Industrial Decline Research Articles

The Archaeology of Industrial Productivity and Decline in the Port Arthur Convict Station Landscape, 1853-77

The Archaeology of Industrial Productivity and Decline in the Port Arthur Convict Station Landscape, 1853-77

Spatial Remodeling of Industrial Heritage from the Perspective of Urban Renewal: A Case Study of Coal Mine Site in Jiaozuo City

Resource-oriented cities are faced with the problems of the decline of traditional industries, exhaustion of resources, and wastage of space. Faced with these problems, urban renewal has become an important role and is widely used in the reuse of old and abandoned spaces. As a historical witness of the industrial revolution and urbanization process, coal mine industrial heritage not only has the value of material heritage but also carries rich historical and cultural information. However, with the adjustment of industrial structure, much coal mine industrial heritage has gradually lost its original production function and become neglected idle space in cities, and industrial buildings and equipment in these spaces have been abandoned or dismantled. The study takes the Wangfeng Mine site in Jiaozuo City, Henan Province as an example, combined with the urban development history and current situation of Jiaozuo city, it discusses the remodeling strategy of industrial heritage space from the perspective of urban renewal. Firstly, through case analysis, historical data sorting, and field research, the study integrated the historical development context of the Jiaozuo coal mine site and its impact on the urban spatial pattern, secondly, discussed the practical problems in the reuse process of industrial sites, and finally proposed specific spatial remodeling strategies based on the conjugation theory. This included determining how to deal with the three pairs of conjugated relations between protection and development, function and ecology, and history and modernity so as to make the spatial remodeling strategy of industrial sites more scientific and sustainable. To promote the sustainable and healthy development of urban industrial heritage space.

The polarisation of Italian metropolitan areas, 2000–2018: structural change, technology and growth

Abstract Large cities are a key driver of technological innovation and economic growth. This paper investigates the developments of Italian metropolitan areas, building on insights from economic geography and innovation studies. The key questions to be investigated are the following: (i) Which trajectories of population and economic change can be identified for Italian metropolitan areas? Are we facing a process of economic and technological polarisation that may worsen the country’s imbalances? (ii) What is the role played in such developments by technological and structural change, and in particular by digital technologies and the rise of finance? The empirical analysis investigates the patterns of technological and economic indicators for the period 2000–2018 for 14 Italian metropolitan areas, proxied by their provinces, providing evidence of growing polarisation between Milan, where most positive developments are concentrated, and the other metropolitan zones. Rome has been losing ground in most fields; Venice and Genoa are characterised by industrial decline. Few mid-sized cities show some economic dynamism—including Bologna and Cagliari—while most southern and insular Italian cities increase their gap relative to the performances of leading metropolitan areas.

Offshore Wind Power Growth and Industrial Development in Emerging Markets

Offshore wind has developed significantly over the past decade, and promising new markets are emerging, such as Brazil, South Africa, India, Poland, and Turkey. As logistic transport activities increase complexities, developing regional supply chains can help to reduce costs and enhance the sector’s competitiveness. This article proposes a framework for the industrial development of the offshore wind supply chain in new markets. This study is grounded in a systematic literature review and is validated through a multi-case study, identifying key variables and factors influencing industrial growth. Adopting a process-based approach, factors and variables were modeled into a framework, encompassing the following four phases: (1) demand assessment of a new sector, (2) sectorial and industrial planning, (3) industrial development and maturity, and (4) sectorial and industrial renewal or decline. Each phase brings together a group of policies. Our findings show the policies’ interrelations. These results complement the few studies that have examined the industrial development process, providing a clear guide as to the process for the development of the offshore wind industry in specific regions. Thus, the framework provides elements that contribute as a valuable tool to the debate, structuring, and development of public policies for the industrial development of a new sector.

Addressing Unemployment through the Coir Industry: An Analysis of National Efforts and Challenges

The coir industry in Kerala, the birthplace of Indian coir, is facing significant challenges due to mechanization, leading to widespread labour displacement and migration. This issue is not adequately addressed by government policies, as unemployment affects all segments of the industry and negatively impacts disadvantaged social groups. The decline in the coir industry is causing a shift in the manufacturing sector, with small-scale and household sectors being abandoned and large export firms moving to other states. This article provides insights into the difficulties in finding employment and the rising rate of unemployment in the context of the coir industry, a field often disregarded in national economic policies. Using a mixed-methods approach that incorporates surveys, structured interviews, and secondary data analysis, the study looks at the relationship between unemployment and the modernization of coir enterprises, concentrating on how these changes effect job prospects and the socioeconomic position of workers. According to the findings, despite consistent government support, other initiatives are insufficient, resulting in a significant loss of employment, labour displacement and frequent labour migration.

