Suburbanisation in Birmingham No. 3

Outer Suburbs - Bournville and King's Norton (and Solihull)

The outer suburbs of Bournville and King's Norton developed at very different times.  Bournville was the original "out-of-town" industrial development, with terraced and semi-detached housing surrounding the Bournville chocolate factory.  This was a greenfield site, established by the Cadbury family to provide a healthier and more pleasant environment for their workers during the early 1900s.

On the other hand, King's Norton developed during the 1960s and 1970s to house the "baby boom" generation born after WW2.  Much of the housing here was provided by the local authority, and was in the form of high-rise flats and maisonettes.  The idea was that people would have access to large green spaces, whilst maintatining a high population density.  However, these green areas soon developed a reputation for crime, and the sense of community is often lost when people's neighbours are above and below them.  The similar suburbs of Northfield and Longbridge developed to house the workers of the expanding "Rover" factory (est. 1906) in south Bimirmingham.

Bournville

King's Norton and Northfield

 

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