Industrial Revolution in honor
of the hard-working Mancuntions who drove
Manchester to the international front runner of
the Industrial Revolution.
Most recently it has been used as a symbol of
tenacity and resilience of Manchester in the
face of adversity. Look out for the bees dotted
about in Manchester’s architecture!
De – Industrialisation
The events of World War 1 devastated Manchesterr’s
cotton monopoly. As Manchester focussed
its efforts on the war, international competition
overtook it. By the end of the war, Manchester
was struggling to keep up. By the mid – 1960s
most of the mills and warehouses were for sale
or rent; poignant reminders of Manchester’s
once prosperous past.
The city was plunged into poverty, as jobs were
taken from the city. According to Urban Regeneration
in the UK it took only 13 years from 1971
to 1983 to cut manufacturing jobs by a third.
The mass scale of unemployment in Manchester
happened suddenly. It was clear regeneration
was needed to encourage investment in the city.
Northern Quarter / (N4 or
NQ) / area of Manchester
city centre, defined and
named in the 1990s as
part of the regeneration
and gentrification of
Manchester.
The Manchester Ship Canal
An untouched piece of Manchester’s industrial
past are the canals that run through the city.
The Manchester Ship Canal was built in 1894 to
cope with the demands of the industrial revolution.
The canals were key to commercial imports
and exports and were fundamental in defining
Manchester as the Cotton Capital of the world.
As the cotton industry declines so did the commercial
usage of the canals as they struggled
to facilitate modern ships. The canals have remained
dormant ever since, however, Peel Ports
Ltd. Have recently started an effort to regenerate
the canal to the frustration of some critics.
‘There’s no place like Hulme’
In the wake of deindustrialised Manchester,
housing slums, housing the working class of
Manchester, were a common sight. Yet in areas
of poverty, a strong sense of community thrived
The Hulme Crescents
The slums in Hulme were particularly notorious
and the in the early 1970’s the slums were demolished
and a high density housing scheme
called the ‘Hulme Crescents’ rehomes residents.
The scheme was a failure from start to finish,
and became a symbolic of inner city deprivation
in Manchester. They fractured an existing
community and are an example of regeneration
gone awry. They were demolished in 1194, 22
years after they were constructed.
WATCH VIDEO
Following the demolition Manchester City Council
received government funding to regenerate
Hulme. Cooperation between local authority
and private and public groups meant it would
be rebuilt with the values of the community in
mind and to the extent that it could re – establish
itself.
‘Homes for Change’ a community led housing
cooperative which was unique not only in its
architecture but also the process in which it
was made. The medium-rise blocks reflect the
diverse community and were practical truly suiting
the residents. The project was a success
and showed that regeneration could work for
all parties involved where residents were consulted
in the process.
THE GENTRIFICATION OF MANCHESTER’S
POP CULTURE
Manchester: Pop Cult City
The Smiths to Oasis , Coronation Street to Manchester
United, Factory Records to Canal Streetto
name a few cultural artefacts that have gone
on to shape not only the symbolic transformation
of Manchester, but also the physcial structure
of the city. The economic impact it has had on
the city is immeasurable.
LISTEN SOUNDBITE
The Hacienda
The Hacienda was an infamous superclub
that pioneered the Madchester house scene.
Its movement stiumlated the night-time culture
as many more night clubs followed in its
course rejuvenating previosuly bleak areas of
Manchester.
WATCH VIDEO
The Hacienda closed due to financial issues in
1997 and luxury flats were built on its site. Gentrification
is prevalent across Manchester with
other legendary venues following suite such as
The twisted Wheel, the home of norther soul being
developed as a budget hotel and even more
recently Sankey’s also being turned into flats.
The venues and movements that defined Manchester
as a pop cult city, which started out as
a counter culture movement, have been appropriated
as a cultural asset. Some argue that it
has taken the edge out of the city, and instead
replaced it with luxury flats and chain coffee
shops.
https://capitadiscovery.co.uk/mmu/
items/1615466?query=Dave+Haslam&resultsUri=items%3Fquery%3DDave%2BHaslam
TO THE NORTHERN QUARTER…
REGENERATION IN THE 1990S
The city centre
The fervour of regeneration took over the city
following the failed Summer Olympic bid and
1996 IRA bomb that ravaged the city. The Manchester
Arndale, Royal Exchange and Corn
Exchange buildings were partially rebuilt, and
sites such as the Manchester Arena and The
Velodrome were built.
Spinningifields, Manchester’s business district
did not formally exist until London Properties
Ltd. Invested into the area driving employment
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