Place Character : Endogenous and Exogenous Factors Flashcards
What is Place character ?
Relates to the specific qualities, attributes or features of a location that make it unique. Place character is affected by endogenous and exogenous factors
What are Endogenous factors ?
- The internal factors which shape a places character.
They could be physical or human
What are Exogenous factors ?
External factors which shape a place’s character.
Including relationships with other places and flows in and out of a place.
Endogenous factors can include the physical characteristics of the landscape:
Location - Elevation, how close to the coast are you.
Topography - relief and lie of the land e.g valleys and mountains
Physical Geography - environmental features of a place e.g waterfalls, soil type and rock type (form different landscapes).
Land usage - agriculture, urban or rural.
Endogenous factors including human characteristics and the activities which occur there:
Land use (one of the most important factors which directly defines a places character) - e.g rural, if used for farming or urban if used for commercial businesses.
Land use changes overtime e.g deindustrialisation or increased housing demand.
Endogenous factors including human characteristics and the activities which occur there:
Infrastructure + built environment - structures built for transport, communications and .
e.g towns and cities have high density buildings, like tower blocks and a dense network of roads and railtracks.
Whereas a village fewer, smaller buildings less dense and less complex infrastructure.
Endogenous factors including human characteristics and the activities which occur there:
Demographic + economic characteristics:
Demographics - age, gender, number and ethnicity of population. e.g old people retire at seaside places so they may be characterised as ‘old’ places by an outsider.
e.g Economic in London have a high proportion of above average earners and low unemployment so is characterised as wealthy.
Exogenous factors are commonly referred to as flows of ….
People:
- Impact of Tourists, migrants and workers etc over a period of time
e.g tourism can make a place more urbanised as it can great economic growth for a country as if provides employment and the multiplier effect.
Money and investment:
- Tax, major sporting events, new businesses move to an area.
Example: Investment into London borough of Stratford before, during and after it hosted the Olympics has had a long lasting impact on its character of place.
Flows of Resources:
- Raw materials, food, water and energy.
Example: due to good transportation networks, UK food is secure. We can import food when there is a deficit in some food. For less developed countries they will be unable to do this.
Flows of ideas:
Entrepreneurs may move to an area bringing a business with them. Ideas can be information about an area from another country.
E.g Detroit has been impacted by the ideas of urban planners which has helped develop the city, led to increased tourism, impacting the character of Detroit.
Finally,
Overtime, endogenous factors will be shaped by the changing flows of exogenous factors.
