UK's Evolving Human Landscape Flashcards
Urban core
The central part of a urban areas. The feature: high concentration of economic activity and a dense population.
Examples of urban cores
Glasgow Newcastle Birmingham Leeds Liverpool Manchester London Southampton
Explain London’s low dependency rate
The majority of the population are aged 25 to 34 (working-class age) As it is an urban area high in economic activity meaning higher paid jobs.
Explain Cornwalls high dependency rate
The pyramid is more equally spread (higher percentage of elderly) As green spaces and lack of organisation has attracted many retired people.
How does city migration affect London?
Migration to the city for work means more spending of money which leads to the positive multiplier affect which spreads into neighbouring areas. The city then merges with neighbouring towns creating conurbations. The city influences of wider area and so peripheral population continue to commute in.
How do you reduce regional disparities?
Enterprise zones
Regional development grants
EU grants
Transport improvements
Enterprise zones
Government areas that are helped with start-up costs, profit tax reductions, broadband access
Regional development grants
Business grants and advice for start-ups in peripheral areas, although a very small
EU grants
Funds to help poorest regions of the EU with GDP below 75% of the EU average.
Transport improvements
The government has cut spending on transport in places other than urban areas however need to invest in Rurel areas transport
Immigration
Movement of people into our country for permanent residence
emigration
Act of leaving one’s own country to settle permanently in another
What is half of the U.K.’s population growth driven by?
Natural increase or migration
How does national/international migration affect the distribution/age structure of the population?
Young national migrants and international migrants move the major cities, mainly London and the West Midlands.
Counter organisation has occurred as wealthy people move out of cities for a better quality of life in Rural areas.
Many older people move to coastal areas in the east/Southwest when they retire.
What are national migration changes
Retirement (movement of elderly to coastal areas)
Rural to urban(young population moving to work)
Brain drain (skilled workers move south for uni/better wages)
Counter-urbanisation (wealthy move out of urban areas for better QOL)
International migration changes
Former colonies (UK’s obligation to allow commonwealth countries into UK) EU enlargement (intro of 8 new EU countries) 2004 Syria conflict 2012-2015 (refugees immigrate for better QOL)
Why have primary and secondary industries declined in the UK
Mechanisation of agriculture (primary decreases as less workers needed) Competition from abroad (primary decreases as other countries provide cheaper alternatives) Global shift (decrease in secondary as other countries exploit factory workers)
Why has tertiary increased?
Services/retail are U.K.’s largest sector due to higher disposable income of the population. London also has many global financial institutions
Why have Quarternary increased
Big investment spent on research and development in UK
Many uni graduates
South east summary
Attracts modern, high-tech and quarternary industry w high availability of workers and a high population density (15 million along M4/M11 corridor).
Many commute easily into city for work.
High-end universities meaning skilled workforce.
Easily accessible international transport, allowing trade.
Redcar steel industry
Global increase in demand for UK steel declined as countries like China provided cheaper.
Loss of 2000 jobs creates negative multiplier effect and so local businesses shut down.
However there’s been 33% growth in knowledge economy as people move for uni.
Positives of change in UK’s economy
SE growth in quarternary due to first-rate unis supplying skilled workforce.
NE 33 % increase in quarternary.
Negatives of UK’s change in economy
NE decline due to secondary sector decrease.
Many jobs lost
Why’s tertiary employment increasing?
TNC’s/MNC’s have relocated to the UK.
High skilled workers more available as reach higher education.
Globalisation.
FDI
When a company based in one country can invest money in a different country.
2 forms of FDI
Companies can buy land/buildings to locate factory/office there.
Companies can buy/merge with existing businesses.
Why has FDI increased in the UK?
Globalisation (transport and communications mean we are more accessible, London has developed a global, financial centre)
Privatisation (foreign firms can buy/merge w existing businesses)
Free trade policies (reduction of import/export restrictions so trading between countries is promoted/easier, investors are attracted to agreements within EU market, brexit?)
Positives of TNC’s
Jobs created
Large scale projects too expensive for uk are built
Increase productivity
Negatives of TNC’s
Can lead to over-reliance on TNC’s which can be more closely affected by international problems.
