Manchester's Northern Quarter - Organic Gentrification (GA Conference 2024 - Field Visit)

For many delegates this year's GA conference kicked off with a superb tour around the Northern Quarter of Manchester, looking at how gentrification has transformed many parts of the city over the last couple of decades.

Over the next few weeks Alice and I will share some of our thoughts on the many fantastic sessions that we attended during the conference, but today we are going to hand over to Tony Hardman who led the tour.

(Vicki Woolven)

My name is Tony Hardman and, according to my Tutor2U bio, I am “Manchester (well, Oldham) born and bred and am passionate about urban geography”. To flesh those bones out a little I have lived most of my (ahem) 49 years within shooting distance of Manchester and worked in various jobs in the city centre before I got the calling to teach…and in that time have seen Manchester city centre transformed from a place you really didn’t want to be in but had to, to a place lauded by Lonely Planet as one of its must-visit destinations for 2023, and the only British city to make its ‘Best in Travel’ list. In terms of ‘Geography for Everyone’ the geography of the city centre has transformed totally for a multitude of reasons, and everyone now seems to want to come here!

I mention a multitude of reasons. The IRA Bomb of June 1996 was a major catalyst of city centre redevelopment: The building of the Trafford Centre on the edge of the city was a challenge that threatened the death of Manchester city centre as a retail hub; and the Commonwealth Games of 2002 saw investment in the city centre - Piccadilly Railway Station was transformed into the pleasant, light, airy gateway into the city that might have greeted you, which is so much removed from the dark, dingy, diesel-fumed station that you would have arrived at pre-2002, which was not so much “Welcome to Manchester” as “Here is Manchester…you’re welcome to it”.

But I want to concentrate on the Northern Quarter. A small section of the city on the periphery of the CBD. Behind the scenes, quietly, something was happening in this area. This is the enclave of Manchester that I loved as kid. The bit that has not been comprehensively redeveloped top-down. This is the bit of Manchester that had been bustling then left to rot, but had risen up again to be one of the jewels in the crown of this great city. Not controlled by massive investment, but with a true Mancunian (socialist) work ethic, the worker bees have made this area great again. Organic gentrification at its very best.

Tib Street Car Park (creatives, links to film and popular culture):

Film and TV - You might recognise the multi-story car park behind me before. Behind the brutalist 1970’s appearance and the stairwells having what has been described online as “odour of urine and cannabis” (which I can vouch for but have never added to) Church Street car park is a star of numerous TV shows, including Life on Mars. Manchester, like most traditional industrial cities, faced the struggle of facing up to the slow death knell of deindustrialisation. Recognised as the world’s first truly industrialised urban area it developed at the heart of the global cotton trade in the 19th century, moving from specialising in manufacturing to the production and export of finished goods. The purpose-built warehouses of the later 19th and early 20th centuries had an tremendous impact on the grain of the area. But as the wholesalers and merchants moved out, the warehouses that have been left behind have given Northern Quarter an unexpected source of regeneration…as a film set. These streets and buildings have been seen in “It’s a Sin”, “Captain America”, “Peaky Blinders” and “The Crown” to name but a few. Film directors have long been fans of the Northern Quarter as its brownstone buildings and external fire escapes make it an inexpensive stand-in for New York.

But, its not just the iconic yellow cabs that are regular visitors. The fame of the buildings attracts “set jetters” – people who travel to visit locations seen on screen. It has also attracted in several independent film and video production companies owing to the seemingly perfect recipe of attractive postcode, wide range of varied local locations for filming and the positive reputation of the city and area itself.

New Broom – You will also notice that Northern Quarter is also a canvas for street art. Public street art in the Northern Quarter started in the late 1990s , and it has evolved over time to include both graffiti and more eloquent uses of public spaces. The movement has been punctuated by the Cities of Hope Project, launched in the Northern Quarter in 2016. Cities of Hope has a singular focus, to use street art to raise awareness of social issues, challenge injustice and champion the voice of the powerless. The project provides opportunities for artists to raise awareness of issues important to them and to introduce the general public to this unique artistic style.

And just to explain the seemingly random large brush and shovel, this is “A New Broom” by “George Wylie”. Unveiled in 1999 and commissioned by the Northern Quarter Project and Manchester City Council it has a lot to say about the regeneration of the area. Redeveloping the City Centre was relatively easily, particularly in the aftermath of the 1996 IRA bomb. But here in the Northern Quarter, with its history and architecture starting fresh was not an option…so the focus was on ‘clean up’ rather than comprehensive redevelopment.

