Qualitative Interview Data From "Beyond 'Left Behind Places'" Project, 2021-2024

These are transcripts from qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted as part of the project "Beyond 'Left Behind Places': Understanding Demographic and Socio-economic Change in Peripheral Regions in France, Germany and the UK". The interviews were conducted in the two UK case study areas that were part of the project: Bishop Auckland and its surrounding villages in County Durham, and Walsall in the West Midlands. The aims of these interviews were: to understand the experiences and perceptions of local residents of these two areas, and to get a sense of the local policy and practice in the areas in terms of regeneration and service delivery (skills, housing, health, community services, etc.). Residents often reported a sense of place attachment and belonging, but many perceived that the two areas had both experienced a degree of decline over past decades, particularly in terms of a diminished retail and hospitality offer and the withdrawal of some services, particularly in more rural parts of the Bishop Auckland area. Trust in national politicians and policymakers was low, but views of local politicians were more mixed. In terms of policy responses, the two areas had differing strategies, with Bishop Auckland being more focused on a tourism- and heritage-led regeneration strategy (alongside retail developments and investment in infrastructure) whereas in Walsall there was an emphasis on brownfield redevelopment into both industrial/commercial property and housing, as well as investment in creative industries, (digital) skills, and community and voluntary sector organisations.

本数据集为项目《超越“被遗忘之地”：解读法、德、英边缘地区人口与社会经济变迁》("Beyond 'Left Behind Places': Understanding Demographic and Socio-economic Change in Peripheral Regions in France, Germany and the UK")所开展的质性半结构化访谈(qualitative semi-structured interviews)转录文本。本次访谈的调研范围涵盖项目纳入的两个英国案例区域：达勒姆郡的毕晓普奥克兰(Bishop Auckland)及其周边村落，以及西米德兰兹郡的沃尔萨尔(Walsall)。本次访谈的核心目标包含两点：其一，深入了解两地本地居民的生活经历与主观认知；其二，掌握两地在振兴发展与公共服务供给(技能培训、住房保障、医疗卫生、社区服务等领域)方面的本地政策与实践模式。受访居民普遍提及对所在地的依恋感与归属感，但多数受访者认为近数十年来两地均出现了不同程度的衰退，具体体现为零售与餐饮业态大幅缩减，部分公共服务出现撤离现象，其中毕晓普奥克兰的乡村片区这一问题尤为凸显。居民对国家级政客与政策制定者的信任度普遍偏低，但对本地政客的评价则呈现出较为复杂的多元态度。在政策应对举措层面，两地采取了差异化的振兴策略：毕晓普奥克兰以旅游与遗产驱动型振兴为核心方向，同步推进零售业态开发与基础设施投资；而沃尔萨尔则重点推动棕地(brownfield)改造，将其开发为工业/商业地产与住宅项目，同时加大对创意产业、(数字)技能培训以及社区与志愿组织的投入。