TNC’s can make decisions from overseas which affect UK massively.
Local businesses struggle to compete (better quality services)
Urban core
The central part of urban areas, featuring a high concentration of economic activity and a dense population.
Rural periphery
The outskirts of the urban core, featuring less land development and economic activity.
How do core areas differ to periphery areas?
Core areas feature high population densities and economic activity, however, periphery have lower population density w higher population of older generations and less economic activity.
How do core regions develop?
FDI into international headquarters based here due to globalisation.
Quarternary industries increasing due to first-rate universities supplying skilled workforce.
How have government policies intended to reduce regional disparities?
ENTERPRISE ZONES (areas assisted w start-up costs/profit, tax reductions)
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS (assistance of businesses with start-up costs in peripheral areas)
TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENTS
How has immigration changed the UK’s population over the last 500years?
Culturally, this has very much diversified many parts of the UK, particularly London. New foods, art, languages.. etc.
Causes of international migration in the UK
From 1950’s UK encouraged commonwealth citizens to migrate and fill shortages within the workforce.
National agreements allow for Europeans to move freely within countries (2004 EU enlargement further increased this).
Conflicts have forced many refugees to seek refuge in EU countries.
Causes of national migration in the UK
Counter-urbanisation as older generations move out to rural areas to retire w cheaper land and bigger houses.
Urbanisation as young working class seek jobs and way of life in the city.
Brain drain as skilled workforce migrate south for better wages as emerge from high rate Southern universities.
How has Employment structure changed in the UK?
Primary employment has plummeted in UK (mechanisation) and global shift creating competition from abroad as well as cheaper alternative fuels.
Secondary employment in decline as global shift.
Tertiary is largest sector as British people have more disposable income.
Quarternary is on rise due to technological advancements, creation of new jobs, FDI and government spending on R&D.
Decline of Primary and secondary sectors in NE affected people?
Has increased unemployment rate, leading to a negative multiplier effect, causing local businesses to shut down.
Despite this, 33% growth in knowledge economy as people move from universities, bringing about FDI opportunities and employment.
Factors contributing to rise in the knowledge economy.
High population density means high availability of workers (15 million people just along M11/4 corridors).
Transport links appeal to business owners who want accessibility to enterprise.
Many high rate unis in SE produce highly-skilled workers.
What has contributed to an increase in FDI in Britain?
Globalisation (more ease of access into Britain’s trade market, more international headquarters based in global financial centre, transport and communications)
Privatisation (allowed foreign countries to sell /merge w firms, perhaps establishing systems that Uk couldn’t previously afford)
Free trade policies (investors attracted to EU market)
Advantages of TNC’s investing in UK
Increased FDI.
Employment opportunity
Increasing productivity
Competition to produce best possible services
Establishment of large scale projects that even UK can’t afford.
Negatives of TNC’s investing in UK
Over reliance on TNC’s
Oversea decisions made w large uk impacts
Competition w uk companies
London site
Tourist spots
Flat land
River Thames runs through middle
Founded by Romans who built Thames bridge as port area to London docklands
London situation
In Europe (easy access to EU market)
Larger population than most UK cities (8174000)
Many transport links
Large labour force/ high working class population
River Thames once trade route
Time zone allow easy trade
Connectivity
How easy it is to travel/connect w other places.
London’s regional connectivity
Tube Train Buses Motorways Social media?
London’s national connectivity
Motorways
Trains
Airports
London’s international connectivity
Trading TNC headquarters Trade routes Airports Eurostar
London’s cultural diversity
Indian culture mainly dominates London as are clustered in the E/W. Changing morals and social attitudes. Changing religions (wide spread of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Sikh..) Western nations live more central to London and Eastern, poorer nations live out in peripheries . Crime rate decreases as move out of London.
London’s environmental diversity
Housing density/air pollution decreases as move out of London.
Sporadic areas of green spaces/green belt land, larger as move out.
London’s CBD
Oldest part of city (industry and offices).
