Urban Issues in the UK Flashcards
Where is London located
London is located in South East England on the River Thames. It is the
site chosen by the Romans when they conquered the South of England in
43AD. They built a walled settlement on the north bank of the Thames to
defend themselves against the defeated Britons. They called the settlement
Londiniurm and it became the capital of the Roman colony in Britain.
What were the two important factors in London’s success as a city
The Thames is a tidal river. At high tide, ships were able to navigate up the
river to London and the city became a port.
London was built at the lowest bridging point on the Thames - the widest
point on the river where it was possible to build a bridge.
Why did London grow
Two thousand years after it was built by the Romans, London is still the
capital city of the UK. From the eighteenth century onwards, new docks
built along the river increased the number of ships using London as a port.
London’s importance as a centre of trade and commerce grew and new
manufacturing industries developed. This, in turn, attracted more people and
its population increased
What is London’s national importance?
London is not just the UK’s capital; it is also by far
the UK’s largest and wealthiest city. The gap between
London and the rest of the UK has widened in the
twenty-first century, as both earnings and house prices
have risen faster in London than elsewhere
What is London’s international importance
An indication of London’s modern-day importance is its
status as a world city. A world city’s influence is not just
national, but also global. Along with New York, London
is one of the two most important financial centres in
the world. The headquarters of many large international
cornpanies, as well as most major British companies, are
based there.
What is London a national and international centre for
media and communications networks
education, including renowned universities and research
legal and medical facilities
culture, enteřtainment and tourism.
What is London a national and international centre for
media and communications networks
education, including renowned universities and research
legal and medical facilities
culture, entertainment and tourism.
How has London’s population changed
London’s population is higher now than it has ever been. In 2015, London’s
population reached 8.6 million, overtaking the peak it last reached in 1939.
London’s population reached its previous peak at the
start of the Second World War. The city was badly
bombed during the war and its population fell after
1939. Numbers continued to decline after the war
as housing was demolished and people moved out.
During the twentieth century many cities in other
countries grew bigger than London.
How old is London’s population
Young people in their 20s and 30s, especially
university graduates, move to London for work
They are attracted by more job opportunities,
higher pay and the perception of an exciting social
ife in London.
YOunger people. particularly in the 20-30 age
group, are more likely to have children. That leads
to a higher rate of natural population increase in
London
Migrants from around the world add to Londons
population. At the same time as people arrive
others leave. The balance between the two group
is net migration.
Although net migration into London is quite Io
most immigrants are young while most people
leaving are older. This reduces the average age
of the population and leads to greater natural
increase
What ethnic groups make up London’s Population
White other - 15%
South Asian - 12%
Black - 13%
Mixed - 5%
Other - 3%
White UK - 45%
How has an old area of London changed
Shoreditch
Just 30 years ago, Shoreditch was still a run-down inner-city area, with many
old factories and warehouses. Most industries had closed down and people
were moving out of the area. In their place newcomers were moving in,
particularly Bangladeshi immigrants around Brick Lane (see 15.3)
What cultural mix is found in Shoreditch
Old industrial buildings have been converted into
flats and offices. Pubs and bars have been brought back
into life as restaurants and art galleries. Jobs have been
created in new creative industries, such as web design,
film-making and art.
What opportunities for recreation and entertainment are there
The population of Shoreditch has changed too. Many older residents and
Bangladeshi families are moving away, as rents and property prices go up.
In their place, young professional workers, marny in the finance and creative
industries, are moving in (Figure 15.14).
This process of rising property prices and changing population is known as
gentrification. With the new, younger population have come new forms of
recreation and entertainment. Shoreditch is now one of the most vibrant parts
of London, day or night!
Why did the docks in London decline
London has been a port since Roman times (see Section 15.2). LaLer, ue
docks were built to handle the huge volume of goods and raw materials
brought to London by ship (see Figure 15.19). Around the docks, industries
such as sugar refineries, flour mills and timber yards grew to process
the materiais.
By the 1970s, the docks were in decline. New container ships were being
used and the docks were no longer large enough to hold them. One by one
the docks closed, until by 1980 they were lying empty, with many of the
industries gone too.
Why have new industries like finance grown
In 1981, the government set up a new body, the London
Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC), to plan
the regeneration of the docks. It was given the task or
finding new ways to use the land around the docks by
attracting private investment. It was hoped this would
create new economic opportunities and jobs to replace
those lost when the docks closed down.