Fraying Fabric: How Trade Policy and Industrial Decline Transformed America

Fraying Fabric: How Trade Policy and Industrial Decline Transformed America

Sid Chaplin: A Writer with a Cause

The aim of this article is to recover the radical subtext of both the life and work of Sid Chaplin by reasserting the essentially political dimensions of his writing. Chaplin devoted the whole of his career as a writer to documenting not only the decline of the coal mining industry in the north-east of Britain where he lived, but he also traced the impact this process had on the working-class communities that were dependent on the pits. In his two later novels set in the city of Newcastle, The Day of the Sardine (1961) and The Watchers and the Watched (1962), Chaplin went on to dramatize similarly troubled changes in urban working-class life in the 1950s and 60s. The article not only argues that it is this nexus of class, politics and literature that translates so convincingly into his Newcastle novels, it also claims that it is the fundamental radicalism of his own literary project that explains the problematic neglect of his work by both critics and readers.

Spatial Characteristics of Brownfield Clusters and “City-Brown” Patterns: Case Studies of Resource-Exhausted Cities in China

In the post-industrial era, many cities have experienced the decline of heavy industry and traditional manufacturing, leading to the widespread emergence of brownfields. These often cluster geographically, forming “brownfield clusters” characterized by shared spatial and functional traits. Our research examined these phenomena within 10 resource-exhausted cities in China, employing kernel density analysis to explore the spatial dynamics within and among these clusters and their urban contexts. We identified three distinct spatial relationships between brownfield clusters and their host cities (coupling, juxtaposition, and encircling), with a detailed case study in Huangshi City further classifying the clusters into five categories based on their dominant factors, spatial morphologies, types of brownfields, and internal dynamics. The study reveals that the spatial configurations of brownfield clusters are significantly influenced by geographic features, transportation infrastructure, and policy frameworks. Based on these findings, we propose targeted regeneration strategies for each cluster type. This research not only enhances our understanding of brownfield challenges and opportunities in China’s resource-exhausted cities but also serves as a valuable reference for other cities and regions worldwide facing similar challenges.

The impact of two-way FDI on the upgrading of China’s industrial structure: Based on the research in Chongqing

The improvement in the economic environment and the implementation of the “bring in and go global” strategy have had an impact on China's economic development and the optimization of its economic structure. The decline of Chongqing's traditional pillar industries has made the promotion of economic structure upgrading a key to economic development. The purpose of this paper is to study the role of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) in industrial structure upgrading. This paper is designed to study the effect of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) on the industrial structure upgrading from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. This study selects data from Chongqing from 1987 to 2022 and uses Stata 17.0 software for empirical analysis, based on Chenery’s “standard structure” industrial change model. The research findings show that OFDI and IFDI have a significant positive impact on the intensification and servicification of Chongqing's industrial structure and are significant at the 0.01 level. OFDI and IFDI have a significant positive impact on the rationalization of Chongqing's industrial structure and are significant at the 0.05 level. This means that two-way FDI has a positive effect on the optimization of industrial structure. The practical implication of this study is that it provides a realistic basis for Chongqing to fully leverage the advantages of international direct investment and promote the optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure, which also has enlightening significance for China’s economic structure reform.

Cassava Breeding and Cultivation Challenges in Thailand: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) was introduced to Southeast Asia in the 16th-17th centuries and has since flourished as an industrial crop. Since the 1980s, Thailand has emerged as the leading producer and exporter of cassava products. This growth coincided with the initiation of cassava breeding programs in collaboration with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), focusing on root yield and starch production. The success of Thai cassava breeding programs can be attributed to the incorporation of valuable genetic diversity from international germplasm resources to cross with the local landraces, which has become the genetic foundation of many Thai commercial varieties. Effective evaluation under diverse environmental conditions has led to the release of varieties with high yield stability. A notable success is the development of Kasetsart 50. However, extreme climate change poses significant challenges, including abiotic and biotic stresses that threaten cassava root yield and starch content, leading to a potential decline in starch-based industries. Future directions for cassava breeding must include hybrid development, marker-assisted recurrent breeding, and gene editing, along with high-throughput phenotyping and flower induction. These strategies are essential to achieve breeding objectives focused on drought tolerance and disease resistance, especially for CMD and CBSD.

