London: Case Study Flashcards
Describe why population of London increased after 1860s and why population fell after 2nd world war
-Rose due to Industrial Revolution
-Fell due to London East End counter urbanization. Large containers on big ships couldn’t get down the Thames canal to major dock lands thus areas like Felixstowe became places for employment. Other previous dock lands were abandoned and people left unemployed
Rising due to natural increase and migration
How much money in billions was made in 2015 from tourism?
How does London compare to other cities economically? Describe financial centre. How many languages spoken?
-£11.9 bil
-Top 5 cities for Financial Centers Index.
-Historically recognized as hub for trade and finance and attracts best international workers.
-300 languages spoken
Give 3 ways post industrialism (manufacturing to services) was encouraged in the UK
-Encourage growth of high value footloose businesses (industry not tied to particular location or country and can relocate across national borders in response to changing economic climate)
-Tourism was fastest growing global industry. Thatcher directed lots of money into services. Cheaper air travel (subsidized) and greater car ownership.
-Property and brownfield development for housing and offices for example. Not building on greenbelt. Initially, UDCs operated in 1980s (removing residents from derelict areas to build large businesses) but after backlash, stopped and community led projects began.
Give 2 of Thatchers aims for London and Britain as a whole. What was one negative?
-Encourage private sector to reinvest in inner cities for trickle down effect to solve urban deprivation. Every 1 pound of public sector met by around 3.65 private
-UDCs (reclaim and assemble derelict land and invest in infrastructure)
-Socioeconomic polarization increased (very rich near poor). Local people wouldn’t work at these newly developed firms eg HSBC. International employees replaced them instead.
What was the set up by the conservatives? (LDDC) 1981
-East end derelict due to
deindustrialisation.
-Top down
-8.5 square miles of land regenerated
-Grants of 70 mil rising to 300mil per year
-Key infrastructure such as new railway links and transformed canary wharf into financial centre.
-Govt gave purchasing power to private companies to buy out residents and businesses.
-People didn’t have much of a choice. Criticized for prioritizing businesses.
Gentrification = marginalization and locals feeling like “outsiders”
What was the LTGDC introduced by labor in 2004?
Larger scale. Biggest in Europe. LDDC to the coast.
Schools, transport, employment (180k jobs was the target) and affordable housing.
Green spaces for eco-region.
Local regeneration.
Olympic park site 200ha was part of the planning.
Targeted at communities and sustainability.
East End Olympic Legacy 1/3
Housing regeneration:
Give the aim for no of houses on athletes village and number affordable.
What actually happened?
Aim: 4k houses with most affordable
Only 2800 made with less than half affordable for locals
2/3Olympic:
Environmental regeneration aim.
What actually happened?
-Aimed to create largest urban park in Europe using 200Ha brownfield sites. Clean river Lea. Lungs for city.
-Reality: 30k tonnes of rubbish cleaned from river Lea and new waterside park with new habitats and breeding programmes. Otters can move freely for first time in a century downstream
3/3 Olympic:
What was the employment aim?
Reality?
-Aim: 3k jobs and create the IBC for media and journalists.
-Reality: IBC is now Here East. Sustainable high tech commercial business district with over 6600 jobs. Schools and nightschools during Olympics for locals to learn employable skills. Though, other firms had to relocate.
Give 2 negatives of the East End Olympic Legacy
-Locals have been priced out and didn’t want to move.
-9.3 bil cost well above budget. Opportunity cost?
-Some argue that the development was already going to occur in Stretford - just at a later date.
Describe Londons main rock type and why it’s conducive. Issues with rising sea levels.
Clay is good for building in but can increase flood risk. Already on Thames floodplain which increases risk further but helps with trade. Thames barrier likely to be ineffective in future. Clay has Helped with underground transport/sewer systems
Describe London economic background
Gini coefficient of .7.
High GDP per capita but large living costs.
25% in poverty
Give 3 main issues with London
Inequality eg Chelsea and Newham and deprivation worsened by cost of living crisis
Population churn where the young people move away from city reducing character of place
Environmental challenges from urbanization eg 4k premature deaths per year from pollution.
Attitudes of locals: how to ensure these are accurate
Everyone going to have different experiences so difficult to quantify. However, general ideas often shared for sense of collective experience
Give 2 local perceptions that contrast
Too busy and everyone is focused on themselves so poor sense of community
One of most international cities and people are more tolerant and friendly.
