Geography Component 1 - Rural-Urban Links

urban

busy, built up areas with high population density

rural

areas of open space and sparse population density

urban-rural continuum

a sliding scale with urban areas at one and remote rural areas at another end

sphere of influence

an area affected by a place

counter-urbanisation, with example of St Ives, Cambridgeshire

the movement of people and businesses from large cities to smaller towns and rural areas

* value of property in the area has doubled
* people in St Ives have a higher income compared to the rest of the UK, earning high wages in London, some disposable income spent on the local area, enhancing local services

dormitory village

large proportion of poulation commute to work leaving a small daytime population

threshold population

number of people needed to support a service and keep it open; smaller the shop the lower the threshold population as less profit needed to pay bills

why are services closing in local areas?

* counter-urbanisation not necessarily increasing the number of people who use local services
* many commuters will choose services in their (urban) place of work
* counter-urbanisation pushes up housing prices - less and less locals live in the area as the younger generation cannot afford house prices and move away; these are the people who would have worked and shopped locally
* property prices rise so do rents for businesses
* threshold population is not being met
* technological changes - online shopping
* happens in accessible rural areas - where they are in the sphere of influence of an urban area

rural depopulation

* population decline in a country, region or small scale area, resulting from either net migration loss, or natural decrease of population, or both
* leads to rural deprivation and poverty

cycle of rural depopulation

* population decline
* lower population to reach threshold values
* service decline
* lack of employment opportunities
* reduced economic attractiveness

Egan Wheel Sustainability Requirements

* fair for everyone
* thriving
* well designed and built
* active, inclusive and safe
* well run
* well connected
* well served
* environmentally sensitive

factors that affect population change in the UK

* migration
* maternity pay for women
* child benefits
* access to NHS
* improved education
* improved diets
* improved public sanitation
* mechanisation of farms
* emancipation of women
* increased access to contraception
* medical developments such as penicillin

pros and cons of migration

* migrants take up less desirable, menial jobs which natives would not take but need filling
* can gain skilled labour for cheap

pros and cons of brownfield sites

* infrastructure already in place
* more environmentally friendly and sustainable than building on greenfield sites
* can improve the look of an area - generation
* well connected sites - often located in inner cities
* can be expensive - sites could be contaminated with industrial waste requiring decontamination
* old buildings will have to be demolished
* immediate access to the area may be poor with congested roads

pros and cons of greenfield sites

* new sites do not need clearing, so can be cheaper to prepare
* pleasant countryside environment may appeal to potential home owners
* more space for gardens
* no restrictions of existing road network
* land can be cheaper on outskirt so plots can be larger
* some shops and business parks on outskirts provide local facilities
* new infrastructure will need to be built e.g. roads, drains, electricity, gas
* destroys wildlife habitats
* more traffic on country roads
* less land for farming
* encourages urban sprawl
* may encourage more car travel as people need to commute to and from work

how is BedZed sustainable (built on brownfield site)?

* save 10-20% on energy
* sedum plants on rooves collect rain water which could be used to flush toilets; cleaning water is very energy intensive using chemicals, grey water to flush toilets saves energy
* lots of natural light, no need for central heating system or ac - thick walls, vents, capture wind for summer
* people know 20 neighbours than average 8
* train, tram, bus stops very near
* 40 electric car charging points
* easy access to shared cars

facts about Himley View built on greenfield site

* increased traffic, pollution
* well-connected e.g. M5 within easy reach
* current residents would not like it as higher demand for new houses increases house prices
* health issues - disease will spread more easily
* environmental issues - wildlife displaced, habitats destroyed
* pressure put on schools, banks thrive
* Birmingham Aiport 30km away

why did King Street, Hammersmith decline and how are they fighting back?

* opening of Westfield in 2008 - in Westfield’s sphere of influence
* development of Lyric theatre - young people - attractive for social interaction
* effective and reliable CCTV system, pedestrian countdown signals and widened sections of footway will make King Street feel much more safer, especially at night
* new bike racks in some sections of the high street
* evidence of success - IKEA, H&M moved here, shows big brands showing interest
* good flow of customers, even during weekday
* however has developed into a clone street

describe the global location of Mumbai.

* located on the West Coast of India, in the state of Maharashtra - next to the Arabian Sea
* 19N 72E

what makes Mumbai a global city?

* migration and culture - Bollywood industry based here e.g. Slumdog Millionaire - films watched across the world
* governance and decision making - Tata Steel, which employs people in over 100 countries has its HQ in Mumbai
* Mumbai International Airport - serves countries across the globe e.g. you can be in London in 9 hours
* The World Trade Centres Association has a conference and hotel facility in Mumbai
* over 1600 Bollywood films are produced a year and over 2.6 billion tickets sold
* 68%-90% people work in the informal sector
* 40% of city not connected to sewer lines
* accounted for 6.11% of waste in India 2011-2012

push and pull factors of Mumbai

* better jobs and training opportunities
* pulled due to mechanisation of farming, reduced jobs available and increased uncertainty placed on farming due to climate change
* India’s rail system has some of the lowest fares in the world - it costs around £2.50 to travel from Kolkata to Mumbai. this enables people to complete the journey
* 1 in 6 living in a slum high house prices,

facts about Dharavi

* slum located in central Mumbai
* next to a train station = located between Mumbai’s two main suburban rail lines
* on a marshland
* on a peninsula
* rudimentary sanitation
* huge sense of community
* India’s largest slum
* population of 1,000,000
* lots of pollution, rubbish, sewage pipes, drainage
* disorderly, no maps or signs
* over 500 people share 1 latrine
* water shared with 12 other neighbouring homes - 2 hours per day till the next day
* annual economic output estimated to be $600m to more than $1 billion
* fertility rate 1.9 compared to 1.4 in non-slum area
* 25% of women in slums are a victim of spousal violence, compared to 15% in non-slum areas

how has living condiitons been improved in Dharavi

* new metro being built
* new homing scheme - large open areas and terrace for children to play and community gatherings
* clean, running water - new sewer system being installed by local NGOs

what makes London a global city?

* around 300 different languages spoken in London and there are least 14 different faiths practised here
* London is home to some of the world’s top universities, including Imperial College London and UCL
* Heathrow Airport - focal point for transport with more than 100,000 flights in and out of London to and from global destinations
* first city in the world to have an underground railway i.e. the Tube, carries more than 1.34 billion passengers per year
* 37% of the population were born outside of the UK
* near Greenwich Meridian

pull factors to London

* free access to healthcare
* free schooling
* easily accessible - 5 airports
* 75% are employed (16-64 i.e. working age) in London in 2021 according to National Statistics
* 50-70% in good health compared to 35-50% in good health in Birmingham
* 74% of adults in poverty in London almost 1 million, up from 62% a decade ago
* housing crisis - affordability and lack of social houses
* mostly apartments in London - more pragmatic
* 4/10 Londoners do not meet what is deemed to be an acceptable standard of living
* building council housing - £4.8 billion from the government to build 115,000 affordable homes by March 2022
* ULEZ to tackle pollution
* Hammersmith and Fulham Council launched a new pollution-free delivery service, allows businesses to have their products devilered by a CO2 emission-free cargo bike + 250 electric car charging points
* uber eats using bicycles
* food banks - Trussel Trust - provided three days of nutritionally balanced food for 2.5 million people between 2020-21
* food bank usage has increased by 73% since 2014