Geography 5.2.1 Context of a City

London’s site and situation

• It was built on the flat land either side of the river at a bridging point

• It was an ideal location for a port

• London is the capital city of United Kingdom

• It is located in south-east England

• Easy access to Europe via the Thames 

• It location between the international time zones of USA (5+ hours behind) and south-east Asia (5+ hours ahead) which makes it ideal for people working internationally

London’s Location

Location of London

London’s Importance

Regional

Connectivity and importance

Many people commute into London, and it provides many jobs for people Wealthy city with higher-than-average house prices and earnings  Europe's fastest-growing technology cluster, with 3,000 companies concentrated in the East End The capital generates 22% of UK GDP despite accounting for only 12.5% of the UK population

London’s Importance

National

Connectivity and importance

Over 40 leading universities and research Central government is based in Whitehall 6 major train stations and 5 international airports around London and is home to the second biggest port in the UK

London’s Importance

International

	Connectivity and importance
Considered a ‘world city’ and is one of three important financial centres in the world with New York and Tokyo Major international centre for fashion, art, theatre, and film  Headquarters of major TNCs

What is London’s cultural context ?

• London is one of the most diverse cities in the world

  • 1.37 million London residents were born in Europe outside the UK

  • 1.15 million were born in the Middle East and Asia

  • 1.06 million in the rest of the world including Africa, the Americas and Oceania

• The top non-UK country of birth was India with 323,000 London residents

• Over 300 languages are spoken in London

• Over 44% of Londoners are from minority ethnic groups

Characteristics on the Burgess model?

Burgess concentric ring model

• London's original CBD is located in the centre of the settlement 

• The average housing age decreases with distance from the CBD

• The city becomes more suburban with distance from the CBD

• As in the Hoyt model there are areas of high class housing radiating out from the CBD to the west side of London (upwind of the industrial areas) such as Kensington 

• Working class housing was located in the east (downwind of the industries) around the docks

• With distance from the CBD air quality and traffic improves, population density decreases

What are the characteristics of the CBD?

• The oldest buildings and the high rise buildings in London are found in the CBD 

• The radial roads mean that accessibility was good here, train lines also met here

• High rise buildings have increased and  are the result of high land value, maximising the use of the space

• High street chain stores tend to locate here

• Lots of traffic/ people

What are the characteristics of the inner city?

• Outside the CBD is the inner city area which consists of:

  • Terraced housing: such as housing around the dock areas

  • Old factories/warehouses and dock areas many of which have now been converted and regenerated

  • Blocks of flats have replaced terrace housing in many areas

• There are some high income areas such as Kensington to the west of the city

What are the characteristics of the suburb?

• Housing size increases in these areas 

• Houses are newer often inter-war (1920s/30s)

• Attractive to families 

• Expansion of the underground system allowed people to live further from the city

• Smaller shops 

• Lower population density

• Areas such as Wimbledon and Tooting 

What are the characteristics of the Urban/rural fringe?

• Building and population density is lower

• Housing here was built in the 1970s/80s and 1990s

• Increasingly industry, retail and businesses are moving to these areas due to:

  • Cheaper land

  • More space

  • Nicer environment

  • Better accessibility next to M25 - Thurrock Shopping Park, Watford Business Park

• Areas such as Boreham Wood and Orpington are in this location

Distribution of urban land value

• Any land that has 'purpose' will be valuable and cost more to buy or rent

• Usually, retail shops can make money and seek prime positions

• Therefore, land uses of similar activities will come together creating 'peaks' and 'troughs' of land values across the urban landscape

• There are two points to consider:

  • The value of the land:

    • Varies across the urban areas

    • Usually decreases from the centre, outwards

    • Higher land prices are also found along main roads, urban hubs and around ring roads

  • The location of the land:

    • Is important to value

    • The closer to key functions, the higher the value

    • Accessibility and desirability increase land value