What happened next became a model for other
regeneration projects around the UK. At the heart of
Docklands lies Canary Wharf, dominated by high-rise
office blocks that are now home to many internationa
banks. Over 100,000 people work there and, together
sh
with the ity of London, Docklands has helped estab
London as one of the world’s leading financial centre
How have employment patterns in London changed
The number of jobs in London has been rising almost
continuously since 1994 (Figure 15.21). Even the recession
after 2007 did not reaily siow the rise. So, what are all
these nevw jobs?
The biggest growth in jobs was in services, especially
Professional, real estate and business services’ (Figure
15.22). This includes work in company head offices
management consultancy, law and accountancy.
estate agents, advertising and market research. The
biggest decline in jobs over the same period was in
manufacturing. London has very few factories left.
Why is there a need for improved transport in London
London has a well-integrated transport system, but it is struggling to cope
with the increase in passenger numbers (Figure 15.23). As the population
grows and work opportunities increase, more people are using public transport
commute to work. Driving a car is not a sensible option for most Londoners,
with limited space to park and traffic congestion causing long journeys.
in 2014 roughly 75 million passengers used underground trains (the Tube)
and buses in London each week-25 million on the Underground and
50 million on buses. The number is growing every year (see Figure 15.24)
What transport improvements are planned
Crossrail is a new, east-west rail route across London
due to open in 2018, linking Shenfield and Abbey
Wood in the east with Reading and Heathrow in the
west (Figure 15.25). It will tunnel under the city centre,
reducing journey times and increasing the total number
of passenger journeys in London. Already. Crossrail 2 is
being planned for 2030. It would be a similar project on
a north-south route across London.
What could be the impacts of Crossrail on London?
reduce journey times - for example. the journey time
from Liverpool Street to Heathrow will fall from over
an hour to 35 minutes
increase the number of rail passenger journeys in
London by ten per cent, or an extra 200 million
journeys a year
bring an extra 1.5 million people within a 45-minute
journey of central London, increasing the number of
people who can commute to work in London
improve the integrated transport system in London by
providing more interchanges with the Underground
network
raise property values by about 25 per cent around
stations along the Crossrail route
encourage further regeneration across London,
providing access to thousands more jobs
impkdee access for disabled people to new stations,
with no steps from platform to street level.
How much of London is green
London is one of the world’s greenest cities. Almost haif the city- 47 per
cent-is green space, including parks, woodlands, cemeteries and gardens
(Figure 15.28). The percentage might have been higher, but in recent years
many people have paved over their gardens to create patios or make space
to park their cars.
What is Urban Greening
Urban greening is about how we
increase and protect the green spaces
we have in cities. London is already a
‘green city’, so urban greening here is
more about protection.
Urban greening on a small scale
On a small-scale, this is about
individual actions. like encouraging
people to feed birds in winter or
not paving over gardens
Urban greening on a large scale
On a larger-scale, it could be
about connecting the green
spaces we already have to help
species to migrate naturally.
London now has a ‘green grid’ to
link open spaces.
What is social deprivation
Social deprivation
is the degree to which a person or a community lacks the things that are
essential for a decent life, including work, money, housing and services
Why is inequality still a challenge in London
. Differences in life expectancy still exist
. Low life expectancy in the deprived areas of the city
.
Why is there a shortage of homes in London
London’s population is growing by about 100,000 people every year but only 20,000 homes are being built
How serious is the problem of air pollution in London
London has the worst pollution record compared to other cities in Europe
There are 4000 premature deaths in London due to long term exposure to air pollution
How will cycle superhighways help pollution in London
Encourage people to cycle reducing traffic
Cyclists have increased from one to 15 percent of road users in London over the last 50 years.
What happens to London’s waste
. A quarter of London’s waste still goes to landfill (24%)
. 61% is recycled
Why was the Lower Lea valley in need of restoration
. The Lower Lea valley was the site for the 2012 Olympics
What obstacles are had to be overcome to restore the Lower Lea valley
. Existing landowners and users had to leave the site by 2007. Some of them
protested
. Land that was previously polluted by industry had to be decontaminated
before building could begin.
. Electricity pylons had to be removed and overhead cables buried below
ground to improve the appearance of the landscape
Why was the London 2012 Olympic bid successful
. There was a large area of available land,
. East London has very good transport connections.
. London’s diverse population made it the natural city to host guests from around the world
. The Olympic bid promised to leave a lasting legacy that would help to
regenerate east London
How has the environment of the Lower Lea Valley changed?
Gone are:
. Old factories and homes
. Derelict and overgrown sites
. Contaminated soil
In place there were:
. Clean soil and waterways
. New sports venues
. landscaped park
