EQ1: How and why do places vary?

Question 1

How do you define a place and its characteristics?

Answer 1

PLACE

• Geographical space shaped by individuals and communities over time which helps distinguish it from another place.
  a) . Physical landscapes (through geology and erosion processes).
  b) . Human landscapes (local buildings often from local geology with natural features).
  c) . Subjective perceivement and engagement (media portrayal).
  d) . Economic history.
  e) . Religious importance.
  f) . Cultural importance (food and drink with regional specialities) or architecture.
  g) . May vary along a ‘Rural-Urban Continuum.

Question 2

What is the Rural-Urban Continuum?

Answer 2

RURAL URBAN CONTINUUM
- The unbroken transition from sparsely populated or unpopulated, remote rural places to densely populated, intensively used urbane places (town and city centres).

Question 3

What is dynamism?

Answer 3

DYNAMISM

• The rate at which they change.
  a) . Smaller/remote may change socially and economically slower.
  b) . Connections are any type of physical, social or online linkages between places. Places may keep some of their characteristics or change them as a result.
  c) . Internal connections between people, employment, services and housing.
  d) . External connections such as government policy and globalisation.
  e) . Place boundaries may be fixed/fluid such as artificial, administrative, electoral ward.
  f) . Changes through local/national/global Processes such as migration, capital, information and resources - making it more socially/economically dynamic while others are marginalised from wealth and opportunity (creating social and economic inequalities).

Question 4

What model can be used to measure economic activity against time?

Answer 4

CLARK-FISHER MODEL

Question 5

What are the 5 different economic sectors?

Answer 5

ECONOMIC SECTORS
1. Primary - Extraction of raw resources (mining and farming…) yet has been a declining sector as a result of competitive/cheaper markets.

2. Secondary - Manufacturing and processing (iron and steel/car manufacturing…) declining since deindustrialisation with cheaper labour costs.
3. Tertiary - Service sector (tourism and banking…) growing through attractive higher incomes.
4. Quaternary - High tech research and design in specialist services described as footloose as they can locate anywhere yet commonly in accordance with financial incentives (lower taxes) and connectivity (good transport links).
5. Quinary - Knowledge management (consultancy, leadership, CEO’s…).

Question 6

What are the different types of employment?

Answer 6

EMPLOYMENT TYPES
1. Full-Time - Contract that exceeds 35 hours a week and means that the employee is entitled to a list of benefits.

2. Part-Time - Contract that carries fewer than 35 hours a week, working in commonly rotational shifts.
3. Temporary - When an employee is expected to stay in a position for a limited period.
4. Permanent - Employees do not have a predetermined end date to work.
5. Self Employment - State of working for oneself as a freelancer rather than for an employer.
6. Unemployment - No employment.

Question 7

How do Kingston and Hackney compare to England in terms of income and social factors?

Answer 7

1. KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES
   a) . Income (Mean Annual income for taxpayers 2011-12)
   - £35,000
   b) . Employment
   - 70.9% In employment
   - 76.3% Economically active
   c) . Health
   - 65% In good health
   - 1.1%In bad health
   - 3% Claim Health Benefits
   d) . Life Expectancy (Years)
   - 83.8
   e) . Education
   - 48.3% With a degree or higher
   - 8.2% No qualifications
2. HACKNEY
   a) . Income (Mean Annual income for taxpayers 2011-12)
   - £29,500
   b) . Employment
   - 63.6% In employment
   - 70.8% Economically active
   c) . Health
   - 42.5% In good health
   - 16.8%In bad health
   - 9% Claim Health Benefits
   d) . Life Expectancy (Years)
   - 80.9
   e) . Education
   - 14.4% With a degree or higher
   - 20.5% No qualifications
3. ENGLAND AVERAGE
   a) . Income (Mean Annual income for taxpayers 2011-12)
   - £28,000
   b) . Employment
   - 71.1% In employment
   - 77.3% Economically active
   c) . Health
   - 46.5% In good health
   - 4.5%In bad health
   - 7% Claim Health Benefits
   d) . Life Expectancy (Years)
   - 81.6
   e) . Education
   - 16.5% With a degree or higher
   - 23.2% No qualifications

SEE GOOGLE DOCS FOR DATA

Question 8

What are some factors that measure economic activity?

Answer 8

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY can be measure through employment and output data.

