REBRANDING LONDON

TEST 2: Commenting on 2 documents

Guideline - THE DOCKLANDS, A NEW CBD: before and after regeneration

Stage 1: Introduction - Presenting the documents
Similarities: Both documents deal with the regeneration (def) of the Docklands which became a new CBD, taking place in a London inner city neighbourhood, so on a local scale in the capital city of the UK, a developed country.
Differences: The first doc is an extract from a report entitled London Docklands: The Need for Regeneration by the Office of Natioanl Audit published in 2017 about the problems of the neighbourhood. The 2nd doc is a photograph by Ian Harrison published in 2008 in the book entitled Britain from Above and showing the new Docklands neighbourhood.
Announce structure: In a 1st part I'll use the report to describe the dreadful situation of the Dockland before regeneration and in a 2nd part I will analyse the positive impact of this regeneration thanks to the photo.

Stage 2: Analysing the documents

DESCRIBING - What you see (docs)
 INTERPRETING - What you know (notions)
1. Before regeneration: a deprived neighbourhood (report)

P1 Environmental and social crisis
Environmental pb: Majority of the land abandoned
Social segregation: Isolated neignhbourhood with no connections to the city and poor housing
P2 Economic depression
High unemployment because docks closed
Low wages compared to the rest of London

- Enviro dereliction:
brownfield urban site (def)
- Social exclusion:
isolated unconnected neighbourhood = segregation, low quality of life (def)
- Eco poverty:
low income, standard of living (def) as no job or low wages working on the docks or in its factories = former manufacturing economy
2. After regeneratin: a new CBD (photo)
Foreground:
Social improvement: nice modern low-rise houses
Environmental improvement: trees & space on the waterfront
Background:
Economic improvement: office towers or expensive flats
Everywhere: bridges = connections

- Apparently sustainable regeneration:
new service economy (CBD def), social services (amenities def), green city (def) + a more connected (def) area
=> Consequences
A more attractive neighbourhood: new residents and workers => Not the original population: gentrification (def)

Stage 3: Concluding
Assess docs (reliable/biased justified) To conclude, both documents are reliable as we have their full references ; they are both biased as the report only mentions problems and the photographer selected a beautiful view, however, as one is positive and the other negative, they are globally balanced.
Sum-up ideas These documents show how a deprived neighbourhood like the Docklands really needed a sustainable regeneration which appaarently succeeded but they forget to mention that it will only benefit high-income groups. + Open From London to New York city another global city ; from regeneration to re-imaging ; gap gentrified vs deprived neighbourhoods = a more polarised city.