urban change - Birmingham(Longbridge + Dubai) section A (P2) Flashcards
This is a compulsory topic. It covers urban growth in LICs'NEEs, urban change in cities in the UK and urban sustainability.
How is the UK’s population distributed?
There are large concentrations of people living in areas that were once shaped by the Industrial revolution. e.g. in the Central Lowlands (Scotland), North East England e.g. Newcastle, West Yorkshire, South Wales etc where there were supplies of coal and raw materials. London developed because of its position as the capital and its associated political and administrative functions.
Name some major cities in the UK
- London
- Birmingham
- Leeds
- Glasgow
- Sheffield
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Bristol
- Cardiff
- Belfast
How are UK cities growing?
- Fastest growing cities are in the South East because of the proximity to London.
- The only city in the UK where the population has fallen is Sunderland, due to a loss of jobs, forcing people to move away.
How might the population distribution of the UK change?
- General drift towards the south east of England (London) - one of the world’s financial, business and cultural centres.
- There has been an increase in the number of migrants entering the UK and settling in large cities
- Movement of people from urban to rural areas with larger numbers of older people retiring to the countryside or coast.
Where is Birmingham located?
Birmingham is located in the South West of England.
What is the international importance of Birmingham ?
- rated among the top 15 best cities in Europe to locate a business
- international transport connections through Birmingham airport
- large employers such as BBC, Deutsche bank, JLR and Severn Trent
- high rates of migration into the city (in 2015 1.1 million from 187 different nations)
What is the National importance of Birmingham ?
- uks second largest city
- 5 major Uni’s with over 60,000 students from across the globe
- transport connections through the M5, M6, M40, M42
- over 60,000 work in leisure and tourism industries
- home to 31,000 companies
How has migration affected the the city of Birmingham?
One of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK.
Migration has given Birmingham a rich cultural heritage, and the successful formation of multi-cultural communities.
This can be seen through restaurants (Chinatown, Balti triangle), cultural events (Diwali celebrations)
What is ethnic segregation?
People from a particular ethnic background will often live in an area of the city, separate from other groups
How have urban changes created opportunities for Birmingham environment
1. Urban greening:
Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in Europe, with over 500 parks and open spaces, including the Botanical Gardens.
Birmingham has put forward the ‘Birmingham green Vision’ plan to do this:
- Tree planting and urban greenways
- Green roofs and walls
- Enhancing walkways and cycleways
- Developing parks and recreational spaces
- Encouraging walking, cycling and outdoor leisure activities
regeneration - regenerating brownfield sites such as Longbridge to make the city more attractive and reduce urban sprawl.
sustainable transport - clean air zones, cycle lanes, electric buses and metro trams.(reduces air pollution, noise pollution and reduces carbon emissions)
eco friendly architecture - E.g. the new library has rainwater harvesting and natural ventilation.(promotes sustainability and reduces energy use)
Define ‘integrated transport’?
Linked traffic management schemes that provide a ‘door to door’ service to try to rival the use of a car
Give some examples of the cultural mix opportunities created by urban growth in Birmingham
- China Town - vibrant Chinese culture e.g. restaurants.
- The Birmingham Mela festival based around South Asian cultures, including music, dance and food stalls.
- a wide range of places of worship such as mosques, temples, churches, and gurdwaras reflect Birmingham’s multicultural population.
Give some examples of the recreation and entertainment opportunities created by urban growth in Birmingham
- Birmingham Hippodrome, museums and art galleries, as well as the NIA, NEC and ICC bring in tourists.
- The Bullring is one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe.
- Birmingham has the most Michelin star restaurants outside of London
- Villa park and saint Andrews park football stadium
Give some examples of the employment opportunities created by urban growth in Birmingham
- Birmingham University has a BioHub for medical research, as well as having an Innovation Campus, providing quaternary employment opportunities.
*Five universities, with over 50000 students, makes Birmingham a young and vibrant city.
*good transport systems allow workers to travel from commuter settlements outside the city
Give some examples of integrated transport systems in Birmingham that are an opportunity for the city
- Grand Central Station*
Turning New Street station into a world-class station
Large concourse with more commercial facilities
Improving links with surrounding areas
Improving the physical environment
New John Lewis store creating 650 jobs
HS2
This high speed rail will cut journey times from Birmingham to London from 1 hour 21 minutes to 49 minutes.
What was the reason for urban deprivation in Birmingham?
SPIRAL OF DECLINE:
- Declining industry has led to brownfield sites, which have fallen into dereliction. This creates urban deprivation, where a spiral of decline results from this loss of industry.
- In 2015, Birmingham was ranked the third most deprived city in England, heavily clustered around the city centre.
What is urban deprivation?
A standard of living that involves a lack of access to services. There are usually visible differences in the housing and opportunities between rich and poor.
What is URBAN SPRAWL? and what effect has it had on Birmingham?
Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled expansion of a city into surrounding areas
*In 2015, Birmingham needed 89000 new homes, but the city only had space for 51000. This means building on brownfield of greenfield sites.
Brownfield sites can be expensive to build on as they require clearing first.
Building on greenfield sites is often cheaper, but has long term environmental implications, as it often using farmland or countryside. This leads to urban sprawl, with corresponding problems such as congestion and air pollution.
* In the past 10 years, 42000 people have moved from the centre to the outskirts of Birmingham, with daily commuters reaching 200000. This puts huge pressure on transport and the environment.
What is the spiral of decline?
A series of negative events that happen as a result of the loss of industry in an area
What is Birmingham aiming to do to solve their environmental issues?
BCC uses a range of strategies to manage this:
Recycling Centres – Recycling is collected and taken to one of five recycling centres across the city
Energy Recovery – Birmingham’s ERF takes 350000 tonnes of rubbish per year and converts it to electricity. However, this process releases a huge amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Define deindustrialisation?
The loss of a industry e.g. manufacturing. This has happened in a lot of big UK cities e.g. Newcastle and Glasgow, Sheffield, Sunderland
What environmental issues is Birmingham facing?
Air pollution
Air pollution is a major problem in Birmingham due to vehicles and modern heating systems.
One of the worst pollutants in nitrogen oxide that comes from diesel engines. New cycle routes should encourage more people to cycle and reduce traffic and harmful emissions from vehicles.
Waste Disposal
In 2015, only 30% of Birmingham’s waste was recycled, with an aim to reach 40% by 2026. The rest goes to landfill. This contributes to wider environmental problems such as the production of methane which is a greenhouse gas.
What is a brownfield site?
Land that has previously been used, often by industry, that is now abandoned. They are commonly found in inner city areas.
What are the advantages of building on brownfield sites?
- Land is often cheaper than other inner city land as it has previously been used and requires clean up
- Often many sites are available after loss of industry
- New developments will improve the look of the area and may encourage new investment.