1. GROSS VALUE ADDED
   - Measures the contribution to the economy of an individual producer, industry or sector, used to calculate GDP.
2. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP)
   - The final value of the goods and services produced within the geographic boundaries of a country during a specified period of time, normally a year. GDP growth rate is an important indicator of the economic performance of a country.
3. LOCATION QUOTIENTS
   - A mappable ratio which helps show specialisation in any data distribution being studied. A figure equal to 1.00 suggests national and local patterns are similar with no specialisation (retailing). LQs over 1 shows a concentration of that type of employment locally.
   - Social inequalities often result from large concentrations, a large, high LQ industry with a declining LQ overtime may be detrimental to the local and national economy.
4. INDEX OF MULTIPLE DEPRIVATION (IMD)
   - A combined measure of deprivation based on a total of 37 separate indicators that have been grouped into several domains:
   a) . Income,
   b) . Employment
   c) . Health
   d) . Education…
   - Each of which reflects a different aspect of deprivation experienced by individuals living in an area.
   - It is used by governments and authorities to make decisions about regeneration.

Question 9

What are the 2 types of economic activity?

Answer 9

1. ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE (Part/full-time employees, self-employed, unemployed, full-time student).
2. ECONOMICALLY INACTIVE (Retired, Student, looking after family, permanently sick/disabled).

Question 10

What impact does economic activity have on Health?

Answer 10

HEALTH

• A direct link between place, deprivation and associated lifestyles (Glasgow Effect - The impacts of poor health linked to deprivation). There are fewer ‘Blue Collar’/manual jobs, however longer working hours in manual jobs (building, agriculture) or exposed to harmful chemicals or pollutants will have a raised risk of poorer health and mortality.
• It is therefore linked to economic sectors as variations in income can affect the quality of people’s housing and diets, (black and minority groups generally have worse health than the overall population due to their poorer socio-economic position.
• A geographical factor is the spatial distribution of food, in inner cities (‘Food Deserts’) concerning availability, with cheaper processed and take away food dominating choice. Health may suffer, such as obesity.
• As well as population structure and lifestyle choices, there are also variations in healthcare nationally in the NHS ‘postcode lottery’.

Question 11

What is the ‘Postcode Lottery’ concept?

Answer 11

POSTCODE LOTTERY CONCEPT
- The uneven distribution of local personal health services nationally, especially in mental health, early diagnosis of cancer and emergency care for the elderly.

Question 12

What impact does economic activity have on Life Expectancy?

Answer 12

LIFE EXPECTANCY

• Longevity varies between places, regions and within settlements (especially in larger cities). Kensington/London and other prosperous areas with higher earnings (such as over £60,000 year, have higher expectancies above the UK average of 77.2 years (men) and 81.6 years (women).
• Gender (biological differences), income, occupation, education and access to healthcare are vital factors as well as lifestyle choices/culture such as diet and smoking all impact longevity.
• The causes of deaths that are disproportionately affecting those more for the deprived communities compared to the least deprived, and contributing to the life expectancy gap are cardiovascular conditions, lung cancer, chronic cirrhosis of the liver, respiratory disease and suicides.

Question 13

What impact does economic activity have on Education?

Answer 13

EDUCATION

• Education provision and outcome is also unequal in the UK. The outcome is measured by examination success, is strongly linked to income levels. Yet there is regional variation in achievement nationally.
• Data on Free School Meals, which are linked to low income, working-class white children in poverty have the lower educational achievement and are more likely to underachieve, by aged 16, only 31% of this group achieved 5 or more GCSEs between A* and C in 2013.
• Boys tend to do worse than girls, especially Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black African origin.
• Only 14% in variation in any individuals performance is due to the school attended, more disadvantaged students may be reluctant to continue onto higher education.

Question 14

How do inequalities develop from pay levels?

Answer 14

INEQUALITIES IN PAY LEVELS

• There are stark differences in rates of pay across the UK, the highest median earnings were found in South-West London, with London by far the most prosperous region.
• Yet older industrial cities, still suffering from deindustrialisation, tend to have lower average pay than elsewhere.
• London’s economic structure is also one of the high inequality, although the National Living Wage has increased, there are still many people earning below the London Living Wage (£9.40 at the start of 2016). In 2016, the Government introduced a minimum National Living Wage for over 25s of £7.20 an hour.
• Bankers and Doctors are the highest earners as they most often require the most qualifications as well as in high demand, low-skilled jobs (Strawberry Picking) is paid less as fewer qualifications and knowledge is required/in low demand.