Wholesale Fish Market:

The Northern Quarter’s location in relation to transport systems made it the natural marking centre for the rapidly growing city during the 19th century. In 1820 the potato market located to this area, followed in 1821 by the greengrocers’, butchers’ and meal and flour markets. In 1822 it was officially named “Smithfield Market” and for decades it continued to grow and more land was acquired in the area. Arguably the finest improvement was in 1853-84 when the market was roofed over in four majestic avenues of cast iron and glass.

Fast forward to 1973 and a combination of the now lack of proximity to road transport systems, the ‘Beeching Axe’ on railway stations and lines and competition from the markets of the newly built Arndale Centre saw the Smithfield Markets close their doors and parts of the site were demolished. The wholesale fish market finally closed in 1977, the roof and some of the walls were removed but not these sculptured panels and this façade holds Grade I listed status. The roofless building served as both a garden centre and a car park before being included in the newly created Smithfield Conservation Area in 1987.

This is the point, however, where we can see that in this case gentrification cannot ever actually be truly organic. In response to the new demand for residential properties in the area, the landowners (Manchester City Council) went into partnership with Muse Developments and in 2003 Phase 1 was completed with 87 apartments and since the development began 405 apartments were completed along with 2 hotels and 30000 sq ft of workspace. I would argue success of the more organic gentrification of the 80’s and 90’s attracted the attention of big investment…which was inevitable given the new vibrancy of the area, the ambition and forward thinking of the City Council and the ability of the development company to develop the area sympathetically.

Mackie Mayors and Band on the Wall:

Mackie Mayor’s is the only remaining fully intact building from the former Smithfield Market, and as you might work out from the stone carvings, it was a meat market. It marks the final phase of the Muse Development redevelopment of Manchester, but also gives us a pathway back to gentrification. The building was made weathertight and waterproof and damage to stonework was repaired. Then work went on in inside to restore the use of the space inside to its original use - a great big open space.

But the vendors are all independent and pride themselves on “believing in the importance of regional identity”, “believing fiercely in independents”, and they state that they are clearly “not a concept and are trying as hard as possible to not become a brand”.

Band on the Wall has been at the heart of Manchester culture for many years and, again the independent spirit comes through. The unusual name comes from when the building was the ‘George and Dragon’ pub in the early 20th century. Regulars would refer to the house musicians as “The Band on the Wall” as they played from a stage halfway up the back wall to make room in the busy pub.

But it is venues like this that highlight one of the potential, and in some cases real, problems of the successes of gentrification. Tonic, an avant-garde, creative and experimental music venue on New York’s Lower East Side, was forced to close citing its inability to afford the rent and other costs which had risen as a result of the increased popularity of the area. They admitted that they could have changed their programming to something more mainstream (and profitable), but were committed to a certain type of music and loyalty to their valued customers.

Here in the Northern Quarter, Night and Day Café, just round the corner, was served with a noise abatement notice following complaints from a neighbour in new apartments which had not been soundproofed - which would have forced them to close as seizure of their sound equipment would mean they could not host certain events which were key to its financial survival.

Band on the Wall is a special case in view of these problems as it is not-for-profit, and has been owned and operated by charity Inner City Music since 1984. The result is that they can promote and celebrate the best music of many cultures, particularly showcasing jazz, folk, reggae, soul, latin, afro, funk and blues, as well as trading on its heritage of being at the centre of the Manchester Punk scene in the 1970s when The Buzzcocks, The Fall and Joy Division played some of their earliest gigs there. Again, an example of the resourcefulness and independent spirit of the individuals who make gentrification work.

Tib Street:

Tib Street’s original retail function was pet shops. Apparently, there was no other place in the UK where you could find such wide selections of animals to purchase as pets from the common or garden dogs, cats and birds to the far more exotic. A shift in the popularity of pet shops due to decreased footfall as bigger stores on Oldham Street relocated to the new Arndale Centre led to the pet stores closing, and the products of an exotic nature moved towards sex shops which virtually lined Tib Street through the late 70s and 80s as social attitudes changed (and it was during this time that I personally had be subtly corrected by my Dad that the shop I wanted to go in was actually a ‘Marital Aids’ shop…not a ‘Martial Arts’ store!). Unsurprisingly maybe, the street was also popular with sex workers during this period.

Of course, the internet put paid to some of the adult stores, giving vacant premises to those who wanted to open up shops and services in what was now becoming a Bohemian Revolution and over time Tib Street has developed its third identity - that of cool bars, cafes, hairdressers, boutiques, and what I maintain is the best chippy in the city. A close knit group of fiercely independent traders who refuse to conform, develop slowly and organically and value their local community.

