Urban change: deindustrialisation, decentralisation, rise of service economy
Since the mid-twentieth century, cities in the UK and other wealthy countries have changed dramatically. Manufacturing industries collapsed, people and businesses moved outward, and office and retail jobs replaced factory work.
Real World
Sheffield's steel industry employed over 90,000 workers in the 1970s; by 1990 that figure had collapsed to under 10,000 as cheaper imports undercut domestic production, leaving swathes of the Lower Don Valley derelict before partial regeneration through retail and leisure investment.
Exam Focus
When writing about deindustrialisation, quantify the impact with data (job losses, timescales) to move from Level 2 to Level 3 responses.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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