Question 15

What is ‘Spatial Inequality’ and why might it be dangerous?

Answer 15

SPATIAL INEQUALITY

• Refers to differences across places at a neighbourhood or street level, as well between cities or regions and countries.
• Could be dangerous in stimulating an intergenerational cycle.

INTERGENERATIONAL CYCLE

• Educational underachievement and poor health may be intergenerational, meaning passed on from parents to their children.
• Breaking the cycle of poor educational achievement is a key goal of decision-makers.

Question 16

What is the difference between ‘Quality of Life’ and ‘Standard of Living’?

Answer 16

QUALITY OF LIFE

• The level of social and economic well-being experienced by individuals or communities measured by various indicators such as health, happiness, educational achievement, income and leisure time.
• This is wider than ‘Standard of Living’, which is just centred on just income.

Question 17

What is the ‘Spearman’s Rank’ used for?

Answer 17

SPEARMAN’S RANK TEST

• It illustrates statistically if there is a strong correlation between IMD (Index for Multiple Deprivation) and Bad/Very Bad Health in a scatter graph.
• Using the Coefficient, you can then calculate the degree of accuracy towards how reliable the results are, and whether or not they have occurred by chance or not.
• This could, therefore, support your hypothesis towards the data.

Question 18

What is a ‘Function of a Place’ and what factors determine it?

Answer 18

FUNCTION
- The roles a place plays for its community and surroundings. Some, usually larger places, offer regional, national or even global functions. Functions may grow, disappear and change over time. There is a hierarchy according to size and number of functions.

a) . The function, shape, land-use pattern and details of the surrounding social, economic and natural environments of a place are determined by the types of people that live and the many different influences on their lives.
b) . Places of all size may be associated with a dominant function (mining, steel, leisure, tourism…).
c) . These places will also have distinct demographic characteristics which are reflected in employment trends, land-use patterns and levels of inequality/deprivation.
d) . High-order (Variety - Banks, department stores, council offices and doctor surgeries) functions in larger/urban settlements, low-order (Limited - Postboxes, grocery stores and pubs) functions in smaller/rural villages.

Question 19

How have places changed their function through time?

Answer 19

CHANGING FUNCTIONS THROUGH TIME

1. INDUSTRIAL -
   a) . The mid-1800s, mechanisation reduced the need for manual labour in fields, so workers moved into industrial regions, providing cheap labour for (iron, steel…) factories.
   b) . Some towns took advantage of their location; next to a river/coast, near valuable natural resources or nodal/central points - growing as commercial centres.
2. ADMINISTRATIVE -
   a) . The emerging middle class sought to organise life, leading to county towns began hosting essential administrative functions.
   b) . Including courts, banks and corn exchanges.
   c) . Recently seen the growth of regional HQs for commercial enterprises.
   d) . London extends out of its immediate administration boundaries to function on more of an economic basis.
3. COMMERCIAL -
   a) . Commercial centres and the basis of trade, towns took advantage of locations (river/coast) for imports.
   b) . Rapidly changing as a result of internet and broadband services alongside customers changing habits.
4. RETAIL -
   a) . Towns compete to become important retail destinations, with shopping often a leisure activity.
   b) . US-style shopping malls encourage retailers to co-locate with cinemas and vast array of shops, to deliver the ‘ultimate retail experience’.
   c) . Transformed itself with online shopping, click and collect.
   d) . Regeneration may counteract the ‘cloning’ of land and encourage specific place identities to attract customers.

Question 20

How have places changed their demographic characteristics?

Answer 20

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE

• May change by age structure, ethnic composition, gender and socio-economic status or alongside functional change (i.e gentrification). When places experience lower-income groups moving in, such as lower-paid immigrants and students, it changes the ‘filtering down’ process. The opposite is ‘filtering up’ or gentrification when more affluent people take over an originally lower-income place.
• Urban and rural places have distinct demographic characteristics, which have also altered over time:

