Birmingham, Ala.
– A recent study published in the journal Urban Studies found that Birmingham, Alabama is the most “hip” city in the United States.
The study surveyed over 2,000 adults across the United Kingdom, which found that “a quarter of residents described themselves as ‘hip,’ and the top three cities to do so were Liverpool, London and Edinburgh.
The authors of the study, from University College London, found that hipness is a key predictor of the city’s economic development.
“While some cities have more hip places to go and music festivals, others are more traditional. “
This study shows that a city can be a hip city even if it does not have many hip restaurants or bars,” said Dr. Andrew Williams, a senior lecturer at UCL and lead author of the report.
“While some cities have more hip places to go and music festivals, others are more traditional.
The results show that some cities, especially in the south, are ‘hip’ and should have a strong reputation for this,” he said.
The research, titled “Hipness is an indicator of urban renewal: A UK comparison,” was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Birmingham, the London School of Economics, the University College, London, the Centre for British Cities, and University College Dublin.
The report was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020.
“The study provides a fascinating insight into the reasons for the urban renewal boom in London and Birmingham,” said lead author Dr. Paul E. McLeod, from the London school of economics.
“I have been surprised at the high correlation between hipness and economic growth in both cities, but especially Birmingham.”
The study also found that the UK is the top city in terms of “social capital” — a term coined by economist Paul Baran in 2009.
“Social capital is an important concept that explains why people will stay and work in a particular place,” said Williams.
“In the case of Birmingham and Liverpool, the researchers found that social capital was high because it was one of the cities where there was a strong network of young professionals in the city, and also a strong cultural network,” he continued.
“For example, a quarter of the students in Liverpool are from outside the city and a third of the staff at Liverpool’s St Paul’s Cathedral were also from outside Liverpool.
These are all good reasons to stay and play music in the area.”
The researchers also found a correlation between the hipness of cities and the quality of their urban renewal plans.
“There are many factors that can influence how much investment and infrastructure there is in the region,” said McLeod.
“A good example is that cities with the highest level of hipness tend to have the best urban regeneration plans,” he added.
“However, the higher the hipitude, the less investment is going into the area and, as a result, the quality is lower.
For example, the study found that there was less investment in the South West of England and less investment was being made in the East Midlands and North West of the country.
“It could be that the high levels of hipitude in the early 1990s were a reflection of a high level of social capital, or that there were improvements in social capital over the years.” “
We found that in the West Midlands, there was an increase in hipness in the 1990s but that was not a clear indicator of how much was being invested,” he explained.
“It could be that the high levels of hipitude in the early 1990s were a reflection of a high level of social capital, or that there were improvements in social capital over the years.”
The report notes that it was also important to consider the size of the area to be considered, as the size and density of the hip population are highly correlated to the quality and quantity of infrastructure in the surrounding area.
“To get an idea of how the UK has evolved in terms the type of places people choose to live, it is important to look at how urban renewal is being funded,” said Ewan Thomas, research fellow at the University’s Centre for Urban Studies.
“What has changed in the past decade or so is the amount of money that has been spent on infrastructure.
In London, for example, it has increased by almost £3 billion per annum over the past ten years, and in Birmingham, by almost $3 billion.”
“These people are now spending money to get to and from the hipster hotspots. “
Although the UK now has more hipsters, we still do not have the same social capital as in the 1980s, when we had the ‘hipsters on the run’ phenomenon,” said Thomas.
The answer is not to spend more money, but to make sure there is a plan to get people out of their homes and into their workplaces.” “
So, how does the UK make sure that the urban regeneration strategy it is now using is sustainable and is being successful?
The answer is not to spend more money, but to make sure there is a plan to get people out of their homes and into their workplaces.”
