Case Studies

Question 1

Newcastle-upon-Tyne (urbanisation in an MEDC)

Answer 1

It was developed as a major port during industrial revolution (urbanisation).
This caused the richer people to move out (suburbanisation).
When industry declined, companies closed and jobs were lost (counterurbanisation).
Then Tyne and Wear development corporation (TWDC) focussed on businesses, spending £140m on offices - can be criticised (reurbanisation).

Question 2

Surbiton (suburbanisation)

Answer 2

A suburb of SW London which has recently increased in population.

Pull factors: Has good transport links (Waterloo in 18 minutes), housing, restaurants, school and parks.

Issues: 70% have a car (blocked roads), tube zone 6 so prices high and many use cars, high house prices (economic segregation).

Solutions: trying to reclassify to zone 5, widening roads, limiting delivery bay times to provide parking, surbiton neighbourhood committee.

Question 3

St Ives (Counterurbanisation)

Answer 3

In Cambridgeshire (70 miles north of London).
Huge population increase (3800 in 1960 to 16,400 in 2010).

Due to: good links by car and rail to Ldn and Cambridge (1/4 of people commute to Ldn)

Issues: congestion on A14, house price rise, flood risk, families increased so more pressure on schools.

Solutions: 200 new homes (75 being affordable), 240 new places at schools, embankments and planned busway.

Question 4

Notting hill (gentrification)

Answer 4

Historically: poor and Afro-Caribbean background with some racial conflict (teddy boys and race riots).

Change: rich slowly gentrified area, now has high end shops, restaurants, cafes (Lazy Daisy Cafe), celebrities, and portobello road.

Heritage: still keeps some of its roots with Caribbean style carnival on August bank holiday (biggest outside of Rio De Janeiro).

Question 5

City challenge partnerships (National reurbanisation/regeneration scheme)

Answer 5

Partnerships of councils with businesses and communities.
31 of them set up between 1991 and 1998.
Government contributed £1.14 Billion.
Schemes attracted £7.58 Billion in investment.

Question 6

Hulme, Manchester (partnership scheme)

Answer 6

Hume city challenge partnership was founded in 1992.

Issues: poor quality housing (tower blocks) and poor health. This caused outward movement leaving empty flats, unemployment and crime.

Solution: Manchester City Council worked with private businesses to create £37.5 million package to redevelop. They aimed for community feel and good transport links.

Actions: Tower blocks demolished and council and private housing made. Thee main shopping area was refurbished. they created the Zion centre which holds community arts projects. Created a new business Park at Birley fields.

Successes: The population grew by 3.3%. There was £400 million worth of private investment (but mostly still council housing). Unemployment fell from 32% to 6% (but still high comparatively)

Question 7

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (property-led regeneration)

Answer 7

LTGDC set a 10 year program from 2004.

Aims: reduce derelict land, encourage existing and new development, create an attractive environment, improve social facilities.

Actions: by April 2011 they had invested £209.6 million. Put new town centres in Canning Town and custom house. Improved pedestrian and train access. New university campuses built. Sustainable housing development.

Successes: population rose by 12%. Underperforming schools improved upon renovation.

Criticisms: accused of not listening to the public opinion and use of towerblocks (i.e. Virginia Quay)

Question 8

Detroit (Urban decline)

Answer 8

Suffered industrial decay (Ford, GM, Chrysler) and corrupt government spending. Leading to houses being abandoned, businesses closing, job loss.

Characteristics: murder at a 40 year high, police response very slow (58 minutes average), lack of basic services, 80,000 buildings abandoned, $20 billion in debt.

Possible solution: sell art collection, property led regeneration or partnership schemes.

Question 9

Old Trafford Centre (decentralisation of retail)

Answer 9

Opened 1998, built on brownfield site, 5 miles from Manchester.

Characteristics: 150 acres, cost £600 million, 8% of uk pop within 45 minute drive, range of activities (20 screen cinema, 1600 seat food court), 11,500 free parking spaces, bus station with 160 bus an hour capacity.

Impacts: congestion, decline of nearby towns, decline of Manchester (but arguably allowed it to become more business focussed), donate to charities, 8000 jobs provided with benefits (childcare).

Question 10

Mumbai (Landfill to electricity)

Answer 10

In 2008 a landfill site was covered to trap methane and this is used to generate electricity.