1. ETHNIC COMPOSITION -
   a) . (2001 census {91.3% white} vs 2011 census {86% white} yet population grew cumulatively 9%, with 7.1% in urban areas, whereas its only 2.5% in rural areas- highlighting minorities in urban areas).
   b) . Migrants often cluster together in major cities, such as those following WW2 (alongside globalisation):
   - Jamaican ‘Empire Windrush’ settled in Brixton.
   - Indian workers settled near Southall.
   - Pakistani community settled in Bradford to Birmingham.
   c) . Can experience racism and prejudice/racial tension led to areas of influx saw collapsing property prices and spirals of decline (made worse by poorer housing, out-migration and deindustrialisation).
2. AGE STRUCTURE -
   a) . Rural areas tend to have an ageing population (median age of 45 years) whereas urban areas tend to a more youthful crowd (median age of 37).
   b) . Many Urban areas have young graduates in the search for jobs, as well as many at childbearing ages (employment change).
   c) . Heritage and Cultural history may be particularly significant for its residents. There might be pride in particular tourists attraction, sports clubs… with functions that interact. This results in unique place identity.
3. GENTRIFICATION -
   a) . Small groups of individuals moving into an area and developing it (inward migration). Some areas of influx transformed into bohemian hotspots, thriving alternative music and artists due to relative affordability in deprived areas of cities.
   b) . Brixton and Battersea are good examples of this as they are rapidly changing places in London that are attracting young graduates, who reshape and rebrand these areas into ‘Cultural Villages’ involving an influx of wealth.

Question 21

What is the difference between ‘Gentrification’ and ‘Studentification’?

Answer 21

GENTRIFICATION
- A change in social status, whereby former working-class inner-city areas become occupied and renewed by wealthier middle-class individuals transforming areas through the influx of investment.

STUDENTIFICATION
- The high student population has led to thriving services/entertainment, with many by to let properties that regenerate that economy, leading to student services (nightclubs, pubs…) progressing to cater for student nightlife.

BOHEMIAN HOTSPOTS
- Socially unconventional area, politically in touch, promotes arts.

Question 22

What are the 4 reasons for change in an area?

Answer 22

1. PHYSICAL FACTORS
   a) . Dynamic changing landscapes present management challenges.
   b) . Location regarding proximity to core urban economic zones.
   c) . The environment holds importance (Green Belt in London).
   d) . Technology (lifts) are allowing high rise buildings to facilitate urban sprawl. Fibre optic cables and Broadband changing landscapes.
   e) . Climate Change is shaping policy, architecture and land-use decisions: coastal areas are prone to rapid erosion as a result of sea-level rise leading to hold the line or do-nothing approach, Tewkesbury and Carlisle are facing the reality of more frequent flooding.
2. ACCESSIBILITY AND CONNECTEDNESS
   a) . Development of the UK’s motorway and rail networks has changed the importance of different towns and villages.
   b) . High Speed 1 (2007) between London and Kent and London Thames Gateway Redevelopment has seen Essex and Kent grow increasingly popular as alternatives to London prices.
   c) . Many commuter villages have spawn due to fast connectivity.
   d) . A by-product of improved transport has led to the flow of migration from regional airports catering for internationals.
   e) . Communications infrastructure has upgraded with ⅔ of the UK having access to fibre-optic broadband (government providing £530 million to extend into rural areas). These connections help competition for investment and visitors (employment change).
3. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
   a) . Post-production era: once essential primary production (agriculture, farming, fishing) and manufacturing has ended.
   b) . Competition for the optimum site for functions: commercial, retail, residential, infrastructure. Land values will historically intensify towards the CBD or core village because it was more accessible for people of a pre-motor vehicle age.
   c) . Changing consumer trends (supermarket to online shopping, single house demand increases due to cultural/demographic trends.
   d) . Increased affluence has increased leisure and tourism functions (B&B or second homes) and disposable incomes.
   e) . Historic buildings can be a physical asset for places seeking regeneration, holding an identity accountable (Totnes as a ‘Transition Town’ to protect local culture and history yet encouraging more businesses to co-locate).
4. ROLE OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL PLANNING + GLOBALISATION
   a) . UK government has struggled to tackle the housing crisis, yet with the National Infrastructure Plan 2010, they have designed towns like Bichester as ‘Garden Cities’ with 13,000 new homes and a new railway station.
   b) . Milton Keynes came about in the New Towns Act 1946 following the demand for houses after WW2, high prices now.
   c) . Policies to reduce the negative externalities of changes; the 1990 policy to increase student university numbers by 50%.
   d) . ‘Plan Led’ system with tight control over developments such as the segregation of land: ‘Green Belts’ introduced new and expanded towns to relieve population density pressure.
   e) . Yet state-funded council housing has turned to privatisation.
   f) . Conservation areas to encourage conversions rather than renewal schemes (Redevelopment of Brownfield rather than Greenfield) or national interest against HS2 (with larger schemes requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
   g) . Central Government intervention changed with ‘Localism’ policy (not one size fits all) with more local planning (stakeholder meetings and consultancy).
   h) . Place images may affect the rate of change (Listed Buildings).
   i) . Globalisation has led to deindustrialisation and the decline of many areas regarding deprivation alongside Migration.