V high land values
Densely built
London has 3 CBD’s
Radial roads mean is most accessible.
UK’s worst air quality caused by congestion
London’s inner suburbs
18th/19th century industrial revolution built factories and high density terrace housing for workers.
Few high income areas in suburbs close to city
Most varied (Hyde park is most expensive/ hackney newer flats replacing old ones)
Environmental quality varies between run-down and smarter areas.
London’s urban-rural fringe
Every house has garden
Most housing is 20th century
Mostly residential w some industry
Higher environmental quality
London’s population changes
Internal migration consists of uk graduates seeking work and London lifestyle.
Overseas migration.
Counter urbanisation
Regeneration and reurbanisation
Characteristics of skilled workers
Take well-paid jobs in knowledge economy in city.
Usually white, highly qualified and from EU/USA/SA/AU
London companies hire migrants w skills that are short in UK.
Characteristics of unskilled workers
Easily find unwanted work w unsocial hours.
Particularly help London’s construction, hotel and restaurant companies.
Usually Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or W African
Why do ethnic groups cluster
Follow family
Close to religious buildings/ ethnic shops
Need cheap, rented accommodation
More comfortable surrounded by culture
Negatives of ethnicities clustering
Riots
Hate crime
Racial segregation
Inequality in London
In 2012, 28% of population lived in London.
Incomes in London are more unequal than any other part of UK, 1 million of UK’s richest and poorest live in London.
Deprivation
A lack of wealth and services
Categories of deprivation
Money Education Crime Transport/accessibility Occupation Disabled access Standard of living and housing quality Access to healthcare
IMD
Index of Multiple Deprivation
Deprivation’s effect on life expectancy
Sub-standard living conditions can lead to damp/lack of heating which can cause illness, particularly in elderly.
Poorer education means less awareness of healthy living.
Lack of healthcare mean receive poor treatment of disease and wellbeing.
High crime rates mean higher chances of murder.
Negatives of chloropleth map
Don’t show disparities within each borough
Newham
V diverse ethnicity, low income area, mostly rented housing
Schools under pressure w high birth rate.
Services under pressure w 38% of kids in poverty.
Culture, mosques, temples, African Anglican churches, Asian food shops and small businesses.
Lambeth
Diverse ethnicity
Average income area (large working class )
44% owned property
Services (50% EAL, 81% ethnic based kids, 140 languages)
Culture varies w black Caribbean and white middle class.
Richmond upon Thames
Least diverse London borough (85% white)
V high income area (41k average)
Stable housing area (69% owned and 15% social housing)
Low pressure on schools w less children but large amount of care homes
Predominantly white middle class
How has London changed?
De-industrialisation
Suburbanisation/urban sprawl
Population growth
Decentralisation
Containerisation
How did this affect London docklands?
Growth in the use of shipping containers to carry cargo.
Larger shipping contain ers are too big to fit down Thames so led to movement of ports downstream for bigger boats, led to full decline of docklands by 1979 (and closure in 1981) and isolation of community.
De-industrialisation of London docklands
Closure led to rise in unemployment, causing nearby industries to close. Area suffered depopulation as workers moved out in search of jobs, speeding up suburbanisation as London borough population decreased by 500,000.
What enabled suburbanisation of London?
Opening of the underground in 1863 enabled faster commute for urban workers.
Electrification of railways enabled quicker transport from the 1920’s.
What did suburbanisation result in?
Decentralisation
Suburban shift
Decentralisation
Movement of the CBD/large organisations away from a single administrative centre.
Suburban shift
Want has this lead to?
A shift in levels of spending from urban to suburban areas, leading to: Out of town shopping centres Retail parks E-commerce Business parks
Reason for outwards expansion of London
Increasing divorce rates and later marriages increased numbers of single workers seeking employment in the city (urban growth) before moving to suburbs to have kids (urban sprawl)
CBD increasing house and service prices due to increasing population density push many outwards to peripheries (urban sprawl)
Reasons for re-urbanisation
Space (deindustrialisation leaves brownfield sites and so opportunities for regeneration/development)
TNC investment (headquarters create jobs)
Gentrification (working class areas gentrified, occupied and renewed by middle class liking London lifestyle)
Studentification (uni expansion caused by overseas students allow for increased spending aswell as opportunities for employment and regeneration)
Counter-urbanisation
Families/older generations move out of London to peripheral areas w better QOL.