And then, out of nowhere, you see the Smithfield Gardens housing estate, built by Manchester City Council in the 1960s. Over 100 apartments exist, and with the exception of around 35 which have been purchased under Right-to-Buy, they are still rented out through Manchester City Council Housing Services, offering tenants low service charges and even free residents parking permits. Maybe an accidental of fortuity, but it does mean that the locals living here are not priced out of the area due to private landlords putting up rents to maximise profits.

Manchester Craft and Design Centre:

For me this is the Ground Zero of the bohemian, organic regeneration of this area (and it is rumoured that the phrase “The Northern Quarter” was first coined in this building). The building first opened in 1873 as part of the retail fish market and was home to 40 traders with stalls and offices. Following closure in 1973 due to competition from the Arndale Centre in 1978 it was announced that this building would be converted into Manchester Craft Centre – a creative space for local makers and visitors. It was opened in 1982 offering an independent, innovative creative community of shops, cafes and restaurants.

Initially it operated as an artists’ cooperative, but in 2003 it became a not-for-profit limited company with a voluntary Board of Directors and became Manchester Craft and Design Centre and today is home to 19 studios, 24 resident makers and 19 official affiliate or helpers practicing a range of jewellers, glass, woodwork, textiles, leatherwork, pewter smith, ceramics and macrame (as well as a café, exhibition space and workshop space).

And so the creatives moved in and set up shop. For the successful it was then a no brainer for them to expand, and the areas vacant buildings offering low rents they could move out to the neighbouring streets to develop their own creative spaces, galleries and outlets for their creations. As they expanded so to did the shops and services to service the needs of this new bohemian community. And so the area became more bustling and a hotbed of counterculture began to develop – a far cry from the few ‘Rice and Three’ restaurants, dodgy looking pubs from the 80s.

More young people were tempted in to reside in the area thanks to low rents and the idea of inner city living. The closure of the Arndale Underground Market led to independent businesses moving the short distance to the Northern Quarter looking for a piece of that ‘Something Special’ that appealed to people living, working and socialising in the area as new life was breathed into the area.

Stevenson Square:

Stevenson Square was created sometime after 1780 when the profligate yet fascinating Sir Ashton Lever sold off 10 hectares (25 acres) of land. More about Sir Ashton later but the chief beneficiary was William Stevenson, a crafty property speculator who had an eye for a deal. Not one to be shy he decided to create an elegant district of housing for the middle classes focussed, naturally, upon a square named after himself.

There is lots of street art in Stevenson Square. The edginess of much of the work chimes with the previous nature of the square as Manchester’s Speakers’ Corner. People would shout politics, poetry and religion. Arguably making it Manchester’s first real Event Centre

Suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst spoke here on several occasions. When her daughter Christabel, and fellow campaigner Annie Kenny, were imprisoned for disturbing the Liberal Party meeting at the Free Trade Hall in October 1905, Pankhurst attended a meeting at Stevenson Square. This was on the occasion of Kenny’s release. One man suggested votes for women would cause discord and, to laughter, while tripping over his words, said, “In the home the man is the masterpiece.” Pankhurst retorted, to cheers, “We do not believe in masterpieces, we believe in equals.”

Other important meetings here included pro-Spanish Republic speeches at the time of the Spanish Civil War which encouraged many Manchester men to join the International Brigade.

During the 80s this fine space was a bus terminus serving routes to towns to the north of the city. Back then the city had no real residential population to speak of and every day after 5 o’clock there was a mass exodus from the city coining the phrase “will the last person leaving the city please turn out the lights”. But even then entrepreneurs and chancers and sometimes both were testing the business water. This building was the home of Manchester Institution The Koffee Pot – a bustling traditional caff which has since relocated to Oldham Street. A perfect place for a boy and his mum to wait for the bus back to Oldham, but with the windows always steamed up my job was to wipe a bit clean to see if the 181 had come to its stand yet, whilst sipping on a hot Vimto.

A stalwart of Stevenson Square is Manchester’s second oldest retailer, Fred Aldous, an arts and crafts shop which first opened in 1886 yet despite being so old it operates in the very way that has regenerated the Northern Quarter. Shopping or browsing there is like an event, and that is another secret of Northern Quarter’s success. Visiting here is an event.

We were also joined on the tour at this point by Alex James, from XS Manchester who talked to us about the Manchester music scene based around Oldham Street, just around the corner.

I would like to leave you with a quote from Sir Richard Leese (former leader of Manchester City Council)…who, when asked about Britain’s second city he replied “I’m happy for London and Birmingham to fight it out!”