Functions of a Place

Question 1

Characteristics of places

Answer 1

Functions = A role of a place

Functional characteristics:
- Commercial e.g legal services accountants
- Retail such as Tesco & Zara
- Administrative like schools and clinics
- Industrial like factories & warehouses

Demographic characteristics:
- Gentrification where rich people move in a place and improve e.g Brixton & Castle
- Age of population like UK life expectancy increasing in the last 50 years
- Ethnic factors like multiculturalism mixing

Question 2

Reasons for changes in places

Answer 2

Planning restrictions:
- Restrictions and local councils can enable or prevent changes
- Places in London need to keep a view of St Paul’s Cathedral which stops developments

Cloning high streets:
- More similar stores like Nando’s, Greggs & River Island which increase accessibility

Transportation:
- Can open up new areas on fertile land like Elizabeth line connecting E & W easily

Digital improvements:
- Internet and connection improves so physical places close e.g bank branches

Question 3

Measuring changes in places

Answer 3

• Office of National Statistics provides info on employment trends over time
• IMD can measure level of deprivation to see changes and trends in places
• ONS provides data on demographic trends over time

Question 4

International influences

Answer 4

• Location of workplaces can affect where people choose to live e.g Trafford Centre
• Transport & communication links affects economic and social factors of places
• E.g communities around Heathrow airport affected by jobs created + noise pollution
• Local Enterprise Partnerships work out skills and projects that a region needs
• 38 LEPs in England
• Inditex is an MNC that has Zara shops all around the world ‘cloning high streets’

Question 5

Historic influences on places

Answer 5

• Street names, old buildings, place names can all affect places
• Old historic buildings like St Paul’s Cathedral in London can shape areas today
• History can influence identities e.g North of UK proud of northern roots vice versa
• After WW2, UK gov encouraged Indian and Pakistani people to migrate & work in UK in NHS and underground —> ‘Windrush Gen’

Question 6

Perceptions of places

Answer 6

• Development agencies may use a logo or slogan to make a certain image of a place
• E.g Aberdeen is often called the ‘Energy Capital of Europe’ since it has many oil companies like BP there
• Government representations may make a place seem better and formal
• More data is collected, stored & analysed
• Geographic Information Systems like Google Earth or Maps show data

Question 7

Attachment to places

Answer 7

• Feelings and personal history like growing up can make people attached to places
• Younger generation may prefer to live in busy places with work, shops and family
• Older people may prefer to live in rural areas on open land and secluded
• Studentification makes people attached to places depending on their interest
• Memories and heritage can influence attachment & length of residence
• Ethnicity and shared culture may make people attached to places e.g Chinatowns