1. The Inner City
Characteristics
&
Causes of inner city decline

3. Characteristics
 High population out migration figures
 Many boarded up shops
 Many empty & derelict properties
 The closing of schools & low levels of
education
 High levels of unemployment
 High incidences of crime, vandalism &
graffiti
 Low levels of participation in local
democracy

4. Causes of inner city
decline
 A) Deindustrialisation – between 1960-81
1.6mn manufacturing jobs were lost in
major urban areas.
 This led to unemployment in inner city areas
of former industrial regions of Liverpool,
Sheffield, Glasgow….
 Unemployment was very high among the
poorly skilled and ethnic minorities.

5.  B) Population loss & social decline
– the more skilled & affluent people
moved to search for better
employment opportunities, they also
desired larger houses with open space,
and now the countryside was more
easily accessible.

6. Poor physical
environment
 Low quality housing
 Derelict properties
 Vacant factories
 Unsightly overgrown wasteland
 Vandalism, graffiti.
 Few amenities, such as parks or play areas.
 Bleak concrete dominated landscape, with
urban motorways & flyovers.

7. What would it be like
to live in these tower
blocks?

8. Inner city high rise
developments
 They lacked a community feel
 They were poorly ventilated & suffered from
damp
 Expensive to heat
 Poorly designed open spaces – no one cared
– vandalism
 Poorly designed led to ‘hidden paces’ where
hooliganism & criminal activity took place.
Many have now been demolished.