Question 11

Dahravi, Mumbai (landfill incomes)

Answer 11

Huge landfill sites in Dahravi support the incomes of many of the poor and without it there would be further poverty.

Question 12

China (waste management)

Answer 12

Lots of recycling is sent to China for processing (increases CO2 but still lower than alternatives) due to cheap labour and need for materials to produce new products.

Question 13

Sheffield (Energy Recovery)

Answer 13

An energy recovery facility in Sheffield burns rubbish to heat 140 buildings.

Question 14

Curitiba, Brazil (Integrated transport)

Answer 14

City has 1600 busses.
70% of commuters use busses.
Is fast, efficient and successful.

Question 15

Christchurch (road schemes of sustainable transport)

Answer 15

Have HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes.

Question 16

Taliban, Afghanistan (causes of conflict)

Answer 16

Their conflict is due to ideology and belief systems. This is an extreme example.

Question 17

Orange Revolution, Kiev (non-violent protest)

Answer 17

2005 was a corrupt election.
Non-violent protests began.
The world was watching and successfully got a re-election.
Yushchenco won this time and so non-violence worked.

Question 18

Burmese Monks (non-violent protest)

Answer 18

In 2007, Burmese monks were unsuccessful in non-violence as they were met by violent Burmese armed forces. (An example of how non-violent expression of conflict can evolve into violence).

Question 19

Norway (conflict resolution)

Answer 19

Norway mediated for Sri Lanka in their civil war.

Question 20

International Alert (conflict resolution)

Answer 20

An example of an NGO mediating (mediated in Liberia).

Question 21

Israel Palestine (Geographical impact of conflict)

Answer 21

Can be argued that the conflict has not only had a geographical impact, but that the geography had an impact on the conflict (as a lot of it is based around key sites and water).

Israel is supported by the USA. Different countries recognise different states.

Current divisions come from 1993 peace talks (roughly).

In West Bank and Gaza, Hamas (violent) are in charge, they do not recognise Israel and Israeli government doesn’t recognise them.

Conflict caused by the issue of control of Jerusalem (key place of worship for all). Jews believe this land was promised to them in the second testament. There are very limited water resources and these are currently controlled by Israel. The West Bank Barrier causes much frustration. Palestinians are refugees and live in terrible conditions.

Social impacts are fucking huge. Millions of deaths of military and civilians, 4 million refugees, human rights concerns, cultural losses on both sides, unexploded bombs.

Environmental impacts: damaged land, loss of agricultural land and desertification, contamination from bombing of water plants, Mediterranean sea pollution from Gaza waste.

Economic impacts: many trillions, less money able to be spent on development, huge poverty and almost 50% unemployment, rely on international aid.

Question 22

Third party intervention ~ the UN (in Israel Palestine)

Answer 22

UN can be seen to actually be blamed for conflict as they ignored the 85% Arab population in the beginning in rehousing Jews after WW2. They have tried lots of things and many ways but none have been really successful. Most recent is the “roadmap for peace” which was backed by US, EU and RUS. The final text of it was released in 2003. Plan fell into the background when Bush ended term in 2009 but made no significant impact from 2003-2009. They are bias towards Israel.

They could have focussed more upon development and aid then security may follow. UN probably best at less extreme situations and have had other failures i.e. Spreading Cholera in Haiti, rape in the Congo etc.

Some successes like slowing nuclear bomb research, protecting Galápagos Islands.

Question 23

Wales (consequences of separatism)

Answer 23

Protect their culture through education i.e. Teaching the Welsh language in schools and having it on signs.

Question 24

SNP (consequences of separatism)

Answer 24

Growth of interest group like parties such as SNP and WNP.

Question 25

Chechnya, Russian Rebublic (consequences of separatism)

Answer 25

Turned to terrorism and violence in struggle with Russia

Question 26

Tamil Tigers, Sri Lanka (consequences of separatism)

Answer 26

Turned to civil war

Question 27

Scottish Referendum (Separatism)

Answer 27

Referendum for Scottish independence was held in 2014.

Why they wanted to leave: would push them towards developing, wanted further control of schools and health, felt they didn’t get enough of North Sea Oil revenue, wanted more relaxed immigration, felt geographically separated, felt government of uk didn’t represent Scotland well.

