4A.9B - Rebranding Deinstrialised Places
For UK deindustrialised cities, rebranding can stress the attraction of places, creating specific place identity building on their industrial heritage; this can attract national and international tourists and visitors (Glasgow ‘Scotland with Style’)
Deindustrialised UK cities have proved hard to rebrand. Almost by definition the closure of industry, loss of jobs and spread of derelict land is not the stuff of marketing dreams. Places like Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield have had to be rebranded in order to produce a new, more attractive image. Usually this has involved:
- Turning their industrial history into a heritage asset, with museums, historical trails and public art works celebrating past achievements.
- Redeveloping warehouses and old industrial buildings into apartments, shops, restaurants and office space
- Building modern apartments and hotels on land once occupied by industry
- Using local art, artists and music to attract visitors
In these cities canals, river-frontages and quaysides have been regenerated and turned into marinas and canals for leisure.
Liverpool is a good example of a deindustrialised UK city that has regenerated and rebranded, attempting to become a 'destination' for tourism, leisure, arts and culture. In 2014 Liverpool was the sixth most visited UK city by international visitors, showing that The Beatles' heritage in particular has an international dimension.
Regenerating and rebranding Liverpool:
- Heritage
- Between 1981 and 1988 the Merseyside Development Corporation (a UDC) regenerated 320 ha of the derelict but historic Albert Docks into a maritime museum, shops and apartments. In 2004, the historic Merseyside waterfront became a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Culture and Arts
- The Tate Liverpool art gallery opened in the Albert Docks in 1988 followed by 'the Beatles Story' museum in 1990
- In 2002 Liverpool Speke Airport was rebranded as Liverpool John Lennon Airport, stressing the connection with the Beatles
- In 2008 Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture, leading to an investment of about £4 billion in arts and infrastructure
- Retail
- In 2008 the city centre was regenerated as Liverpool ONE, a £900 million shopping and leisure hub
- Living
- Princes Dock has been regenerated and includes Liverpool Cruise Terminal (2007), Malmaison and Crowne Plaza hotels as well as apartments with a £5.5 billion regeneration called Liverpool Waters
- Liverpool Waters: 65 km long, £75 billion growth project, 2 km of waterfront, 9000 flats, shops, office space, cruise terminals - attract Chinese business (city twinned with Shanghai). 55-story Shanghai Tower to be the tallest skyscraper outside London. 'A Waterfront for the World'
- Princes Dock has been regenerated and includes Liverpool Cruise Terminal (2007), Malmaison and Crowne Plaza hotels as well as apartments with a £5.5 billion regeneration called Liverpool Waters
- Techonology
- Liverpool Knowledge Quarter is a quaternary sector regeneration cluster including a Science Park (2006) and Life Science Centre (2013) partnered with Liverpool John Moores University