2. The Players Influencing Economic Change
Key Idea 4: Places are influenced by a range of players operating at different scales.
Learning Objectives:
To examine a region which has been impacted by structural economic change – Birmingham.
To examine the socio-economic, demographic, cultural and environmental characteristics before economic change.
To explore the economic change that took place and the role of the platers involved.
To examine the socio-economic, demographic, cultural and environmental impact on people and places within Birmingham after economic change.

3. Birmingham – a region which has been impacted by economic change
Tasks: Read pages 172 & 173 to answer the questions below:
Describe the location of Birmingham.
Past Connections: Draw and annotate a timeline of industries in Birmingham in the period 1166 – 1917.
On your timeline, highlight any “players” who were influential during this time in bringing about economic change.
Past Connections: Referring to examples, explain how the development of industry in Birmingham led to the multiplier effect from the 1800s.

4. Birmingham – a region which has been impacted by economic change
Tasks: Birmingham’s Place Profile before economic change
5. Using Figure 5.31 on page 173, describe the employment structure of Birmingham in the early 1950s.
6. Read page 174 and describe the socio-economic, demographic and built environment profile of Birmingham in the early 1950s resulting form the economic changes of the Industrial Revolution.

5. Birmingham – a region which has been impacted by economic change
Post-war Birmingham - Economic Change since
Birmingham was a prosperous city for most of the 1950s and 1960s with unemployment below 1%.
Yet between 1970 and 1983, earnings fell from being the highest in the UK to almost the lowest of any region.
The industrial geography of the city changed dramatically.

6. Birmingham – a region which has been impacted by economic change
Tasks: Post-war Birmingham: Economic Change since 1950
7. On your copy of table 5.6. on page 174, calculate the percentage change for each type of employment between 1978 and 2000.

7. 8. Plot this data using the outline below as a guide.
9. Describe the pattern of employment change in Birmingham in the last quarter of the 20th Century. Give at least 3 pieces of evidence
10. What is this downward turn in economic change referred to as?

8. Post-war Birmingham - Economic Change since 1950.
11. Read page 175 which identifies the economic change that took place and the players involved in bringing about this change.
12. Draw and annotate a timeline of economic change in Birmingham from 1970s – Make sure you add and highlight the “players” who influenced economic change and what they did. Make sure you include the following “players”.
OPEC
Arab states
TNCs e.g. Toyota; VW; Renault; Peugeot
Central Government
Mangers and unions of car factories
Potential investors
Local Authorities
Describe and explain how external forces influenced change in Birmingham in the second half of the twentieth century.

9. Post-war Birmingham – The Impacts of Economic Change since 1950 (de-industrialisation).
Read page 175 & 176. Identify and elaborate on the impacts of this economic change on the following:
13. Built-Up Environment
Housing – type; price; slum clearance
Green Belt areas
14. Demography
Study Table Select an appropriate technique to present this data as a chart to represent the ethnic structure of Birmingham and England.
Compare and contrast the ethnic composition of Birmingham with England.
Assess the reason why so many migrants are attracted to a place like Birmingham.
Describe the impacts of Birmingham’s ethnic composition on Birmingham’s urban landscape and culture.
Study the population pyramid in Figure How would you describe Birmingham’s population compared to England as a whole?

11. Recent Regeneration in Birmingham - Economic Change since 1990s.
More recently, there have been a range of players actively involved in trying to re-position Birmingham as a “modern, forward looking” city i.e. re-industrialisation.
These players exist at a local, regional, national and international scale.
Task 15:
Read pages 176 &177 and complete the grid on the next slide to identify the key players involved in recent economic change in Birmingham and what they actually did.

12. Players
What changes did they bring about and how?
Local Government
National Government
EU Government
Flagship Planning & Development
University Institutions
Shopping & Retail Players
The Canal & River Trust
Network Rail
Birmingham Development Plan

13. Exam Style Question
With reference to one country or region you have studied, assess the roles of a range of players can have on influencing economic change.
(16 marks)