Outline the characteristics and explain the causes of urban decline. (6 marks)

Urban decline is the deterioration of previously functioning parts of the city, an example is Hulme, an inner city area of Manchester. Urban decline is typically characterised by worsening social factors such as higher crime rates and substance abuse. It is usually accompanied by fall deteriorating economic factors as well including; derelict property and higher than average unemployment rates, for example Hulme's youth unemployment in 1986 was 68%. Urban decline usually starts with economic decline, in Hulme this began when the Rolls Royce factory closed down due to the increased competition of globalisation. Therefore most of the higher educated workforce emigrated from the area in search of jobs. This left many inner city factory workers with few transferable skills, unemployed, in fact Hulme's male unemployment was 59% in 1986. This often leads to higher crime rates, people have more time and lower incomes, so some turn to theft and vandalism. The area receives a lack of business investment as low incomes mean lower purchasing power in the area, and the higher skilled workforce have moved away. This is often accompanied by falling aspirations for the youth and closure of schools, in the 80's in Hulme 74% of people left school at 16. All of these factors worsen urban decline, as the consequences of urban decline become the causes in deteriorating the area further, a concept known as the 'spiral of urban decline'.