Question 23

Why and how was The London Docklands re-imagined in the 1980s?

Answer 23

LONDON DOCKLAND’S

1. 1970’S DEINDUSTRIALISATION
   a) . The development of container ships (Containerisation) proved problematic for the docklands as the Thames simply was not deep enough to accommodate them.
   b) . London’s dock facilities had to shift further downstream (Essex) with the London Gateway but wasn’t as successful as the East End docks as they fell into disuse and disrepair.
   c) . Between 1978 and 1983, 12,000 jobs were lost, men had 60% unemployment there.
   d) . Between 1971 and 1983 the population fell by 100,000 in the East End.
2. RE-IMAGING AND REGENERATION OF THE LONDON DOCKLANDS
   a) . Conservative Government wanted to rebrand inner cities such as ‘Garden Festivals’ to develop a ‘Greener’ image for inner cities.
   b) . 21 km² of available land in the London Docklands, development was carried out by LDCC (London Docklands Development Corporations) in 1981 to encourage growth through key players:
   - Property owners keen to purchase land (Port of London was government-owned)
   - Architects
   - Construction companies
   - Investors
   c) . The process was Market-led Regeneration - leaving the private sector to make decisions. LDCC being given planning powers that passed local councils in Newham, Tower Hamlets.
   d) . Companies could obtain tax breaks on new buildings as long as permission was granted before 1991 - incentives to attract investors
3. ECONOMIC GROWTH
   a) . Canary Wharf acts as London’ second CBD
   b) . Jobs were made in the construction of huge high-rise office buildings (designed to stimulate quaternary employment).
   c) . Drive was to create high-earning jobs, that would generate ‘other-jobs’ in a ‘trickle-down’ effect on poorer communities.
   d) . Companies such as Barclays, HSBC and (other banks…) alongside companies in the knowledge economy are located there.
   e) . 100,000 commuters travel there every day, yet still poverty (27% of Newham’s population earns less than £7 per hour).
4. INFRASTRUCTURE
   a) . Accessibility and connectedness have seen success through new transport developments:
   - Extending the Jubilee Line
   - Developing the Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
   - New roads such as the Limehouse Road Link
   - Creating London City Airport to provide international travel for business
5. HOUSING
   a) . Many older people have retired out to the South Coast.
   b) . A younger generation has replaced these older residents, the average age of 31 in 2011 compared to the UK average of 40.
   c) . The ethnic composition has grown in diversity, with immigration since 2000, Newham is now London’s most ethnically diverse borough.
   d) . Yet there’s still poor health in public housing:
   - With Tower Hamlets having the lowest life expectancy in London.

Question 24

What is ‘re-imaging’?

Answer 24

RE-IMAGING
- How the image of a place is changed (i.e in the media). The term was used by those in charge of regeneration and rebranding, alongside tourist agencies when developing new images of places.

Question 25

How can you measure the change in an area?

Answer 25

CHANGE can be measured through time taking into account both economic development alongside several factors:

1. LAND USE CHANGES (Less developed tends to be agricultural and industrial) -
   - Residential
   - Commercial
   - Recreational
   - Transportation
   - Agricultural
   - Industrial
2. EMPLOYMENT TRENDS (Less developed tends to be in Primary and Secondary) -
   - Primary Industry = Extraction of raw resources
   - Secondary Industry = Manufacturing and processing
   - Tertiary Industry = Service sector
   - Quaternary Industry = High tech research and design
   - Quinary Industry = Knowledge management
3. DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES -
   - Life expectancy
   - GDP per Capita
   - Gender composition
   - Age Structure
   - Ethnic Composition
4. LEVELS OF DEPRIVATION (IMD) -
   - Income deprivation
   - Employment deprivation
   - Health deprivation
   - Crime
   - Quality of the living environment
   - Abandoned and derelict land

Question 26

How are Kingston’s and Hackney’s population expected to change in in the near future?

