Liverpool: The People's City

Found in the North West of England, Liverpool is the third largest city in the UK. Home of Liverpool FC, one of the world’s most prosperous football teams, and infamous international rock band, The Beatles - yet controversially, the city is also one of the UK’s most deprived and stigmatised areas.

Like most British docklands, Liverpool has a post-industrial heritage which caused many issues for the city when transitioning from industrialisation to digitalisation. As the reliance on workers decreased, social issues including surging unemployment rates, increased reliance on public funding and general economic instability faced the city, most issues which are still prevalent today. This, like other cities, made the need for re-branding and regeneration Liverpool’s main objective.

Such attempts to regenerate cities often involves governing policy markers implementing strategies of creativity and innovation as a ploy to reinvent the city’s image and breathe life into the area - Liverpool is no stranger to this concept. The notion of being branded a “creative city” is deemed important for many reasons; one for its marketable and economic benefits, but also as creative city expert Charles Landry expresses, its ability to improve people’s wellbeing by creating social cohesion and providing residents with a sense of communal pride. For this reason, Liverpool has made numerous attempts to reinvent the city - some strategies being more successful than others.

In terms of psychical regeneration, the city has been successful in regenerating formerly derelict areas into new social hubs, with the Albert Dock now being a fundamental hot spot for tourists, and the Baltic Triangle being the home of many creative, digital businesses. In addition, the city’s bid for the European Capital of Culture in 2008 which aimed to re-brand the city was somewhat successful in bringing pride to the community, although the strategy is not exempt from its critics. Research from Platt shares an interesting perspective on the matter which highlights the lack of representation from the local community in such strategies. This is common within many top-down place making schemes; however, within a city with such a rich working-class background, these false narratives just don’t fit. It is questionable whether such under representation is the root cause of the ineffectiveness of Liverpool's regeneration strategies - are policymakers missing the mark?

When considering what makes a city “creative”, often people refer to the tangible assets that a city offers. These can range from buildings and architecture, literature and art to events and music – yet, it’s quite rare where a city’s creativity is represented by its people. Despite the city’s eminent museums, art galleries and general picturesque architecture, the organic perceptions of Liverpool are often closely linked with its people. More commonly referred to as “bottom-up” place making, it’s arguable that the people of Liverpool are the city's most valuable asset and are what makes the city intriguing and memorable, as opposed to the city’s numerous attempts to make it something that it’s not (i.e. posh).

Liverpudlians, or more commonly referred to as “scousers”, are easily distinguishable for their style, attitude and mentality. Popular phrases like “Scouse not English” or “The People’s Republic of Liverpool” are evidentiary to both Liverpool’s distinctive character and self-assured mentality. Often commended for their wit, friendliness and style, scousers pride themselves on their individuality and being 'scouse proud' yet are also naturally confirmative to their own kind; the essence of shared identity amongst the city.

Over the forthcoming blogs, the concept of scousers being Liverpool’s most valuable creative asset will be explored in relation to numerous topics. This includes general themes surrounding scouse culture, including; the importance of identity and creative expression in Liverpool, the limitations which come with identifying as 'scouse' and conclusively, strategies to combat such issues.