4.a - DETROIT

Question 1

how do TNCs drive structural economic change?

Answer 1

invest in businesses (e.g. Nissan in Sunderlad invested over £2.1 bill)
move factories into LIDCs (e.g. closure of Cadbury’s Keynsham, moved to Poland)
the aim of these is to locate/invest in an area where it is possible for them to make a profit
their arrival or departure can bring about change in an area.
they may be affected by govt decisions

Question 2

how do govts drive structural economic change?

Answer 2

local vs national (vs trading blocs like EU)
e.g. Eden Project
bigger decisions fall to different groups
local council makes local decisions (like new businesses opening in Bath)
national govt = motorways etc.
govt offered Nissan land in sunderland at agricultural prices to attract them

Question 3

how do community groups drive structural economic change?

Answer 3

changes to the area
> e.g. Stokes Croft and Tesco
environmental groups protesting government building new runway at Heathrow
these have a vested interest in place because they live there, so any change matters.
they may form pressure groups or conduct local surveys

Question 4

how does the national govt drive structural economic change?

Answer 4

they have departments that can make changes to transport, educaiton, housing, the environment of a place

Question 5

how does the EA drive structural economic change?

Answer 5

looks to protect rural land and greenfield sites
flood risk

Question 6

how does the local govt drive structural economic change?

Answer 6

they have responsibility for what is or sint allowed through the planning process - what can/cant be built
local govts set up initiatives for local transport, housing etc. too

Question 7

how does the international govt drive structural economic change?

Answer 7

includes the EU who give grants for projects that may help to improve or regenerate a place e.g. by new roads

Question 8

when did the automobile age start?

Answer 8

roughly the 1890s

Question 9

how do NGOs drive structural economic change

Answer 9

these may be local or national in scale
they include large landowners like the national trust or english heritage
they usually have a specific interest in something e.g. conservation

Question 10

how were the car plants economic ecosystems?

Answer 10

all the parts accessible nearby
a community of workers live there
services for those workers

Question 11

how big was Detroit at its peak?

Answer 11

detroit became the 4th biggest city in the USA
1.8 million in 1950s peak

Question 12

which demographic immigrated into detroit?

Answer 12

African Americans from the south as they were in economic distress post american civil war

Question 13

what were some of the issues with the car manufacturing structure in Detroit?

Answer 13

built in unfavourable settings
very inefficient
urban pressure

Question 14

what happened in 1943?

Answer 14

RIOTS/altercation between white and black people.
34 people killed over 3 days (mostly black)

Question 14

how did the African American population change?

Answer 14

1000 moving to Detroit each month = RAPID CHANGE
5700 to 120,000 in 20 yrs

Question 15

what was Detroit’s population size like before the economic change

Answer 15

1.850 million

Question 15

how does white flight link to the car manufacturers spatially?

Answer 15

the automotive plants started to move to the suburbs, deserting the city

Question 16

what happened in 1967?

Answer 16

RIOTS
falling employment and racial tensions led to serious race riots in 1967
5 days of riots left 43 dead, 500 injured and over 2000 stores looted
racism and abandonment of inner city riots
catalyst of more white flight

Question 16

how did crime change in the 1970s and why?

Answer 16

rise in crime due to economic challenges of people in the city

Question 17

what is detroit like in 2013?

Answer 17

population of less than 700,000
and debt of £20 billion

Question 17

how did the population change as industry declined?

Answer 17

how did the population change as industry declined?

Question 18

what industries were there before the economic change?

Answer 18

detroit built on the mass production of the motor car.
Ford River Rouge plant alone employed 90,000 people
by late 19th century Detroit’s industry included leading ship building, pharmaceutical and railway businesses

Question 19

what was Detroit’s wealth/wages like before the economic change?

Answer 19

CBD = signs of wealth. grand high rise buildings
$3/hr, needed no education as it was not skilled labour
double what you would get paid in any other industry

Question 20

what was Detroit’s music scene like before the economic change?