Answer 26

POPULATION GROWTH (%)

a) . Hackney
- 2001 = 202,819
- 2014 = 263,200
- 2024 = 306,300 (+43,100 & +16.4% [14.7% natural change])
- 2040 = 352,438 (predominantly working age at aged 25 - 40)
b) . Kingston-Upon-Thames
- 2001 = 147,295
- 2014 = 170,000
- 2024 = 197,600 (+27,600 & +16.2% [8% natural change])
- 2040 = 224,489 (equal distribution of all ages)

SEE GOOGLE DOCS FOR DATA

Question 27

What is the difference between a centrifugal and centripetal force?

Answer 27

CENTRIFUGAL FORCE
- Forces that divide a state (disrupting internal order, destabilise, weaken and undermine authority/governance).

CENTRIPETAL FORCE
- Forces that unify a state (common nationalism, providing stability, strengthen, bind together, create solidarity through a common identity, culture or national leader).

Question 28

What are ‘place representations’?

Answer 28

PLACE REPRESENTATIONS
- Places may be represented in contrasting ways. Formal representations and official statistics of places (Office for National Statistics or governmental organisations) may differ from representations by informal media or locals (may be subjective).

Question 29

How do Kingston and Hackney compare to in terms of happiness in London?

Answer 29

OFFICE OF NATIONAL STATISTICS 2012 - 2015

1. KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES
   a) . Ranked 2nd out of 32
   b) Average happiness rating of 7.5 / 10
2. HACKNEY
   a) . Ranked 32nd out of 32
   b) Average happiness rating of 7.08 / 10

Question 30

What are the REGIONAL influences on Kingston and Hackney?

Answer 30

KINGSTON

1. Well connected with 10 national rail stations in the Royal Borough of Kingston: Kingston, Norbiton, New Malden, Surbiton, Berrylands, Motspur Park, Malden Manor, Tolworth, Chessington North and Chessington South = they all serve London Waterloo (in 25 minutes) as well as Guildford, Woking and further out to Portsmouth, making it a prime location for commuters.
2. Various Bus routes running out of 3 different bus stations in Kingston (Clarence Street, Eden Street, Cromwell Road) which go towards Wimbledon/Tooting, Hampton, Heathrow, Richmond/Ealing, Esher/Epsom.
3. A3 = The main road which runs either to Central London or Portsmouth.
4. Shopping experience through the Bentall Centre, John Lewis Department Store, Clarence Street and Eden Walk.
5. Historical borough market has a unique shopping experience and is ancient in origin
6. Leisure Activities: Kingston Museum, Kingfisher, Library.
7. Business supports such as Kingston First and Kingston £ (circulated locally).

HACKNEY

1. Well connected with 12 Overground tube stations in the Borough of Hackney: Hackney Downs, Hackney Central, Hackney Wick and Homerton, Dalston Junction… = links to Liverpool Street Station allowing greater commuter access as well as facilitating businesses setting up in the area.
2. Manor House Station (Near Finsbury Park) has the Piccadilly Line, linking to (Kings Cross/St Pancras). Lacks infrastructure for more = deprived.
3. Liverpool Street is the nearest National Rail Station (7 Different tube lines, including the New Elizabeth Line/Crossrail project and 4 national rail services).
   - 20 minutes by road.
   - 65% of households in Hackney are car-free.
   - Crossrail 2 will link Dalston and Hackney Central to South-West London.
4. A10 = The Main road which runs either to Central London or Cambridge.
5. Places such as the Hackney Empire, the Lido and Victoria Park as well as pubs, bars and restaurants alongside neighbouring Olympic Park and Lee Valley changing the dynamics and social characteristics of Hackney.

Question 31

What are the NATIONAL influences on Kingston and Hackney?

Answer 31

KINGSTON

1. Local elections in 2018, resulted in Liberal Democrats swing (81% majority) to control the local Kingston Council under Thay Thayalan.
2. Sir Edward Davey (Liberal Democrat) won back his seat in 2017 (44.7% minority in the FPTP system). National Government is Conservative, so Kingston’s political inclination is differing to the national interest.
3. Kingston is one of the least deprived areas in the UK. It generally ranks high in terms of life expectancy and safety in London - often only behind neighbouring Borough of Richmond
4. The industry historical acted as a market town, however, it is recently converting towards a commuter village/service industry.
5. Kingston house prices are often very high especially in the cases of Coombe and Surbiton, expected to increase due to its location being practical for commuters as well as Crossrail 2 project.
6. Strong sense of community with the Malden Independent Community Organisation (MICO) campaigning to keep ‘The Fountain’ roundabout found at the heart of New Malden as a historic monument which defines the town. As well as the community led New Malden farmers market and Kingston Market.
7. Schools are ranked 2nd best in the country.

