Critically assess the relationship between the growth of consumer culture and urban

development in one city of your choice.' Consumer culture is related to the process of

consumerism, which is defined as 'a term used to describe the effects of equating personal

happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption' (Wikipedia, 2005).

Consumption is defined as 'The purchase and utilization of goods and services' (Knox and

Pinch, 1982) and the three main geographical themes surrounding the geography of

consumption are: spatialities, socialities and subjectives (Miles and Miles). Within this broad

depth of classifying consumption it is possible to identify that consumption is not just related

to the manufactured goods that are sold , but also to services, knowledge and ideas and it is

now commonly accepted that places, shopping, eating, fashion, leisure and recreation are all

things that can be 'consumed' (Jayne, 2005). The key issue in the relationship beween

consumption and urban change is that the production and consumption realtionship that

once existed has now been reversed, and subsequently provides the centre of a modern

urban lifestyle. Urban development is defines as 'the physical, social and economic

development of metropolitan regions, municipalities and neighbourhoods' (Wikipedia, 2005).

The physical change of a city is mainly concerned with the spatial geography of

consumption, however it is important to consider the effect that socialities and subjectives

have on development, especially socially and economically. Through using the city of

Manchester I shall assess the relationship between consumption and urban development

through the following development periods of a city: Industrial, Fordist, Post-Fordist, Post-

Industrial, Modernism and Post-Modernism. The industrial city emerged during the industrial

revolution which was said to be 'The era in which machine power replaced human and

animal ...read more.

Middle

At its peak (around 1945), the Park employed over 75,000 workers. (Pacione) The fordist

system however was not always idealistic, as in the case of Henry Ford's production plants.

In the case of Manchester the industry was mainly cotton, which didn't pay great wages and

as a result women, ethnic minorities and other marginalised groups were economically

excluded. The fordist sytem ran into trouble, this was most probably related to a declining

productivity and there were a number of factors that contributed to this. It is difficult to

determine which factor had the biggest influence, however there are some which are related

to consumption behaviours, as identified by Knox (1982): * Market saturation of mass-

produced goods * Increasing consumer hostilty to uniform, poor-quality goods * System

rigidity in the face of increasing consumer and market volatility stemming from the high

capital costs of establishing complex production lines under the influence of Fordism There

has been responses to the problems created in the fordist city, tese mostly included

changes to the working practices, the organisation of the industry and the structure of the

society as a whole. From these changes emerged the post-fordist city. 'The post-fordist city

is characterised by a production landscape that has experienced the decline of old

manufacturing and 'smokestack' industries and the rise of new computer based technology

and flexible decentralised labour processes and work' (Jayne,2005). In Manchster, the out of

town industrial estate Trafford Park has continued to grow throughout the years, and had

offset many of the worst effects of depression on employment in Manchester. Many new

service industries had moved in as well as light engineering and cleaner hi-tech

industries. ...read more.

Conclusion

In the case of Manchester it is clear that the city has experienced the same shifts as many

cities: from an industrial to post-industrial economy, with a decline in manufacturing and

more importance placed on the role of the cultural economy. Governments regulate and

control consumption on several levels; they are responsible for allowing people access to

collectively consumed services through the provision of healthcare, education and housing.

(Cloke et al, 1999). The government are also partly responsible for the mass consumption of

products that occurred in the fordist era, through the development of the city to compete in

the industry worldwide. However it is also important to consider the effects of Henry Ford on

the influence on consumers as he was the pioneer of affordable goods, this alongside the

banks ability to give credit made goods more affordable to all. Suburban development also

increased consumption with the development of decentralised industry and living.

Commodity fetishism developed and people would compete socially to purchase the 'best'

consumer goods. (Knox and Pinch, 1982). It hasn't however always been that development

has influence consumption, as in the case of the post-industrial city development took place

around the basis of consumer needs. Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Shopping Centres, Markets

and Leisure Parks all became spaces of consumption. Consumption habits changed from

that of mass consumption to an individual level of consumption in which people have

created an identity for themselves through purchasing hand-made and original goods.

'Consumption has become so engrained in both political and institutional visions, planning

and policy regimes and our everyday lives that consumption is not simply about goods and

services but is central to our vision of the city, the very idea of a city