Bristol Flashcards
Where is Bristol located
- largest city in SW england
- on River Avon, near its confluence w/River Severn (to the W of Bristol) which leads to Bristol Channel
Wales, London
Bristol’s transport links in UK
2
- linked to Wales by 2 large bridges across the Severn Estuary
- 190km W of London and linked to it by M4
education, religion, awards
importance of Bristol within the UK
3
- education:2 unis
- religion: a mix, (mosques, synagogues, 2 cathedrals - Bristol (Anglican) and Clifton (Roman Catholic)
- first UK city to be awarded European Green Capital (2015)
transport links, industry
importance of Bristol internationally
5, 2
- strategic position on M4 corridor
- good road & rail links
- easy access to London
- rail & ferry services to Europe
- large airport
- global ind.s such as financial & business services, defence, aerospace, tech, culture and media
- largest concentration of silicon chip manufacture outside California
Before
Migration in Bristol
3
1851-91, until 2015, Poland
- 1851-1891 Bristol population 2x - ppl arrived looking for work
- until 2015, migration from abroad accounted for ~50% population growth; 15% population weren’t born in UK
- most migrants from Poland (6415 in 2011 census)
Migration in Bristol
Now
- 45 religions
- +180 countries of birth represented
- at least 90 languages
positive social impacts of migration in Bristol
2
- mainly young migrants balance ageing population
- enriches city’s cultural life: Bristol’s large African & Afro-Caribbean population. St. Paul’s Carnival attracts ~40k ppl/yr
positive economic impacts of migration in Bristol
- improving level of skills where there are shortages: most significant in-migration is 18% increase in number of students
negative impacts of migration in Bristol
3
- challenge of integration into wider
community - education needs to be provided for children whose 1st language isn’t English
- pressures on housing & employment
what factors are bringing about social opportunities in Bristol
4
- h. lvls of migration
- 2 unis - youthful population
- +2M ppl live within 50km of city
- improvements to the area’s motorways and the opening of 2nd River Severn crossing have increased Bristol’s connectivity
How urban change in Bristol has created social opportunities
2
- cultural mix
- provision of recreation & entertainment
Bristol’s cultural mix
- Museums
- Food
- Music
Museums
2
- Aerospace Bristol (Filton)
- Brunel’s ship SS Great Britain (world’s 1st ocean liner)
Food
influx of migrants - increased diversity of food outlets (Thai, Malay, Japanese, Polish, Caribbean)
Music
2
- youthful population - vibrant, underground music scene.
- Bristol Beacon has jazz, folk, classical, rock music concerts.
Recreation in Bristol
3
nature spots:
- Ashton Court (350ha woodland)
- Peel Street Green Space
- Avon Gorge
Entertainment in Bristol
-theatres
-sport
-Shopping
theatres
- Bristol Old Vic
- Bristol Hippodrome
- The Tobacco Factory
sport
- 2 pro football teams - City and Rovers
- rugby union team - Bristol Bears
shopping
2
- Cribbs Causeway (located close to M4/M5 junction - excellent access)
- in city centre - Cabot Circus (2008 - £500M), includes cinema.
how has urban change created economic opportunities in Bristol
3
r&d, EZ, …
- research & dev. carried out in local unis, highly educated & skilled graduate labour force
- Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone attracts gov. grants & tax relief, easier to get planning permission aimed at creating new jobs there.
- superfast broadband
employment in Bristol before
3
- based on its function as a port
- cigarettes made using tobacco produced by slaves on plantations in Caribbean
- Sherry made from wine imported from Bordeaux.
why did employment of Bristol change
- city centre port closed - left empty warehouses
- deindustrialisation of UK
employment in Bristol now
- major dev. in tertiary + quaternary sectors (~75%)
- there are 430 separate high-tech businesses in the Bristol area - largest conc. outside Silicon Valley
why has high-tech ind. developed in Bristol
3
- £100M gov. grant -> Super-Connected City (80Mbps broadband download speed)
- a large educated & skilled workforce
- advanced research w/local unis
high-tech global companies in Bristol
4
Aardman Animations
Hewlett-Packard
Toshiba
Huawei
Brunel’s Engine Shed
Brunel’s Engine Shed is a re-used listed building. A new £1.7 million Innovation Centre is now built here, home to high-tech low-carbon companies:
- 18 high-tech companies
- 44 companies using the facilities
- a company developing the next gen. of wifi
- ultra-fast digital network provided by Bristol Gigabit.
Aardman Animations
4
- Set up in 1972
- Well known studio (Wallace and Gromit), clay films
- Computer animation market
- Won Oscars
Financial services industry
3
- 30% jobs in financial sector (employs 35k ppl)
- supported by strong links w/unis
- Lloyds Bank - HQ is part of regen. in Bristol Docks area
Aerospace industry
3
- 14/15 main global aircraft companies found in Bristol (Airbus, GKN Aerospace)
- Dev.s like Filton Enterprise Area - established hubs for aviation tech; makes aircraft parts, electronic systems etc.
- Aerospace courses at local universities available.