HACKNEY

1. Has a Labour council (91% majority) in Power, led by Mayor Philip Glanville. He is responsible for financial management and the delivery of service in the constituency. This can influence where the spending in Hackney goes, with Labour policies focusing on social development and the welfare state.
2. Both Diane Abbott and Meg Hillier are Labour MPs for Hackney.
3. The area is described as one of the ‘Most fashionable postcodes in the capital’ and can change the demographics within that area.
4. Traditionally, Hackney housed Dockland and Factory workers and was heavily bombed during WW2, alongside most of East London.
5. The post-ww2 industry was primarily bottom end enterprise (car breakers, scrap dealers) but post 1980, Governmental economic deregulation led to new growth of industries because of Canary Wharf and E20/Stratford.
6. Emerging Crossrail hotspots in East London has led to house price growth and Bohemian culture.
7. Every ward remains among the 10% most deprived in the country, with 47% of children living in low-income households.

Question 32

What are the INTERNATIONAL influences on Kingston and Hackney?

Answer 32

KINGSTON

1. European social fund to support Learning Provision is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), which has helped 1,100 young people in years 10 & 11 who were at risk of NEET (Not Employed, in Education or Training). Over 80% of leavers who signed up remained for 2 more terms.
2. Kingston is twinned with Oldenburg in Germany, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul (South Korea), used to be twinned with Delft in the Netherlands.
3. Samsung’s European Headquarters used to be located in New Malden as was the South Korean Embassy.
4. Home to Kingston Polytechnic (Now Kingston University) making Kingston a student-friendly town.
5. Home to the Rose Theatre, which hosts the International Youth Arts Festival.
6. Lidl moving UK Headquarters to £70 million Tolworth location.
7. One of the largest Korean population outside South Korea and Tamil (4% Indian) communities in the borough.
8. Kingston Gate for Richmond Park, which is one of the world’s largest urban parks, owned by Royal Parks alongside Bushy Park/Hampton Court Palace.
9. AFC Wimbledon (League 1) play at Kingsmeadow.
10. 61.6% voted to remain in 2016

HACKNEY

1. In 2016, the EU invested £1 billion to build thousands of affordable homes in London, including Hackney. ‘The European Investment Bank has a firm commitment to supporting investment in social and affordable housing in London’.
2. Hackney is twinned with Alexandra, South Africa which was set up to show support for the anti-apartheid movement, at the time there was a large black South African Population.
3. A large Jewish community in Hackney in the post-war era also led to twinning with Haifa, Israel of which there are still exchanges between schools and hospitals.
4. Hackney is a culturally diverse area with significant ‘Other White’, black and Turkish communities.
5. Home to the Hackney Empire (Theatre) which holds a variety of music/comedy events.
6. Nurse exchange internationally with places such as Hong Kong.
7. 78.5% voted to remain in the 2016 EU referendum.

Question 33

What are the GLOBAL influences on Kingston and Hackney?

Answer 33

KINGSTON

1. There are a growing number of global retail stores such as KFC, Apple McDonalds (especially in Kingston Town Centre).
2. Average broadband speed in Kingston of 67Mbps.
3. Unilever Headquarters are in Kingston.
4. Sega Amusements International, responsible for the production of arcade games outside of Japan, has its head office in Chessington.
5. Merlin Entertainments (now LEGO) owns Chessington World of Adventures resort, apart of its global brand of theme parks and attractions.
6. Kingston’s Christmas market is globally recognised by Time Out magazine as well as being a popular destination for tourists.

HACKNEY

1. International connections with other places globally are facilitated by high broadband speeds in the area. With a large number of tech firms investing in the area, much of the communication and connections are superior to other places in the UK. This enables social communication and global trading.
2. Average broadband speed in Hackney of 362Mbps.
3. Amazon recently opened its new UK HQ in Hackney.
4. Many global brands located along a newly developed Hackney Walk including Nike, Burberry and UGG. Due to its artistic reputation, some global fashion brands have headquarters in Hackney (Anya Hindmarch).
5. Stratford Westfield (Which is Europe’s largest shopping centre) is found just minutes away from Hackney.
6. Stratford hosted the 2012 London Olympics, with lots of regeneration and investment tied to Hackney.
7. Global brands may out-compete local brands.