Why they wanted to stay: Uk is a big economy to be a part of, finance industry of Edinburgh threatened to move out (RBS to move to London), trade negotiations would be difficult, loss of BBC.

Ended up staying (56% vote - so very close)

Question 28

UN Global Goals (addressing poverty on a global scale)

Answer 28

Created September 2015 to take over from MDGs and last 14 years.

Have 17 main points including: end poverty, combat climate change, fight injustice and inequality etc. (All very vague and no specific details of how they will do this)

Adopted by 193 world leaders (most for a concept of this kind).

I think number 5 is most important (gender equality)

Question 29

Israel Palestine (no development without security no security without development)

Answer 29

Development requires stability which IP does not have at all. I is most stable of two and has most development but still shitty.

Without development there will still be the key issues i.e. Water supply and infrastructure so there can be no security.

NGOs can help provide either development or security to break the cycle (but many have tried so far with no success)

Question 30

High Speed 2 - HS2 (conflict over the use of a local resource)

Answer 30

Is a railway which would run from London to Birmingham then branch out from Birmingham to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds.

Lots of people were upset by the proposal there were many campaigns and groups set up such as ‘stop hs2’. The plan would affect 33 ancient woodlands, and the money spent would take a long time to make back.

The government believes it would create over 40,000 jobs but this still wouldn’t mitigate the cost which is continually revised and at the moment upwards of £22 Billion. A similar French line cost £20 million per km where was hs2 would cost £105 per km.

No further progress has been made recently due to the financial worries.

Question 31

Roseacre Fracking, Lancashire (conflict over the use of a local resource)

Answer 31

On 16th of June 2014 Cuadrilla proposed fracking of rose acre wood for the shale gas beneath it.

People had concerns about: groundwater contamination, air pollution from methane, infrastructure degradation, small tremors, congestion.

Have been many campaigns for a ‘frack free lancashire’, the most recent being the 23rd May 2016.

Cuadrilla thought it would bring business and jobs to the area.

25th June 2015 - the proposal was rejected due to worries of the traffic impacts. Cuadrilla has said they will appeal the decision.

Although rose acre is safe for now, Yorkshire is being targeted by Cuadrilla and there is a ‘unite the roses’ campaign where Lancashire are also now campaigning for the prevention of Yorkshire fracking.

Question 32

The Great Storm (Storm event in the UK)

Answer 32

Hit the Uk and France on the night of 15th October 1987. It had moved from the Bay of Biscay.

Wet SW winds met cold NE winds. Depended fast due to unusually warm sea and big temperature difference. Hit South Cornwall at midnight. Worst affected areas were South and South East.

Social Impacts: 18 UK deaths, power lines down (several 100,000s without electric for 24 hours), cultural buildings damaged.
Economic impacts: 1.4 Billion spent in insurance claims, transport disrupted (Gatwick closed), lots of boats wrecked.
Environmental impacts: 15 million trees blown down (reduced habitat)

Recovery: 24 hour day working to clear train lines, roads and restore power. Forestry wind blow action committee was set up to deal with replanting trees.

Criticisms: MET only offered warning 3 hours before the storm, ministry of defence only notified they may need to help at 1am. An enquiry was held which lead to improvements in warning systems and observations for the future.

Question 33

Cyclone Nargis, Burma (Tropical storm in an MEDC)

Answer 33

Hit the Irrawaddy delta on 2nd May 2008 after being formed in the Bay of Bengal in late April. It caused a storm surge and huge flooding of low lying delta.

Social impacts: 140,000 people died, 450,000 homes destroyed and a further 350,000 were damaged. 75% of health facilities were destroyed or damaged, disease was vast.
Economic impacts: 600,000 hectares of agriculture damaged, 200,000 farm animals killed, 40% of food stores destroyed and cost $4 Billion total.
Environmental impacts: mangrove forest destroyed, land erosion, salination of land.

Prep/planning: no hurricane monitoring centre, forecasters did warn but never gave information on what to do, no plans or prepared evacuation.

Slow response: initially rejected foreign aid (until almost a month after the event), UN sent 22 tonnes of tents, Muslim aid gave water purification tablets. Turned 1500 tonnes of supplies carried by the French navy away as they thought it was threatening. ASEAN and UN tried to work with the junta to help aid work continue.

Question 34

Hurricane Katrina, USA (tropical storm in an MEDC)

Answer 34

Hit New Orleans on the 29th May 2005 after having already passing over Florida as a Category 1 storm.

