Urban (Edinburgh) Flashcards
What are the solution and effectiveness of the traffic problems in Edinburgh (6)
-solution, encourage the use of transport by creating new busses with WI-FI which means people can start the working day earlier on their way to work. Not effective because people like the confidence of their own car and public transport doesn’t always take you exactly where you want to go.
- solution, improved rail links from outlying areas such as borders railways which opened din 2015, which cuts down the amount of cars driving into the CBD, not effective because issues with Scot Rail has meant that trains can be overcrowded and not enough carriages, also with the rail strikes people have been put off
- in 2019 they began having just taxis and delivery drivers to reduce the amount of traffic and pollution however it is not effective because all the traffic has moved to nearby streets such as George street and queens street and now these streets have become more busy and polluted
-multi storey car park such as the Omni centre which keeps car off the street and improves traffic flow not effective because it is very expensive such as £3 an hour which puts people off
- pedestrian streets eg rose street to keep traffic out of the centre and make it safer for pedestrians, whilst also cutting down on air pollution, not effective because cars circling round other streets at slow speed and in low gears increases CO2 emission.
- opening of the queensferry crossing in 2017 which is designed to improve traffic flow in and out of Edinburgh especially at peak times, not effective because it only improves traffic coming from the North and does nothing to help the commute from the east west and south.
Causes of traffic congestion (7)
All the main roads lead here so it is a natural focal point for traffic
The city centre’s historic streets were not designed for modern transport and Grid Iron street pattern (lots of 90°turns) leads to lots of stopping and starting at junctions so traffic builds up
There are businesses, high order shops and tourist attractions in the centre so many people are coming to this area, creating a lot of congestion and carbon emissions
As more people commute from the suburbs (Currie, Fairmilehead) and outlying commuter villages (Musselburgh, Haddington, Penicuik) as well as Fife, the Borders and West Lothian, they will have to travel into work, thus increasing traffic
Strict parking controls
(yellow lines, one way streets, permit only parking) in and around the CBD means that streets may get congested with people circling round looking for a parking space
Bus, tram and taxis only allowed on Princes Street so surrounding streets (eg Queen Street) become busier as private cars must avoid it.
Edinburgh’s population is set to rise (489, 000 in 2019 to an estimated 543,000in 2030 meaning more people will be travelling around the city and using the roads.
need for management of housing in Edinburgh
(problems/ issues with housing in Edinburgh) (9)
- old industries had disappeared such as flour mills so unemployment was high, meaning people couldn’t maintain their homes and fell into a state of disrepair
- council housing such as Westerhailes had become a less desirable place to live due to poor construction, lack of amenities and cheap housing materials
-Westerhailes had high unemployment and several social problems such as crime, poverty and drug abuse. this meant people didn’t want to live there, meaning a high number empty houses and vandalised property.
- due to Westerhailes being undesirable, house prices were low and people couldn’t move and sell else where.
-there has been a growing demand for the rental factor across the city due to short term rentals such as B and BS which make more money than long term rental has meant that housing demand outweighs availability.
-rising house prices, especially around good schools, has meant people are priced out the market. for example, an average house price for Scotland in Jan 2022 is £182,000 but in Edinburgh its £271,000
-due to an aging population, houses in the suburbs are under occupied leading to a shortage of houses
- in council areas such as Westerhailes there where problem with the design of the buildings and people didn’t feel safe due to the amount of young people hanging around them, meaning people didn’t buy the property
-Westerhailes found that many jobs where for the educated and skilled workforce meaning their unemployment was higher than Edinburgh with 22% unemployment compared to 8%, meaning people couldn’t afford to improve their homes.
What’s the solution of the problem of housing (4)
- new executive housing built , which encourages more affluent people to move to the area. This improves the economy as more people are spending the money, which will help improve the local economy
- more affordable housing eg Allan field, with about 2400 properties available. This helps create a sense of community for people
- conversion of the old whiskey bond into flats. This helps improve the overall appreance of the area. This creates fewer empty, potentially dangerous areas. Effective because house price increases making it more of a desirable place to live
- general improvement in leith with tourism restraunts such as ocean terminal, more money spend in the local economy which means there can be more money spent on housing
Effectiveness/ impact in housing in Edinburgh
-Building executive apartment such as platinum points
- this was to encourage more affluent people to live in Leith, which would improve the economy and social mix in the area
-this has been a success as over 17,000 new homes have been built in Leith since 2004
- however, many people in leith are unable to afford the expensive prices
- another strategy is converting old warehouses into apartments such as The cooperage
- this is because many were derelict and where an eyesore
- there is also a housing shortage in the city so this helps create new accommodation
- this has worked as the area looks nicer with fewer derelict building so more people are encouraged to go and live there
- and these areas are after as these buildings are more likely to collapse