Question 34

What is the difference between cultural erosion and cultural enrichment?

Answer 34

CULTURAL EROSION
- A loss of identity and culture (loss of language, traditional food, music, clothes, social relations) through globalisation.

CULTURAL ENRICHMENT
- A growth in cooperation/community that enables the exchange of differing ideas, beliefs, rituals, customs and traditions between people with different or similar ethnic or social backgrounds.

BOTH IMPACT IDENTITY

Question 35

What are the current demographics in Kingston?

Answer 35

KINGSTON

1. AGE
   - 0-18 = 22.3%
   - 16-64 = 68.4%
   - 65+ = 12.7%
   - Life Expectancy = 81.3
   a) . Relatively young population/suburban families and natural increase/live births which have put a strain on schools.
   b) . Working-age is 68%.
   c) . Elderly population yet more have moved to the south coast.
   d) . The 65+ population will increase due to life expectancy, resulting in a decrease in the working-age population.
   e) . More dependence on working for the population through time.
2. ETHNICITY
   - White = 74.5%
   - Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) = 25.5%
   - Korean = 2.24%
   a) . Korean, Sri Lanka and the Tamil population made up to 50% of the Asian Population.
   b) . Due to high immigration into the UK, especially London, the percentage of those from a multicultural or non-white background will increase.
3. HOUSING
   - 228 new homes were built in Kingston between 2011-12 (below the target of 375)
   - 277 in 2012-13
   - 671 in 2013-14
   a) . The construction of affordable houses has been increasing over the last years, yet becoming less affordable due to the prime location.
   b) . 35 built between 2004-10.
   c) . The number of affordable houses would have to increase to meet the demands of a growing population.
   d) . More spending on high rise accommodation (One New Malden development) to optimise profits on land.
4. EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND AVERAGE INCOME
   - For the year 2011-2012, the total employment rate in Kingston = 72.8% (above London = 69.4%)
   a) . Average annual income earnings for Kingston residents are considerably more than the UK average.
   b) . Women earn slightly less than average in London yet this may change.
   c) . As more jobs move to the service industry, the average will increase.
5. HIGHEST QUALIFICATION
   - 41% of over 16’s have an (NVQ) National Vocational Qualification of level 4 (Degree level).
   - Only 13% have no qualifications.
   a) . The percentage of those with a high-level qualification (NVQ Level 4) in Kingston is higher than in London and the UK (37.5%).
   b) . Due to better education as well as compulsory education until the age of 18, those with a degree is nationally expected to rise to 46.9% (NVQ Level 4) due to a more educated population.

SEE GOOGLE DOCS FOR DATA

Question 36

What are the current demographics in Hackney?

Answer 36

HACKNEY

1. AGE
   - > 20 = 25%
   - 20-29 = 21%
   - Over 55 = 18%
   - Life expectancy = 77.8
   a) . 4th worst life expectancy out of all London Boroughs.
   b) . As more areas become gentrified/regenerate, the younger population will increase as well as improvement in health services.
2. ETHNICITY
   - White (UK) = 36.2%
   - BAME = 45.3%
   a) . Lower white populations than both London and England.
   b) . Strong Black African enclave = 11.4%.
   c) . Other white population may increase due to EU Migration (Ascension 8).
3. HOUSING
   - 35% of all homes built between 2011 and 2016 were affordable
   - 45% of householders social housing
   a) . The number of homes in Hackney has increased by about 1,000 a year, and will increase until 2031.
   b) . Third most densely populated borough in London.
   c) . Gentrification may increase the number of homes built every year.
   d) . Yet, these may not be affordable.
4. EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND AVERAGE INCOME
   - In 2015 = 68.5% of adults were employed whereas the UK = 75.7%
   a) . 25% of the unemployed are in further education.
   b) . In 2014, unemployment was 8.5%, the average wage was £16.27.
   c) . The percentage of those employed as well as the average income may increase since more young-professional are moving into Hackney as a result of gentrification.
5. HIGHEST QUALIFICATION
   - 54.7% of over 16’s have an (NVQ) National Vocational Qualification of level 4 (Degree level)
   - Above London average = 51.9%
   a) . ⅔ of the population was unemployed in ‘High-Level occupations’ in 2014.
   b) . The percentage of those in ‘high level’ jobs and with NVQ Level 4 qualifications should increase due to the movement of young professionals into the borough.

SEE GOOGLE DOCS FOR DATA