Think of Jon Cozarts song!

Social impacts: 1836 deaths and 100,000s homeless, 18 N.O schools destroyed, 3 million without electricity, evacuation routes collapsed (I10), water pollution caused 5 deaths.
Economic impacts: 230,000 jobs lost from damage (think Tiana), 30 oil platforms destroyed, lots of Forrest used for logging was destroyed.
Environmental impacts: turtle breeding beaches damaged, oil spills, loss of salt marsh habitat.

Preparation: sophisticated monitoring and tracking, state of emergency declared in Louisiana and Mississippi, mandatory evacuation of NO (80% evacuated), emergency shelters were set up (astrodome), aid from FEMA and charities of over $4 Billion.

Criticisms: poor quality shelters (jam jars), widespread looting, no transport help for evacuation meaning many stuck and whole lots of school busses flooded rather than used, Bush was on holiday at the time.

Question 35

Chaiten, Chile (volcanic event in an LEDC)

Answer 35

2nd May 2008

Above subduction zone where Pacific plate subduction under South American, is a wide caldera volcano, has viscous rhyolite lava, created a viscous ash plume moving SW to Chaiten.

Social impacts: Only one death, breathing difficulties, roads and houses covered in ash, livestock suffocated.
Environmental impacts: Lahars, 90% of Chaiten flooded, blocked rivers, contaminated groundwater.
Economic impacts: low as LEDC, death of animals lost jobs, airport closed, loss of small businesses.

Observation: was very low, only one observatory in chile and Chaiten classified as a low threat.

Response: Navy evacuated 4000 from Chaiten, people told not to drink the water, World bank froze business payments for the month. They developed the Volcano Disaster Assistance programme (VDAP) for future monitoring and response.

Question 36

Eyjafjnallajokull, Iceland (Volcanic event in an MEDC)

Answer 36

14-20th May 2008

Formed on a spreading ridge between North American and Eurasian plate, is most Southernly volcano of Iceland. Is an ice covered Strato volcano with a Caldera. It is usually not very active. The plume reached 11,000m so into the jet stream causing fast movement). The fine ash was a problem for planes. Ice melted causing flooding and spewed lava.

Social impacts: goggles and facemasks needed, 500 farmers and their families evacuated, roads and flights shut down.
Environmental impacts: water was contaminated with fluoride which is harmful to sheep, and Co2 emission was high.
Economic impacts: stopped European and transatlantic flights costing £130 million a day, hire car companies benefitted, Kenya flower industry lost out, as it was summer lots of people stuck on holiday so business lost out.

Icelandic Meteorological Office monitored it with world wide specialists, the airlines were legally prepared to refund, used test planes so less died due to good calculation, used other methods of transport such as boats to supply goods (Tesco flew Kenyan goods to Spain then travelled by road/ferry).

Question 37

Port Au Prince, Haitian Earthquake (seismic event in an LEDC)

Answer 37

On a strike slip fault between the Caribbean and North American plates. 7.0 earthquake happened on 12th Jan 2010 at 4:53pm. The epicentre was 15 miles from the capital Port Au Prince. It was very shallow focus and caused unstable soils, liquification and land fell into the sea.

Social impacts: 50% of buildings collapsed (they didn’t use good construction methods), roads damaged, 316,000 died, lack of communication.
Economic impacts: 1/5th of jobs lost, many institutions lost such as palace of the president.
Environmental impacts: change in sea level, port destroyed, roads cracked and fault lines appeared.

Had little capacity to cope, very little and slow response (slowed by infrastructure damage), morgues were overwhelmed (mass graves). Haiti was already reliant on international aid before, EU gave $330 million.

Long term (6months after): 90% of rubbish still not cleared, may still in camps.

Question 38

Christchurch, NZ (seismic event in an MEDC)

Answer 38

Hit around 1pm on 22nd Feb 2011. Epicentre was 12km from Christchurch and was shallow focus. There was a quake 6 months before and is disputed if it is an aftershock or new earthquake (but this one had its own aftershocks).

Social impacts: 185 killed (over half in Canterbury TV building which collapsed), 3129 injured, psychological impacts (and divorce rate rose) 100,000 buildings damaged, 80% of sewage system damaged.
Economic impacts: estimated cost of over $40 billion, estimated 50-100 years to recover.
Environmental impacts: liquification causing 400,000 tonnes of silt, glacial carving cause tsunami waves in a lake, water contaminated.