Answer 20

Motown was gigantic (record label)
industrialisation = culture. people had money to spend = +ME

Question 21

what was the KEY ECONOMIC CHANGE THAT TOOK PLACE IN DETROIT?

Answer 21

DEINDUSTRIALISATION

Question 22

what was Ford’s River Rouge plant like?

Answer 22

Ford River Rouge plant alone employed 90,000 people in 1932, the industrial complex was the largest integrated factory in the worl w/ its own docks, railway lines, power station/plant and 120 miles of conveyor belt.

Question 22

how did the demographics on Detroit change before the economic change?

Answer 22

the city grew due to urban sprawl from <500,000 in 1900 to 1.8 mill in 1950s hundreds of thousands of workers came from eastern and southern Europe (italy, hungary and poland) and later African Americans from southern states moved north for work. detroit’s black population surged from 5700 to 120,000 from 1910-30. white population peaked in 1950 and declined due to white flight and net outmigration through 2010.

Question 23

who were the big 3 car manufacturers?

Answer 23

general motors chrysler ford

Question 24

what does the detroit built environment look like now?

Answer 24

smashed and broken deserted

Question 25

why did the TNCs leave?

Answer 25

easier to put up a new factory than refurbish an old one cheaper and more efficient overall people are moving to the suburbs

Question 26

what are the crime rates like?

Answer 26

600ppl/yr shot “murder capital of the world”

Question 27

what is the key structural change that occured in Detroit?

Answer 27

(the growth and) decline of the car industry

Question 27

what are the four factors that lead to the decline of the car industry?

Answer 27

car manufacture’s failure to modernise production methods, poor labour relations and the rise of foreign competition oil crisis of 1970s globalisation and foreign TNCs city government

Question 28

how did car manufactures lead to the decline of the car industry?

Answer 28

car manufacturers decided to move some factories out of the city to get away from the highly unionised labour in central detroit. they invested in automation = less labour the 3 big companies failed to modernised and adapt to the changing car market = sales dropped. by 1980s unemployment in black suburbs = 45%

Question 29

how did the oil crisis lead to the decline of the car industry?

Answer 29

oil crisis of 1970s = rising petrol prices = drivers look for more fuel efficient models = loss of sales

Question 30

how did globalisation lead to the decline of the car industry?

Answer 30

globalisation and foreign TNCs japanese car producerss e.g. Toyota took sales away

Question 31

how did the city govt. lead to the decline of the car industry?

Answer 31

also responsible made bad decisions and poor investments wasted money on failed projects = less to rebuild the city and cuts from essential services e.g. transport and police borrowed too much and failed to cut down on expenditure city went bankrupt

Question 32

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS: between 1950-2005, Detroit lost…

Answer 32

29% homes 52% people 55% jobs 60% tax revenue

Question 33

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS: today, Detroit has…

Answer 33

23% unemployed 36% below poverty line voted most dangerous city for 4 yrs in a row (2012) $7500 = avg house price only 18% adults have a college degree out of 85,000 street lights, 1/2 are out of service

Question 34

how did the decline affect demographics?

Answer 34

ped up “white flight” from central detroit to the suburbs population collapsed from 1.8 million to 700,000 (now 900,000) wealthy areas along the river (grosse pointe and bloomfield hills) = 3/4 emploeyd in tertiary “creative captial” work physicians, surgeons, lawyers and managers etc have made homes here. avg incomes $160,000. pop = 90% white highland park = worst area. suffered from huge out migration. avg income = <$20,000. employed as retail food managers. 270 crimes per sq mile. pop= 90% black

Question 35

what are the impacts on the environment?

Answer 35

closure of so many factories and out migration led to urban blight 70,000 abandoned buildings (many burned out), 30,000 houses and 90,000 vacant lots

Question 36

how will a positive feedback loop cause bigger problems and create social inequality in the city centre?

Answer 36

reliance on 1 large manufacturing industry rapid growth and opportunities decline and deindustrialisation = huge loss of jobs and people move away businesses move away and urban degredation occurs no one wants to move in to an unattractive, declining area, no income into area and further spiral