4A.3 Past and present connections have shaped the economic and social characteristics of your chosen places.

Question 1

Regional influences have shaped chosen places -

Answer 1

Regional - may be connected in terms of transport, are there major cities nearby.

Question 2

National influences have shaped your place -

Answer 2

National - Political inclinations of national governments, how strong is the sense of community.

Question 3

Regional/ national influences (Birmingham) - Transport

Answer 3

Birmingham is well connected with it’s region, for example having transport links with 4 national motorways: M5, M6, M40 and M42

Question 4

Regional/ national influences (Birmingham) - How the transport links have made enterprise zones successful -

Answer 4

Birmingham has developed it’s own influence within the region mainly due to the result it becoming a hotspot of social interest and financial income in the West Midlands. For example the development of the Bull Ring in 2003 and the expansion of Grand central making it the largest shopping centre in the UK, this brings in 38 million tourists demonstrating its national importance as a retail centre.

Question 5

Llandudno regional/ national influences -

Answer 5

Regionally importance in the North Wales is for people of music and arts including the Victorian festival held in April highlighting the use of Llandudno and it’s seasonal jobs. But due to its lack of transport links and geographical location on the coast its seasonality and location and has made it hard for Llandudno to have major national influences compared to Birmingham who is the largest metropolitan area in the region by some way.

Question 6

National examples of Birmingham - HS2 and the Northern Powerhouse

Answer 6

HS2 will connect to both London and North therefore connecting to the developments of the Northern Powerhouse. For example Birmingham can benefit from national influences through the idea that the GDP of the NP is £350 billion. This leads to economic growth from it’s links with other major northern cities. Funding allocations for projects like HS2, improvements to rail and road networks, and investments in local transport infrastructure can indicate indirect benefits from national initiatives like the Northern Powerhouse.

Question 7

Llandudno National influences -

Answer 7

Llandudno is well connected with it’s own train station (Llandudno junction railway) this is seen to be effective as along with being relatively located along the A55. This therefore has created more national influences with tourism creating 46,000 jobs which brings £140 million to the region. In the events of this 6.8 million tourists visited the town between 2021 - 2022 which was 1 million more than the year before.

Question 8

International influences - Of Birmingham (Commonwealth)

Answer 8

In 2022 Birmingham held the Commonwealth games where 72 countries are expected to compete in over 20 sports, in total this international influence generated a net profit of £100m.

Question 9

International Influences - Of Birmingham (Airports)

Answer 9

Birmingham’s airport served 12.9 million customers in 2017 making it the 7th busiest airport in the UK. 35 airlines operate out of the airport.