Block 1 (Changing Place; Changing Places - Relationships And Connections) Flashcards
Define place
A portion of geographic space to which meaning has been given by people
What is a ‘place’ made up of
Location characteristics + meaning
Places have characteristics that are constantly changing. List the characteristics
- Demographic (pop size + structure)
- Socio-economic (health, crime, employment, income, education)
- Cultural (religion, customs, language)
- Physical geog (relief, features, geology)
- Built environment (land use, building type, density)
- Political (government + council)
Are all places changing places?
Yes
How are the characteristics of places changed?
- Flows of people
- Flows of resources
- Flows of money
- Flows of ideas
What are the flows of people?
- Migration
- Travelling for work
- Second home ownership
- Studentification
How does migration change places? Give example
- Changes demographic living in area
- Bring culture, impact available services, may cause tension
- E.g. Birmingham - culture/services = Balti Triangle
- tension = 2005 race riots
How does travelling for work change places? Give example
- Changes demographic, houses and facilities available in commuter settlements
- E.g. Barnt Green, commuter s for Bham - 90% white working age
How does second home ownership change places? Give example
- Changes demographic and socio-economic characteristics (e.g. house prices rise)
- E.g. Salcombe - lots of second homes - average house price over £700,000
How does studentification change places? Give example
- Changes demographic, services and can increase tension
- E.g. Swansea - Brynmill (suburbs) 50% student lets, influences business, puts off residents (antisocial behaviour)
Define studentification
Neighbourhoods become dominated by student residential occupation
Define migration
(Often permanent) movement of people between or within countries
What are the flows of resources?
- Change in where resources come from, driven by industrialisation + deindustrialisation
How does industrialisation/deindustrialisation change places? Give example
- Change socio-economic, culture and built environment
- E.g. Reduced steelworks in N.Yorkshire (replaced by China - 50% steel in 2019) caused loss of community
What are the flows of money?
- FDI
- Removal of FDI
- MNC investment
How does FDI change places? Give example
- Changes socio-economics
- E.g Nissan invested £100 million in Sunderland - employment
How does removal of FDI change places? Give example
- Changes socio-economics
- E.g. Tata Steel removed Teeside investment - huge economic decline
How does MNC investment change places? Give example
- Changes socio-economics
- E.g. McDonalds in 118 countries - creating CLONE TOWNS (cultural homogeneity) and costly for healthcare
What are the flows of ideas?
- Ideas from planners/developers
- Ideas from knowledge hubs
How do ideas from planners/developers change places? Give example
- Their ideas stimulate redevelopment - change socio-economics, built area, demographic
- E.g. Grand Central redevelopment
How do ideas from knowledge hubs change places? Give example
- Causes cluster formation - changes socio-economics
- E.g. Cambridge Science Park - 1200 tech companies
Define globalisation
Increasing economic, social and political interconnectivity of people and places due to increased trade, transport, infrastructure and communication
How does globalisation affect changing characteristics of places?
Increased the rate of flows, therefore increasing rate of change
What is a negative view on globalisation?
Causes loss of uniqueness, through cultural homogeneity
What is a positive view on globalisation?
‘Globalisation is shaping and reforming our sense of place’ - Doreen Massey
What in the lives of individuals does a place’s continuity/change through flows have an impact on?
- employment
- services
- open space
- health
- social inclusion/exclusion
- housing
Why can global decisions have effect on local scales? Give example
Globalisation has increased worldwide interdependence
- E.g. VW found to be breaching car emission regulations 2015 - Wolfsburg (main plant Germany), redundancies in nearby shops (de multiplier), chiropractor 25% income loss
Outline a case study of your home place
Stratford-Upon-Avon
LOCATION:
- West Midlands
- Warwickshire
- Floodplain of R.Avon
DEMOGRAPHIC:
- Population approx 130,000
- Population growing at rate of 3.8% per year
- Average age 43 (expensive, need to be in established work)
- 95% white in 2007 (too expensive for immigrants)
- Lower than average dependency ratio
SOCIO-ECONOMICS
- In 50% least deprived areas in country
- Some pockets of deprivation, e.g. Maybird region - 30-40% most deprived in country
- Greatest employer is low level tertiary (retail)
- Most population employed in high level tertiary/quaternary (commute)
- Above average wage of £540 per week
- Average house price over £400,000 (increased 400% since 1995)
- Above average life expectancy
CULTURE
- Shakespeare’s birthplace, annual bday parade
- 70% Christian
- Mainly caters for white, Christian, English people
CHANGES
- Market town
- Tourism
- Clone town qualities - MNCs + chain stores
SENSE OF PLACE
- Positive
- Where I go to school + see friends
What is a conurbation?
Extended urban area. Typically when several towns merge with suburbs of a city
What are the average life expectancies for men and women in the UK?
Men: 79 yrs
Women: 83 yrs
Outline a case study of a further, contrasting place
Birmingham
LOCATION:
- West Midlands (centre of West Midlands Conurbation)
- 70 miles East of Wales
- 130 miles North-West of London
DEMOGRAPHIC:
- Population approx 1.14 mill
- Population growing at rate of 0.9% per year
- Average age in 20s (students + young immigrants)
- High immigration (in 2012-13: 12,000 international, 41,000 national)
SOCIO-ECONOMICS
- Higher deprivation, but varies depending on region, e.g. Sparkbrook: top 5% most deprived, Sutton Versey: top 50% least deprived
- Biggest employer is tertiary sector (post manufacturing decline)
- Below average life expectancy
- ‘Fattest city’ in UK
- Alternative business hub to London
CULTURE
- Very multicultural, but not always accepting, e.g. 2005 Race Riots
- 1/3 non white
- Uneven ethnicity distribution, e.g. Ladywood: 0% white, Sutton Coldfield: 100% white
- Multicultural food (Balti Triangle), fashion, festivals (Frankfurt Xmas Market)
- 45% Christian, 20% Muslim
CHANGES
- Market town
- Metalworks
- Manufacturing (mainly cars)
- Services
