GCSE Geography | Changes in Shoreditch (UK City Study: London 3)

Shoreditch is a vibrant neighbourhood in London's East End - it is close to central London (just north-east of the 'City of London') and is part of the borough of Hackney. It is an area known for being a diverse community famous for its culture (particularly food), history, iconic street art and lively nightlife.

In the past, Shoreditch was a poor and rundown industrial area known for printing presses and manufacturing textiles and furniture. Following deindustrialisation factories closed and the area experienced urban decay, like much of the East End, leading to an increase in crime and social problems.

Shoreditch has undergone a lot of change in recent times. It was previously regarded as an affordable part of the city, however recently it has been transformed into a creative hub attracting a wave of tech and media companies, kickstarting the process of gentrification - where an influx of more affluent residents change the characteristics of an area.

Bengali culture in Shoreditch

Throughout the centuries, the East End has been a hub for immigrants. The first Bangladeshis arrived in Shoreditch in the 1920s in small numbers, working in factories making clothing and leather goods, as well as in the nearby docks. These migrants had moved over following the British government's appeal to Commonwealth countries for workers to help rebuild the country following the war. Shops and cafés opened up to cater for the new Bengali population.

Today Brick Lane in Shoreditch is the the heart of the country's Bengali community, and is known locally as 'Banglatown'. It is famous for its many curry restaurants, which are a large tourist attraction and have replaced the many garment industries that the original Bengali population worked in. It is also home to a large green and red metal archway that was constructed in 1997 to mark the entrance to ‘Banglatown’ and celebrate Bangladeshi culture in the area (pictured below). Lampposts in this neighbourhood are also decorated in the colours of the Bangladesh flag, and street signs appear in both English and Bengali.

Gentrification in Shoreditch

Shoreditch has been regarded as a fashionable part of London since the mid-1990s. Former industrial buildings are now home to apartments and offices, and art galleries, bars and restaurants and independent shops have sprung up as affluent young professionals move into the area to work in creative and technology industries. This process of gentrification has resulted in a huge increase in the price of land and properties, and has forced many existing residents out.

Shoreditch is synonymous with the concept of 'hipsterfication' - where the process of gentrification is led by 'hipsters' - those who are interested in the unconventional, such as vintage clothing and older styles of music. Many hipsters claim to be anti-materialistic and support local businesses and small independent shops. Other areas of the UK that have seen similar transformations since are often said to have experienced 'Shoreditchification'.

Gentrification is often controversial - many will argue the process transforms run-down urban areas for the better, but many will argue that this regeneration often makes areas unrecognisable and loses the original community, particularly as older residents can no longer afford to rent there. A good example of the bad feeling sometimes caused by gentrification is the protests that took place at the Cereal Killer café in 2015. This café on Brick Lane (pictured below) was viewed as the epitome of hipster culture with its 120 different cereals and 8 different types of milk, so activists from the group Class War targeted it in their anti-gentrification protest arguing that 'we don't want luxury flats that no-one can afford, we want genuinely affordable housing'.

Regeneration of Shoreditch - opportunities and challenges

Regeneration has improved the area of Shoreditch however this means that house prices and rents have increased dramatically (by over 50% in some areas) and social housing has been replaced with luxury apartments - very little affordable housing remains.

Regeneration means that new buildings and conversions are happening continually, which has created thousands of jobs in construction. However it has also mean constant issues with noise and dust pollution for local residents. And despite an increase in population, there have been very few extra services such as new schools or GP surgeries built.

Many jobs have been created by tech and media firms as developers promised, and this has led to an increase in investment in the area - but most of these jobs have been filled by newcomers to the area, rather than locals.

There have been many independent 'trendy' shops opening up - which add to Shoreditch's 'creative' appeal and increases spending in the area - however, prices in these stores are very expensive and out of reach for many.

Redevelopment has increased the number of entertainment venues - there are around bars and restaurants in a small area, bringing in over 10,000 people on weekend evenings. However, official statistics show that crime in Shoreditch has increased making it one of Hackney's less safe areas.