London Flashcards
Where is London located ?
London is located in south east England on the River Thames
What is London’s national and international importance ?
- one of the two most important financial centres in the world
- large international business headquarters are based there
- London is also a national and international centre for tourism, media, education and medical facilities
What was Londons population in 2015 ?
- 8.6 million
* overtaking its last peak in 1939
How do imagrants benefit the economy ?
• creating new jobs by setting up their own businesses and by spending the money they earn
• work for less desirable jobs, enabling U.K.
workers to carry out better paid ones
How many immigrants live in the U.K. ?
8 million
What percent of the UKs immigrant live in London ?
40%
How do migrants effect the economy ?
- they pay tax
- work in own business and health
- spend their money into UK economy
How do migrants effect London socially ?
- 26% of doctors are born outside the UK
* benefit local children in schools as well, as they speak another language and other children have to pick it up
How does migration effect the character of London ?
It makes it more diverse and more cultural
What is the Cultural impact of migration on London ?
- London riots because inequality
- mini-India brings jobs and business
- china town bring diversity - 1.4million people visit it every year
- London arts and heritage diversity scheme although there is only 7% of black people working there
How has urban change created jobs opportunities?
- more migrants
* they bring there businesses and therefore jobs
How has urban change created an integrated transport system ?
- more people means a need for better transport systems because of more congestion
- demand for public transport is predicted to grow by 60% by 2050
- cross rail is a new, east-west rail route across London due to open in 2018
- reduce journey times - some from 1hour to 35mins
- improve intergrated transport system in London
- improve access for disabled people on trains
- raise property values by 25% around the stations
How has urban change created urban greening
- Created central London parks e.g. Hyde park
- local parks
- Suburban growth - the expansion of London in the early 20th century led to the development of suburbs. They were built on farmland, providing millions of new homes with garden spaces.
What percent of London is green ?
47%
Why is it good to have a green city ?
- trees produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide
- there is 8.1 million trees in London
- reduce flooding, by reducing lag time
- habitats for wildlife - 13,000 wildlife species in London
- good spaces for growing food - 30,000 allotments in London
What is urban greening ?
Urban greening is about how we increase and protect the green spaces we have in cities
What strategies are there for urban greening ?
- small-scale - feeding birds
- large scale - connecting green spaces together to let animals migrate naturally
- garden bridge across the river Thames, planned to open in 2018, creates green spaces and links the city together
How many people are living in poverty in London ?
2 million
What is social deprivation ?
The degree to which a person or a community lacks the things that are essential for a decent life
What are they ways to measure deprivation ?
- life expectancy - the more deprived a person is the lower the life expectancy
- state benefits - people who are unemployed are on them to help hem financially
Why is inequality still a challenge in London ?
- places like Newham have high deprivation as they have poor diets, housing and education
- places like Kensington & Chelsea have low deprivation as they have better education and housing leading to more employment
What is the contrast in life expectancy from someone in Kensington & Chelsea to someone in Newham ?
85.8 to 77.8
Why is there a shortage in houses in London ?
• London is growing by 100,000 per year but only 20,000 new homes are built
What are the reasons for building on brownfield sites ?
- sites are available
- reduces the need for urban sprawl
- public transport is better in urban areas, so less need for cars
- old buildings may need to be demolished first
- ground may need to be decontaminated
- land is more expensive in urban areas
- new development can improve he urban environment
What are the reasons for building on greenfield-sites ?
- public transport is worse in rural areas, so more need for cars
- increases urban sprawl
- once land is built on it is unlikely to be turned back into countryside
- land is cheaper in rural areas
- no demolition or decontamination is needed
- valuable land for farming may be lost
- natural habitats may be lost
Reasons for and against building on the green belt
- need for new houses
- increases urban sprawl
- loss of habitat
What is the main problem of pollution ?
Road vechiles and modern heating
What makes pollution worse ?
Tall buildings trap in the smog and dense road network in London
What gas is comman in London ?
• NO2 nitrogen dioxide that comes for vehicles, especially Diesel engines
What is the air quality in London like ? And what does it cause ?
- London regularly breaks EU regulations on air quality
* and there is 4,000 premature deaths a year in London due to long-term exposure to air pollution
How will a new cycle superhighway help the pollution in London ?
- encourage more people to cycle
- reduce traffic and harmful emissions from vehicles
- cyclists have increased from 1% to 15% of road users in London in the last 50 years
What happens to Londons waste ?
- almost 25% of londons waste still goes to landfill
- however this produces methane build, and increases greenhouse gases
- more of londons waste is now recycled up to 61%
- the target is for 0 waste to go to landfill by 2030, by focusing on waste reduction
