Topic 9A: Slum Clearance

Slum Clearance

Marlon Slack 537581

The town of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England provides an excellent example of the complete lifecycle of a slum – from its evolution, its decay and its eventual clearance and renewal.

In the 17^th century the population of the small northern town numbered less than 3,500, with cutlery manufacture being the main industry – so much so that in 1672 over 46% of local residences had a forge or smithy attached for this purpose (University of Sheffield). As the industry evolved throughout the 18^th and 19^th century into a larger, industrialized metal working industry it acted as a drawcard for many men and women from neighbouring regional areas who flocked to the town seeking work.

As a result of this steady increase of population the urban area of Sheffield built up rapidly and haphazardly. This rapid rise led to poorly-planned, high-density housing and few amenities available to support the mass of skilled and unskilled labour that had settled in the area. By the mid-19^th century the close mixing of work, living and leisure spaces attained Sheffield a reputation for vice, crime and filth, even by the standards of the day. The density of living in the town led to the building of ‘back to back’ style housing – residential premises so closely built large families were cramped into tiny rooms with no natural light and no sanitation or nearby running clean water (Massimilliano, 64).

This form of high-density housing allowed the rapid spread of disease - cholera epidemics were particularly prevalent during the mid-19^th century – and all aspects of public health suffered. Infant mortality rates approached one in four. Due to the widespread impact of the industrial revolution and the masses of people moving to cities looking for work, back-to-back housing became common throughout northern England and London, with similar situations developing in mainland Europe and parts of the United States (Ashton, 654).

Unidentified Slum Dwelling, Sheffield, 1915 (BBC)

As such Sheffield’s situation is not unique, but what makes the situation there particularly noteworthy was the protracted campaign of slum clearance undertaken during the post war period, notably during the 1950s and 60s. During this time local and federal governments combined funding to tear down much of the high density housing and replace it with large council estates – the most noteworthy of which is the Park Hill estate, built between 1957 and 1961.

The Park Hill estate follows the French model of Unité d’Habitation – a modernist design ethos espoused by French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier. The theory was touted as a ‘city in the sky’ – with wide open balconies with attached shopping precincts and schools to service the community. Built largely from concrete in the brutalist fashion, the Park Hill estate was built against a gently sloping hill. Careful design ensured that each level had flat walking access to land, wide open balconies that allowed access for milk delivery vans and a range of shops and schools on the ground level.

Parkhill flats and courtyard (Telegraph)

On being built efforts were made to ensure that a strong sense of community would be retained among the new residents of the Park Hill Estates. Old street names were used on each level and existing neighbours were rehoused next to each other (Bryant, 214).

While the theory of Unité d’Habitation was a sound one, in Sheffield the Park Hill estate was viewed by many as a failure. The complex network of corridors harboured drug activity and enabled violent crime (BBC News). The flats gradually slipped into disrepair and became vacant - becoming heritage listed in 1998 and undergoing redevelopment. In the interim they have been used as filming locations for period films such as This Is England and ‘71 in order to showcase the high density, depressed living style that came to typify lower class life in this period.

Discussion Points

• The principal of Unité d’Habitation was actually successful in France and now houses many upper-middle class residents - what was needed for Park Hill to be successful?
• Do you think there are any suburbs or housing estates in Melbourne that may become slums in the future? If so, why?

References

Ashton, J R, 2006. Back to back housing, courts, and privies: the slums of 19th century England. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, [Online]. 60, 654. Available at:http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/40794015?searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicResults%3FQuery%3Dback%2Bto%2Bback%2Bhousing%26amp%3Bprq%3D%2528back%2Bto%2Bback%2Bsheffield%2529%2BAND%2Biid%253A%252810.2307%252Fi271528%2529%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bhp%3D25%26amp%3Bso%3Drel%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bvf%3Djo&resultItemClick=true&Search=yes&searchText=back&searchText=to&searchText=back&searchText=housing&uid=3737536&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21106349771241[Accessed 10 May 2015].

BBC. 2003. Can you identify this picture from Sheffield's past?. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/sense_of_place/picture_sheffield/nov_03/002_s06103.shtml. [Accessed 10 May 15].

BBC News. 2013. Sheffield's Park Hill flats: Design icon or concrete eyesore?. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-23358401. [Accessed 10 May 15].

Bryant, David, 1974. Social Contacts on the Hyde Park Estate, Sheffield. The Town Planning Review, 45, 207-214.

Massimiliano, Mollona, 2009. Made in Sheffield: An Ethnography of Industrial Work and Politics. 1st ed. Oxford: Berghan Books.

Telegraph, (2004), Parkhill flats and courtyard [ONLINE]. Available at:http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02343/parkhill-courtyard_2343749c.jpg [Accessed 10 May 15].

University of Sheffield. 2011. Local History - Clearing the Slums and the Start of the Sheffield Jungle. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/jungle/index3c1.html. [Accessed 10 May 15].