Preparation and Screening of SRB Gel Particles Used for Deep Purification of Acid Mine Drainage.

The progressive decline of the coal industry necessitates the development of effective treatment solutions for acid mine drainage (AMD), which is characterized by high acidity and elevated concentrations of heavy metals. This study proposes an innovative approach leveraging sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) acclimated to contaminated anaerobic environments. The research focused on elucidating the physiological characteristics and optimal growth conditions of SRB, particularly in relation to the pH level and temperature. The experimental findings reveal that the SRB exhibited a sulfate removal rate of 88.86% at an optimal temperature of 30 °C. Additionally, SRB gel particles were formulated using sodium alginate (SA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and their performance was assessed under specific conditions (pH = 6, C/S = 1.5, T = 30 °C, CMC = 4.5%, BSNa = 0.4 mol/L, and cross-linking time = 9 h). Under these conditions, the SRB gel particles demonstrated an enhanced sulfate removal efficiency of 91.6%. Thermal analysis via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) provided further insights into the stability and properties of the SRB gel spheres. The findings underscore the potential of SRB-based bioremediation as a sustainable and efficient method for AMD treatment, offering a novel and environmentally friendly solution to mitigating the adverse effects of environmental contamination.

Structural change and socio-economic disparities in a net zero transition

A net zero transition is likely to generate substantial and irreversible economic transformation. High-carbon industries and their related occupations will disappear, while new low-carbon industries and occupations will be created. In the aggregate, the impact of the transition on GDP and employment is commonly projected to be relatively moderate. However, such estimates hide drastic distributional issues that are sectorally and regionally concentrated. We use three sectorally detailed and regionally disaggregated macroeconomic models to explore the possible levels and impacts of structural change in a well below 2°C scenario. In addition to the expected decline in the carbon-intensive industries, we observe secondary impacts, particularly in the services sectors, that vary significantly between models. The risks entailed with structural change involve worsening economic disparity and societal division that could exacerbate existing socioeconomic and political polarisation. Impact assessments of decarbonisation should consider such distributional issues to avoid post-industrial decline and widening socioeconomic inequalities.

The White Glaze of Delft Blue: A Comparative Study of Historical Recipes for the White Tin Glaze Used in Delftware and Other Dutch Tin-glazed Earthenware During Their Heyday (c. 1600–1800)

ABSTRACT This research intends to enhance our understanding of the tin-glaze technology employed in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Delftware and other tin-glazed earthenware in the Netherlands. The study provides a detailed description of the raw materials utilised in Dutch tin glazes and offers a schematic overview of the production process. Additionally, 39 dated historical recipes for tin glazes are used to compare and interpret changes in the quantities of raw materials within a temporal context. Weight percentages of raw materials – estimated for the final glaze – reveal significant changes over time. The study shows that changes over time mirror the rise and decline of the Dutch tin-glazed earthenware industry, reflecting economic shifts. Most tin - the costliest glaze material – was utilised between c. 1680 and c. 1720, and the highest glaze qualities were reported during this period, marking the peak of the Dutch earthenware production. Towards the end of the heyday, a decrease in tin usage coincides with mentions of lower glaze qualities. The superior glaze quality of Delftware tin glazes compared to tin-glazes of other tin-glazed earthenware in the Netherlands could not be traced back to specific formulations. Other factors, such as the quality of raw materials, likely contributed to the perceived visual superiority.

Changed life worlds and survival strategies in disintegration after the regime change in Hungary: a former industrial town in the shadow of the factory giant

ABSTRACT In the literature of post-1989 Eastern European history, the disintegration of traditional industries and the decline of the factory towns that had been based on them is a well-known topic. Less attention has been paid to the transformation of the countryside or the villages that often served as the supportive network for the factory towns, a phenomenon that was also very typical of Hungary, where migrant or commuter workers became the subject of academic interest long before the collapse of state socialism. This study offers an international perspective and case study of the catchment area of Ózd, a former industrial and factory city located in northeastern Hungary that was once an important centre of Hungarian metallurgy and mining. In my analysis I address the related topic of how the decline of traditional industries affected this former industrial city and its surrounding villages, whose inhabitants mostly worked in industry until the industrial landscape and its society disappeared. This study focuses on Ózd and its surroundings, where the survival and sustenance of the population was directly threatened by the closure of collective farms, factories, plants and mines in the area.