Short term response: aid poured in from everywhere, domestic help (e.g. “Farmy army” helped clear up), vulnerable were cared for, chemical toilets provided.

Long term response (by August): temporary housing, sewage restored, roads repaired, NGOs mainly save the children helped, Earthquake recovery Authority set up (shows efficient central coordination and a near perfect prep and response)

Question 39

Japanese Tsunami (seismic event in an MEDC)

Answer 39

March 11th 2011

At a destructive boundary of three plates. Of an 8.9 magnitude. During subduction the Eurasion plate was dragged down and then when the friction released it jolted upwards causing the displacement of water.

Caused nuclear meltdowns (Fukashima), 15,000+ deaths, building damage and infrastructure damage, estimated $235 Billion (making it one of most expensive ever).

Had huge capacity to cope, incredibly prepared (yearly drills and well known plans). Response was good and incredibly fast repair.

Question 40

India (Monsoon Climate and ITCZ)

Answer 40

Experiences summer monsoons and winter droughts (due to ITCZ).

Question 41

London Smog (UHI and air pollution)

Answer 41

In 1952. Due to an anticyclone which trapped pollutants and soot. People couldn’t see infront of them. Lead to high levels of crime (i.e. Murder and pickpockets), respiratory problems, and the standstill of transport.

Question 42

COP21, Paris (responses to climate change)

Answer 42

In 2015, run by UN.
Was signed by over 200 countries.
Uses vague terms such as "endeavour".
Not legally binding.
Step in the right direction at least.

Question 43

Mid Atlantic Ridge (Constructive plate margins)

Answer 43

Where Eurasian and North American plate are moving apart. It is so long and continuous due to transform faults.

Question 44

Iceland (Constructive plate margins)

Answer 44

Liquid lavas erupt from the low pressure zone where the plates move apart. This forms submarine volcanoes. When this persists it can form islands. Iceland is biggest formed this way.

Question 45

East African Rift System (Constructive Plate Margins)

Answer 45

Is a Rift Valley formed by the moving of the Nubian and Somalian plates. It runs from Mozambique to the Red Sea. Is 4000km long. Is associated with Mount Kilimanjaro.

Question 46

Peru/Chile trench (Destructive Plate margins)

Answer 46

Formed by the down warping one denser oceanic plate.

Question 47

Andes, South America (destructive plate margins)

Answer 47

Formed on continental shelf of destructive margin by folding and faulting forming mountains.

Question 48

West Indies (destructive plate margins)

Answer 48

Formed from plutons of magma rising from the Benioff zone as oceanic plate subducted.

Question 49

Mariana Trench, West Pacific (destructive plate margins)

Answer 49

Formed when Pacific moves under phillipene plate (both oceanic). Also island arcs here.

Question 50

Himalayas, Nepal (Destructive plate margins)

Answer 50

Formed between the IndoAustralian plate and Eurasian Plate.

Question 51

San Andreas Fault, San Fransisco (conservative plate margins)

Answer 51

Is a fault.

Question 52

Hawaii (hotspots)

Answer 52

Hawaii was formed by a hotspot which has formed a line of sheild basaltic volcanoes as the plates have moved. It is now less active as the newest island in the chain is Liohi which is underwater atm.

Question 53

Dartmoor (intrusive volcanic forms)

Answer 53

Erosion has exposed a batholiths with lots of big rocks.

Question 54

Mull & Skye, Scotland (intrusive volcanic landforms)

Answer 54

Have swarms of dykes lololololololol

Question 55

Heimay, Iceland (extrusive landforms)

Answer 55

Had a fissure eruption in 1973 (Basaltic, conservative)

Question 56

Mount Loa, Hawaii (extrusive landforms)

Answer 56

Sheild volcano (basaltic, oceanic to oceanic).

Question 57

Mt Etna & Mt Vesuvius, Italy (extrusive landforms)

Answer 57

Composite Volcanos (andesitic, destructive onland)

Question 58

Krakatoa (extrusive landforms)

Answer 58

Caldera filled with water due to sea level change (andesitic, destructive)

Question 59

Puy de Domes, France (extrusive landforms)

Answer 59

Acid Dome volcano (rhyolitic, continental)