Hulme is an inner
city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. Located immediately south
of Manchester city centre, it is an area with significant industrial heritage
By the start of the 1960s England had begun to remove many
of the 19th century 'slums' and consequently, most of the slum areas of Hulme
were demolished. The modernist and brutalist architectural style of the period,
as well as practicalities of speed and cost of construction dictated high rise
"modular" living in tower blocks and "cities in the sky"
consisting of deck-access apartments and terraces.
In the 1960’s a new innovative design ‘the crescents’ were
brought in to house those people whose houses had been demolished in the inner
city. These crescents won many design awards however later they were recognised
as a bad design and were poorly kept. They were poorly insulated and the 1960’s
oil crisis rendered them expensive to heat thus became infamous for being cold,
damp and home to cockroachs and vermin.
A new government act meant that anyone claimingf state
beneits were entitled to a council home this highly unpopular accommodation in
Hulme became a ghetto of the cities poorest most deprieved people. Drug
addiction in the neighbourhood soared, thus they were so unpopular the council
had to give the flats out for free so that they were being used. A black market
began in which flats changed hands regularly. Thus removing any possibility of
the council keeping control of the properties. The area lost all community and
personality.
Due to this in 1990 the council decided to completely redevelop
the area and remove the notoriety it had gained over the past 25 years.
Hulme experienced
over £400 million of private and public investment.
Hulme Arch was
opened in 1997. It was built as an inspiration to what the designers wanted the
new Hulme to belike.
The main road
system in the area was overhauled and upgraded.
The Moss side and
Hulme Partnership set up to manage the regeneration to achieve economic renewal
and build an inner city economy.
Replaced the 2
storey Crescents with 2 storey homes with gardensand 2/3 storey blocks of
apartments.
Mixture of housing : private and housing association.
A new upmarket business area was built which was
totally bipolar to what the had been like in an attempt to change the look of
the area.
New youth clubs were established to keep the
youths in Hulme of the streets and to stop them causing damage to the newly
developed area.
After this redevelopment Hulme has pretty much
lost all the infamousy it gained in the 70’s. It is now a thriving,
contemporary and popular area which has now become a vital part of the city.
The difference is obvious!!