Assessing Industrial Past and Cultural Changes in Industrial Lands along the Hangzhou Section of the Grand Canal in China

The Grand Canal has been fundamental in supporting Chinese industrialization, as evidenced in the great changes witnessed across industrial lands, but few studies have approached this issue from a cultural perspective. After an extensive industrial recession in the early 21st century, canal cities like Hangzhou have seen changes in the cultural functions of industrial lands, relocating, transforming, and demolishing factories and other constructions to develop new cultural spaces and products. A deep analysis of these cultural changes is, therefore, quite helpful to appreciate the features of and reasons for Chinese national policy setting in the cultural sections of the Grand Canal, such as the UNESCO World Heritage-recognized purpose of the Grand Canal, etc. Therefore, by focusing on the Hangzhou section of the Canal, and via the integration of high-resolution Google Earth images with a 1.5 spatial resolution, we dynamically monitored the land use of the 10 specifically selected industrial lands and interpretated the various uses of the areas from 2000 to 2020. Then, with archival data from 1950 to 2024 and fieldwork conducted over 1 year, and in consultation with major experts, we designed a mark sheet with factors and scores to comprehensively assess cultural changes in those lands. Consequently, the history of industrialization along the Hangzhou section was thoroughly analyzed with these investigations and data, and the reasons for and influence of cultural changes were presented in detail; subsequently, the outstanding problems were addressed, and suggestions were offered. This study contributes to a better understanding of Chinese cultural policy regarding cities along the Canal after the industrial decline, especially the critical implication of cultural loss within these cities. In addition, it also provides novel perspectives for cultural research, heritage conservation, and urban planning of canals or waterfront spaces for world heritage.

115 years of sediment deposition in a reservoir in Central Europe: Effects of the industrial history and environmental protection on heavy metals and microplastic

AbstractHumans have considerably influenced accumulation rates and sediment composition in lake deposits. Due to near‐continuous accumulation, lakes and reservoirs are an excellent archive of these anthropogenic influences. The Urft Reservoir in the Eifel Mountains, western Germany, provides a unique record of the human influence on the landscape for the past 115 years. In 2020 and 2021, 24 cores and 23 surface samples were obtained from the bottom of the, by that time drained, reservoir. Grain size, heavy metals, weathering signatures and microplastic were analysed. For the chronology, caesium‐137 and microplastic were used. Using the first occurrence of microplastic as well as different plastic types for dating was not successful. However, a distinct layer with a high number of microplastic particles could be traced back to a fire in 1991 and was used as an additional stratigraphic marker in the age‐depth model. A period of relatively high accumulation rates in the reservoir occurred in the mid‐1950s and was related to enhanced construction works in the local valleys. Analysis of heavy metal content in the reservoir sediments shows a strong connection to historical changes in ore industry in the valley of the Urft. Stricter environmental protection laws and the decline of the metal processing industry resulted in a reduced input of lead, copper and zinc in the reservoir until the mid‐1980s. Since then, heavy metal content has remained relatively constant. A major flooding event in July 2021 did not lead to the remobilisation of older contaminated deposits as indicated by low heavy metal content in flood deposits. Accordingly, also the microplastic content is not increasing following the extreme event. Due to the degree of weathering of the flood deposits, it is argued that mainly hillslope material was transported into the Urft and subsequently into the Urft Reservoir during this event.

Lessons from Germany for levelling up in the UK

This paper suggests how lessons from Germany’s national-level, comprehensively focused place-based regeneration (or levelling up) efforts could be applied in the UK. It draws the direct linkage between spatial inequality and the decline of large-scale heavy manufacturing industry at the end of the 20th century in Germany and the UK. It also posits that rapid deindustrialisation, poor-quality education and other indices of poverty and economic inequality have fuelled political fragmentation — including loss of public trust in government, national and civic institutions — in both countries. The paper explores and compares two sets of German redevelopment efforts over time, in the industrial heartland of the former West German Ruhr region and across the former East Germany, to assess their impacts on reducing political polarisation as well as bolstering redevelopment. It highlights which elements of these efforts have been most successful and why. The German experience, as described in the paper, clearly demonstrates that it takes decades to achieve measurable positive economic outcomes from redevelopment programmes. Political outcomes can also be mixed, even negative, if grassroots sentiment and public well-being are ignored or discounted in the process. In the former East Germany, despite huge transfers of development funds, grievances rooted in the economic and political dislocation of German unification in the 1990s have fuelled anti-establishment politics. The paper also examines how grassroots, philanthropic and private sector actors work alongside regional and federal governments in Germany in shaping positive political as well as socio-economic outcomes and how this might be most effectively adapted for the UK.

