Edinburgh (Urban) Flashcards
What are the characteristics of the CBD?
- Tall, high density buildings and a lack of open space
- Where main roads and railways meet
- Main railway and bus stations
- Multi-storey car parks
- Comparison shops where people can browse in the same type of shop, e.g. jewellers
- Specialist shops, e.g. bridal boutiques
- Large department stores and shopping centres
- Tourist information centres
- Museums, historical buildings
- A concentration of churches and a cathedral
- Hotels for tourists and business meetings
- Offices, banks, administration, town hall (business sector.
- Cinemas, theatres
- High traffic and pedestrian flow at rush hour and Saturdays for shopping
What are the common problems in the CBD?
- Increasing atmospheric pollution from the high volumes of traffic
- Increasing traffic flow leading to increasing traffic congestion
- Competition from rural-urban fringe
- Increasing numbers of homeless people
What are the problems in Edinburgh’s CBD?
- Traffic congestion
- High rent/ land values
- Lack of land for expansion
- Lack of car parking
- Cost of maintaining old buildings
- Customers wanting indoor shopping.
What recent changes have taken place in Edinburgh’s CBD?
Shopping- New. large, expensive stores have been built (Harvey Nichols)
- New cinema/eating complex has been built
How successful have the recent changes that have taken place in Edinburgh’s CBD been?
Shopping (Harvey Nichols) -This has been fairly successful as many more people are being attracted to the CBD and the city is profiting from sales made there.
(Omni)- Successful as cinema has attracted many different ages of shopper. bringing money into the city.
Why have the recent changes to Edinburgh’s CBD been made?
Shopping (Harvey Nichols) -to attract a different kind of shopper to the CBD, especially at Christmas. Because Harvey Nicols is an expensive store, more money will be spent there, which will aid economic development of the city.
(Omni)- Draw in people who are attracted to both the cinema and eating areas under one roof meaning they are more likely to spend more money as they are closer to both.
What can we say abut the land values of the CBD?
- Highest because most accessible part of the city.
- Land values decrease rapidly towards the city values.
- Buisness will want to locate in the CBD meaning space is limited.
- Competition pushes up land price
- As competition away from the CBD decreases, land values fall and the amount of available sites and space increases.
- Secondary land peaks can occur at important junctions, main roads and suburban shopping areas.
What can we say about the age of the CBD?
- As the urban area expanded outwards from the original site, zones become younger.
- Oldest buildings are near to the city centre, youngest building on the outskirts.
What can we say about the accessibility of the CBD?
- Easiest place to reach as all main routes from the suburbs meet here. However most congested part of the city.
