urban change - Birmingham 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.
What are the disadvantages of building on brownfield sites?
- Clean up costs due to contamination of the area from previous industry.
- Old buildings may need to be knocked down
What environmental problems does Birmingham face as a result of urban growth?
- Pollution & waste management
- Dereliction (increase in brownfield sites)
- Building on greenfield sites
- Urban sprawl
What is a greenfield site?
An area of land, often in the countryside or the edge of a city, that has not yet been built on.
What are the advantages of building on greenfield sites?
- Land is free from building so no demolition needs to happen
- Land is cheaper as it is further away from the city centre
What are the disadvantages of building on greenfield sites?
- Valuable farm land may be lost
- Animals habitats are destroyed
- Poor transport links exist
What is the green belt?
A area of open space around a city on which there are strict planning laws to prevent development of this land (prevent urban sprawl).
What are the disadvantages of urban sprawl?
- Extra cost to the tax payer - taxes will be used to pay for infrastructure such as roads and water works.
- Increased traffic in the area leads to more congestion and pollution.
- Environmental issues - green space is lost which means habitats are lost.
- Impact on social lives - new communities often live further from other communities which can cause isolation.
What is the rural-urban fringe?
The area of green space that borders the edge of the city
Why are people concerned about building on greenfield sites?
- It encourages urban sprawl
- Derelict land could be used instead to improve inner city areas
- It takes up precious green space
What is a commuter settlement?
A town where the residents usually travel outside of area to work, but stay here to sleep and eat.
Define sustainability
Meeting the needs of the current population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
What are the key elements of sustainability?
ENVIRONMENTAL: The environment is not damaged
ECONOMIC: Resources e.g. water and energy are allocated fairly and jobs are secure)
SOCIAL: Strong sense of community (local people are involved in local decisions)
Explain two reasons why a city can be seen to be unsustainable
- They consume enormous quantities of resources e.g. water, energy, food and raw materials.
- They produce enormous amounts of waste. This is usually got rid of in the surrounding land, rivers, sea and air.
How might you conserve the environment in a city?
(HINT: historic environment and natural environment)
- Historic: old industrial buildings turned into apartments, rundown housing redeveloped, canals in cities can be rebranded and regenerated as leisure facilities.
- Natural: more renewable electricity, collect and recycle water (instead of piping it in from reservoirs), run fuel-efficient public transport systems.
List ways to improve a city’s sustainability
- Provide green space
- Recycling water
- Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and rethinking transport options
- Involving local communities and providing a range of employment
- Conserving cultural, historical and environmental sites and buildings
- Minimising the use of greenfield sites by using brownfield sites instead.
How do open spaces help make a city more sustainable?
Vital to make cities more sustainable. They act like ‘green lungs’ reducing its impact on the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
Explain how urban living can be made more sustainable?
- Involve local people in decisions for example from where new houses should be built to how local health and social care services are planned and run.
- Encouragement and availability of recycling waste facilities.
- Encourage people to generate their own electricity (e.g. solar panels or wind turbines)
- Provide adequate greenspace
- Encourage people to use less water / recycle
why did Birmingham need regeneration?
During Britain’s industrialization period, the West Midlands developed as a major industrial area, with Birmingham know as ‘the city of thousand trades’. At its peak, Longbridge produced over a third of a million cars in 1965, employing 25000 people.
From the 1970s, increasing competition from abroad led to deindustrialization, with a decline in jobs in industrial and commercial areas. This led to job losses and the spiral of decline.
What is Birmingham’s ‘Big city plan’?
Birmingham’s Big City Plan is the proposal to transform five areas of Birmingham by 2030:
Westside:
Mixed use/commercial space
New library of Birmingham
4* hotel room with 250 bedrooms
Snow Hill:
200,000 office
Improved public spaces and transport links
4,000 new homes
Creation of 10,000 jobs
Eastside:
HS2 station will be built
Development of Birmingham City University
City park and recreational facilities
2,000 new homes
Creation of over 30,000 jobs
What is the Longbridge regeneration plan?
Longbridge Regeneration
- The plan aims to completely regenerate the former MG Rover car plant site on southern edge of Birmingham.
- This site was closed in 2005, due to deindustrialisation, outsourcing and automation.
The aim is to bring back to life the brownfield site, by building 2000 new homes and creating 1000 jobs.
The plan includes:
A technology park with an innovation centre for small technology businesses
A £70 million town centre with large national stores
Hotel, restaurants, and leisure developments
Bourneville College – a £66 million learning facility
Office spaces
Residential developments
Large industrial and warehousing facilities.
What were the success’s of Longbridge regeneration?
** Economic + social **
- £70 million new town centre with a range of new stores
- 2000 new homes + 1000 new jobs
- New hotels, leisure activities + £5 million youth centre, £66 million technology park and new college, new offices
- easy road access + rebuilt train station
Environmental
- 3 new green parks
- brownfield site has reduced the need for greenfield sites to be used
- reduced risk of flooding from urban greening
What were the Failures of Longbridge regeneration?
nearby shops lost income due to the new competition from Longbridge
local home owners suffering from price rises and people being evicted (gentrification*)
*Gentrification - the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, often displacing current inhabitants in the process.
what has been the impact on Birmingham from the Universities
between 2009 and 2015 361,100 people moved into Birmingham where as 411,100 moved out. this is a result of commuter settlements setting up outside of Birmingham and the influx in migration is a result of free healthcare, better standard of living and the Universities.
however, this has lead to studentification. This is the process of more student accommodation and more young people living in an area because of the universities.
Describe the positive and negative impacts of studentification
positives
younger population who want a job
this improves the economy
more diverse cultures
negatives
Late night noise
increase in number of fast food places and pubs
people living in rented accommodation so they care less for the area
poorly maintained gardens and parks
less control leading to derelict areas.
all the older generations leave the city.
advantages of regeneration
Job creation
Improvements to the living environment
Increased economic output and tax revenue
Beautification
Increased leisure facilities
disadvantages of regeneration
Houses become unaffordable for existing residents, forcing them to leave
Gentrification
Increased noise pollution
Increased air pollution
Increased congestion
Define urban regeneration
Urban regeneration is improving an area which has previously been in decline.
Describe an example of a Sustainable city
Dubai’s sustainable city
a purpose built eco friendly development located about 18 miles out from Dubai’s city centre.
home to 2,700 residents in 500 villas
it is designed to be:
- net zero
- using solar panels on every building
- a car free zone which encourages walking and cycling (electric buggies and electric cars are available)
- waste water is recycled and treated sewage water is used for irrigation
- strict recycling programmes
What were the **success’s ** of Dubai’s sustainable city?
Environmental
- waste bioproducts used as statues / features.
- fruit trees which filter water, grow fruit and provide shade
- a 50% reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional cities
- villas orientated in to the shade to conserve energy
- 58% decrease in water consumption due to water recycling techniques such as black and grey(reusable) water usage
Economic
- 40,000 solar panel leads to a 40% reduction on utility bills
social
- a strong sense of community through shared spaces and communal activities
- 11 biodome green houses and 3,000 square metres of urban farming plots for residents to grow crops. encourages healthier lifestyle