Reflecting on the Rise and Decline of the South African Defence Industry

The South African Defence Industry has undergone several significant changes during the past six decades, with its current state being deemed unfavourable for continued survivability. To develop a robust understanding of the industry, a review of the scientific literature (and government policies) has been undertaken to chart the trends in the industry through the decades. South African political ideologies in the sixties and seventies resulted in a need for self-sufficiency in defence. By the late eighties, increased military spending resulted in a powerful and capable defence industry, but the end of apartheid and regional conflicts saw an expected sharp drop in the defence budget. The Strategic Defence Package offered some respite in terms of exports, but this has declined in the recent past. The defence budget has remained at a steady low value for two decades, with no real possibility of an increase. To maintain relevance and ensure organisational resilience, the remnants of the South African Defence Industry should use the Defence Industry Strategy as a baseline to develop robust local relationships to drive innovation and foster economic growth, while also strengthening international market share by strengthening unique South African technologies.

Exploring trade-offs between residential and industrial functions in rural areas and their ecological impacts across transitioning agricultural systems: Evidence from the metropolitan suburbs of China

The rapid transition of agricultural systems substantially affects residential and industrial land use systems in rural areas, often generating spatiotemporal trade-offs between residential and industrial functions and producing considerable ecological impacts, which has thus far not been well understood. We conduct an indicator-based assessment of transitioning agriculture systems, and then links the transitioning agricultural systems to trade-offs between residential and industrial functions from 2005 to 2020 by using a case study—the metropolitan suburbs of Beijing, China. Also, the associated ecological impacts of the trade-offs are characterized based on the calculation of the ecological quality index (EQI) and ecological contribution rate. The results show that trade-offs between residential and industrial functions in the metropolitan suburbs have gradually adapted to the different agricultural systems in transition, which can be characterized by increasing industrial function as well as declining residential function, together with the diversification of land use into a mixed pattern. Additionally, along with the transitioning process comes a U shape of the ecological quality curve, which indicates that relentless industrial sprawl into regions where the agricultural system has a low capacity for technology, as well as decay in rural areas attributed to a rural exodus and industrial decline in semi-subsistence agricultural areas, even cause ecological degradation. In general, trade-offs between residential and industrial functions (especially for the non-agricultural production function) in rural areas could partially and temporally generate unfavorable ecological impacts, but it seems to be a favorable phenomenon to promote ecological quality in the long term. Therefore, to achieve rural sustainable planning, it is necessary for land use management to observe the trade-offs between residential and industrial functions while avoiding negative impacts, such as low-density land use patterns, disordered land use functions, and eco-environmental deterioration. Such effective strategies can contribute to the feasible implementation of policies aiming to achieve the compatible development of liveable residences, highly efficient industrial production, and eco-friendly operations in rural areas.

Difficult Memories as Institutional Narrative: U.S. Journalists’ Recollections of 9/11 Across Three Anniversaries

ABSTRACT Due to professional norms like objectivity, the emotional experiences U.S. journalists have while reporting tend to be obscured. However, occasions of memory-making, particularly around traumatic events, not only permit expression, but channel these emotions into promoting romanticized visions of journalism. The observances of 9/11 anniversaries in the U.S. serve as one critical site where sanctioned display of journalists’ emotions feed into assertions about journalism’s social value and, by extension, its legitimacy. Drawing on Zelizer’s interpretive communities with Hanitzsch and Vos’s discursive institutionalism, this study examines U.S. journalists’ retellings of difficult memories, or the emotional, painful, and/or traumatic experiences endured in the course of covering the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Thematic analysis of the first, tenth, and twentieth anniversaries reveals how these recollections reinforce idealized notions of journalists as uniquely compassionate, heroic individuals driven by a sense of duty. In doing so, the analysis establishes difficult memories as unruly rhetorical tools that can both bolster and undermine institutional authority. Ultimately, this study demonstrates how the persistence of nostalgized narratives, exemplified by 9/11 anniversaries, impacts journalism’s ability to navigate its past, present, and future amidst ongoing industry decline.