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Scarborough has come a long way since 2001 when it was chosen to be part of Yorkshire Forward's Renaissance Towns Initiative. In 2009, the seaside town was voted the most enterprising place in Europe. This article suggests how Scarborough could be used as a case study for urban rebranding with examples of flagship developments and practical fieldwork. It explains that rebranding is not just about new buildings, but also changing perceptions and uplifting a place's spirit.
It's official... Scarborough was the most enterprising place in Britain in 2008 and the most enterprising place in Europe in 2009. The classic northern seaside town has come a long way since its fortunes were turned around in 2001 . However, ask a class of ?-level geographers how they perceive Scarborough and the responses are likely to include words like: boring, wet, rundown, tacky, teenage pregnancies, old people and working class. Rebranding is largely about changing people's perception of a place. This article outlines ?-level fieldwork designed by the Cranedale Centre alongside a valuable case study of urban rebranding in a coastal town.
Background to the rebranding of Scarborough
In 2001 Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency (RDA) for Yorkshire and the Humber, launched the Renaissance Towns Initiative. The aim of the project was to take six struggling towns within the region and design projects which stimulate and support economic growth, while nurturing the wellbeing of local people (Simpson and Lewis, 2002). Scarborough was the first town to request to be a part of the project. Barnsley, Doncaster, Huddersfield, Great Grimsby and Wakefield then followed.
Renaissance means 'rebirth' but the words rebranding, regenerating and reimaging present a similar meaning. Yorkshire Forward aims to combine brand new ideas with factors which led to the development of these towns in the first place. The slogan used in the publicity of Scarborough's renaissance, 'waking sleeping beauty', suggests just this. The project team also used the play on words 'sea change' alongside an evocative image of an eye (indicating visionary ideas) with Scarborough reflected in it (see Figure 1).
A Master Plan, formulated in 2001 , for Scarborough proposed four areas for improvement:
* greening the Gateways - enhance the current parks and welcome visitors
* the String of Pearls -...