Bristol’s transport problems due to urban change
3
- +20k ppl commute by car to Bristol
- only 11% use public transport
- 2nd most congested city in UK (2012)
Why establish an ITS in Bristol
4 strands
- improve accessiblity to, and within, the city -> reduces traffic congestion -> reduces transport costs -> improves profitability of city’s industries + increase employment opportunities within Bristol
Bristol’s ITS (Integrated Transport System)
3
- Metrobus rapid transit system (launched in 2018) - connects suburban housing areas w/retail parks, motorway junc.s, railway stations, unis
- Metrowest subruban rail scheme links w/areas surrounding city
- New cycle routeways link w/Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone (57% walk and cycle)
How has urban change created environmental opportunities for urban greening
4
- as population has grown, there is an increasing need to create green space for recreation and health
- huge demand 4 parks, wildlife areas, allotments and woodland
- reduces pollution from all the new development
- absorbs water to reduce flood risk
Urban greening Bristol
4
- +90% of the population live within 350m of parkland or waterways
- 8 nature reserves
- +400 parks in the city
- Queen Square was once a dual carriageway, but now has been transformed into an open space with cycle routes
How urban change has created social and economic challenges
5
urban deprivation
inequalities in:
* housing
* education
* health
* employment
How urban change has created urban deprivation (where a community is deprived of services + amenities)
2
- following bomb dmg in WW2, many inner-city residents re-housed in S. suburbs like Filwood.
- Today, many of the council-run estates and high-rise flats are in urgent need of modernisation.
urban deprivation in Bristol
15% of city’s residents (+70k) live in some of the the most deprived areas in England
How urban change has created inequalities in housing
surge in demand -> house prices in Bristol rose by up to 50%
13k families on council waiting list to be rehoused (2020)
How urban change has created inequalities in education
Redland Ward - 65.0 avg 8 GCSE attainment score
Filwood - 34.0
occurs due to urban deprivation
How urban change has created inequalities in health
Filwood - 31% w/health conditions
Clifton - 25%
caused by wealth inequalities and urban deprivation
How urban change has created inequalities in employment
2
+ reason
- stoke bishop - 3% unemployment
- filwood - 1/3 ppl aged 16-24 unemployed; +1/2 long-term unemployed or hv never worked
caused by of low levels of educational attainment in deprived wards - they lack the necessary skills to benefit from the employment prospects.
How urban change has created environmental challenges
3
- dereliction
- building on brownfield and greenfield sites
- waste disposal
dereliction
- after deindustrialisation in 1960s & 1970s and dev. of post-ind. economy based on high-tech and other service ind.s, many industries in city centre (which was where port of Bristol was) became abandoned as port was moved downstream to Avonmouth.
- former ind. areas may be polluted w/ dangerous substances - £ to clean up
Examples: - Stokes Croft
- Finzels Reach
building on brownfield sites
costly - clearing waste, decontaminating polluted land, constructing modern infrastructure (water, electricity, internet access)
Finzels Reach is a redeveloped brownfield site.
building on greenfield sites
planning permission can take many years
only 5% new developments on greenfield land (2015-2020)
largest greenfield development - Bradley Stoke (1980s)
waste disposal
3
pop growth, domestic waste, tonnes of rubbish/yr
- Bristol population growing ~1%/yr
- waste recycling has reduced amount of domestic waste by ~8% to 462kg/household (2019)
- despite this, city still generates ~140k tonnes of rubbish/yr
what is done to waste that cannot be recycled
the waste that cannot be recycled (54k tonnes) taken to a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant at Avonmouth where food waste is converted to methane-rich biogas
how has Bristol’s urban change led to urban sprawl
8
- Bristol population growing ~1%/yr (+migration from UK + abroad)
- demolition of older areas of slum housing
- Bristol was heavily bombed in WW2 - +3.2k houses lost, 1.8k badly damaged
- new council homes built in the S. suburbs like Filwood
- shortage of affordable housing in city centre
- competition for land in city centre on brownfield sites (ind. retail, office) - causing land prices to rise steeply
- improvements to transport infrastructure, enabling ppl to commute into city centre
- many ppl wishing to live in less polluted, quieter semi-rural areas
what has been put in place to mitigate urban sprawl
2
- 1966 - Bristol and Bath Green Belt approved
- Green belt land is protected from new dev.s by strict planning regulations
developments that have gone ahead despite green belt
4
- transport links around the city, including the M32, M4, M5 and M49 motorways
- Cribbs Causeway (out-of-town retail park, next to M5)
- modern ind. estates (e.g. Aztec West - near M4-M5 junction)
- Ashton Court golf course
Housing developments at Harry Stoke
6
- 1200 homes to meet shortage of housing
- increase noise
- increase road congestion
- destroy habitats
- increase flood risk
- loss of open space - mental health
growth of commuter settlements
2
- some live in the immediate rural-urban fringe but others travel considerable distances, living in Weston-super-Mare (look at map)
- since tolls on Severn Bridge abolished in 2018, more ppl choosing to live in S. Wales - property prices lower
