4.4 Economic + Social Inequalities

Question 1

how has San Francisco grown?

Answer 1

• originally a naval base which caused Myrdals model
• good railway links meant that a prestigious uni set up (Stanford) whose graduates worked in engineering for the army
• Stanford industrial park was set up
• large migrant workforce from Mexico working in factories and stores
• eventually caused the clustering of high tech companies and became a tech hub

Question 2

What is clustering and agglomeration?

Answer 2

CLUSTERING - a hotspot of industry is developed meaning similar companies set up to collaborate and steal staff

AGGLOMERATION - where related industries set up near one another. This usually happens with foot loose industries as the are not dense to on raw materials and can easily collaborate with other companies

Question 3

Why do companies set up here? (Silicon valley)

Answer 3

• investment opportunities
• large number of unicorn companies (1bn dollars)
• best graduated from Stanford
• press give positive view of technology ( much better than NYC)
• high risk innovation as investors are prepared to lose money

COMPANIES IN THE AREA

• apple
• google
• Facebook
• netflix

-all of this causes inwards migration as people are attracted to the cities diversity and abundance of opportunities

Question 4

The price of success in San Francisco.

Answer 4

• extremely high property prices
• 2nd highest cost of living index beating out other major cities like NY, HK, Geneva and London
• skills shortages as all low income families and workers are forced out of the city meaning it is hard to fill low income jobs like cleaners and hotel staff
• large congestion

Question 5

Attempts at regeneration in Redcar and the spiral of decline

Answer 5

• former industrial area facing massive urban decline
• steel industry was booming in the 60’s but over competition from low prices in SE Asia has led to end of the industrial history of the town
• 2013 the EU grant gives the local council £75 million to invest into regeneration schemes, they decided to build the vertical peer to attract tourists but it was a massive failure
• poor living environment as many people moved out leading to an increase in abandoned land where crime is rife with graffiti

Question 6

Why should the government prioritise gated communities for regenerarion? P&N’s

Answer 6

P- bring money into an area as house prices increase
N- fracture communities and breed resentment
N-increase economic disparity
N- limited space for new properties

Question 7

Why should the government prioritise sink estates for regeneration? P&N’s

Answer 7

P- cheaper property enables lower income families to find accommodation
N- lots of social and economic deprivation
N- poor sanitation
N- typically rife with crime

Question 8

Why should the government prioritise commuter villages for regeneration? P&N’s

Answer 8

P- gentrified area’s leading to affluent suburban areas
P- cheaper than living in the CBD
N- bad for small businesses as money may be spent in the city
N- causes low density urban sprawl which eats up green belt land

Question 9

Why should the government prioritise sink declining rural areas for regeneration? P&N’s

Answer 9

N- outward migration leads to a lack of tax paid to gov.
N- lots of abandoned property with high crime
N- large unemployment due to competitive markets dominated my the states and Asia mean niche industry is hard to come by