Leads to suburbanisation.
Rebranding
Changing the image of a place
Impacts of rebranding/ regeneration
E.g olympics 2012
Increase in local businesses
Employment opportunities
Spending increase
3 strands of sustainability
Economic
Social
Environmental
London’s rankings of sustainability
2nd most sustainable city w good healthcare and higher education.
Lacks in suitable property prices so people can’t live where they work.
London’s sustainability problems
TRANSPORT (congestion/pollution) EMPLOYMENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSING RECYCLING
Solutions to transport sustainability
Introduction of congestion charge
Hybrid London buses
‘Source london’ < citywide electric vehicle charging points)
Solutions to employment sustainability
Increase in numbers of people working from home
More flexible working hours (less peak time commuting)
Solutions to affordable housing sustainability
‘First steps’ programme aids low-income Londoners in house ownership.
Energy efficient housing sustainability
BedZED (Beddington Zero Energy Development) promotes energy conservation.
Recycling sustainability
Aims to reduce household waste by 10% by:
Reusing waste
Providing more accessible recycling/composting services/bins over city
Waste-burning powerstations
Example of large city sustainability scheme
CURITIBA TRANSPORT Dedicated bus lanes transport over 2 million passengers a day with equal bus fare wherever you go (economically sustainable) Reduces congestion and overcrowding. Cheaper to run than a tube Workers receive subsidised train fares
Interdependence between urban and rural areas
The two way flow between urban and rural areas of people, good and services.
Examples of rural fringe
Essex countryside
Chiltern hills
North downs
Rural to urban flow of people
Rural inhabitants work in urban areas offering higher incomes and commute.
Rural inhabitants attracted by services, culture and entertainment in urban areas.
Better transport links to city than out to rural areas.
Urban to rural flow of people
Higher urban crime rates push inhabitants outwards to rural areas.
Expensive services and housing forces people to seek cheaper commuter housing outside city.
Rural housing is bigger w more open space.
High population density in city pushes people out.
Rural to urban flow of goods and services
Raw materials are transported to urban factories.
Rural students attracted to universities in city and jobs.
Open space provides opportunity for investment and expansion
Urban to rural flow of goods and services
Recreation
Investment into open space encouraging spending
Goods produced from factories sold to urban areas
Terling village positives of interdependence
Farmer profit from land development
New homes built in peripheries ease london housing pressure (jobs for local builders)
Farm shops profit from London agricultural market
Rural schools become more viable
London firms hire rural workers
Renovation of old housing
Londoners can access rural recreation
Terling village negatives of independence
Rising cost of land/housing in rural area
Longer commutes add to pollution
Becoming ‘dormitory village’ as commuters don’t use services and just go into london.
Loss of green space as land is developed, endangering natural environments.
Why did the MET office choose to move from Berkshire to Exeter in 2003?
M5 runs from Bristol to exeter and st David’s station/Central station mean is accessible,
Abundance of hotels and business parks…etc.
Cheaper land
Available green space for expansion and worker housing
Office rent is much cheaper (£9 vs £90 per square foot in London)
Social effects on Devon from movement of MET office
Increased population by 1100 > increasing pressure on housing and services as influx of people are introduced.
400 new students expected
Green space is reduced as area is expanded
Economic effects on Devon from movement of MET office
Influx of people led to greater spending on services as well as regeneration and expansion of area.
Allowed for investment in green spaces/ brownfield sites
Reasons for Cornwall’s decline
Is v inaccessible (140km from London/ no motorway past Plymouth/ slow trains)
Employment and spending is typically in line w Uk tourism which fluctuates due to non-guaranteed weather.
No large settlements and so no large firms/ high wage knowledge economy jobs
Competition from foreign markets has led to decline in quarrying/ tin mining
Decline in traditional industries as overfishing and agricultural drops occur