Bristol Case Study

Why is bristol an important international city?

It holds a strategic position on the M4 corridor with good road and rail links and easy access to London and rail and ferry services to Europe.

Bristol airport links the city to major European centres and the USA.

Bristol university attracts students from all over the world, providing graduates for professional, managerial and knowledge based jobs.

What is the largest city in the southwest of England?

Bristol

WHat is the population of Bristol?

Approximately 440,500

What is the population of Bristol expected to be by 2029?

Half a million.

What makes Bristol a major city?

Education: 2 universities.

Industry: the largest concentration of silicon chip manufacture outside California.

Tourism: UK’s 8th most popular city for foreign visitors.

Attractions such as Brunel’s ship SS Great Britain.

Religion: has 2 cathedrals.

How has Bristol’s population changed since 2005?

It’s estimated to have increased by 43,900 people - an increase of 10.8%.

What is the birth projection like?

It’s expected to reach 7,800per annum by 2039, up from 6,700 per annum in 2014/15.

What is the death projection like?

They’re expected to remain steady between 3,100 and 3,500 per annum up to 2039. As a result of this and the birth projection, the majority of population increase in Bristol over the next 25 years is likely to be due to natural change (IE. More births than deaths) rather than migration.

What are the migration projections for Bristol?

Overall, change due to net migration is projected to further decrease in the future. There will be a limited increase in the population of Bristol due to net migration from 2020/21 which is projected to result more people moving out of bristol than moving in.

Describe the ages of people living in Bristol.

1 in every 5 people are under 6.

1 in every 7 people are 65 and over.

68% of the population is of working age (16-64) compared to 63% in England and Wales.

How has the number of people living in Bristol changed since 2005 and 2015?

Its increased by 16% - much higher than the overall increase of 6% in England and Wales.

How has the diversity in Bristol changed?

The 2011 census shows that over the last decade, Bristol has become increasingly diverse. The proportion of the population who aren’t white British has increases by 12% to 22% of the total population.

In Bristol there are now at least 45 religions, at least 187 countries of birth origin and 91 main languages spoken by people in Bristol.

What is the average age of motherhood?

30

What are possible causes for the rise in fertility in recent years?

More women currently in their 20s having children.

Increases in the number of women born outside the uk who tend to have higher fertility rates than UK born women.

Government policy and the economic climate indirectly influencing individual's decisions around childbearing.

What is gentrification?

An area that was run down and has been done-up attracting more people.

Where are the areas of dereliction in Bristol?

Mainly in the inner city and where there is a concentration of redundant industrial buildings. When the port function moved downstream from the city, many warehouses were abandoned and fell into decay.

Describe a derelict area in Bristol.

Stokes Croft: an inner city area which consists of high-density housing built in the 19th century for industrial workers. It became notorious for its derelict housing and abandoned properties. Many empty houses have been taken over by squatters and the area has suffered riots and anti-social behaviour.

What’s being done to improve derelict areas? (Such as Stokes Croft)

Bristol city council have obtained lottery grants to help improve the poor economic activity and environmental decay in the area. Activists and artists wanted to revitalise the area through community action and public art. It is now well known for its music, independent shops, nightclubs and numerous pieces of graffiti art.

What is urban sprawl?

The growth of towns and cities spreading and taking over areas of the countryside.

How has urban growth led to urban sprawl?

Bristol’s growing population towards the end of the twentieth century and the demolition of older areas of slum dwellings have led to an increased demand for new housing. Bristol was heavily bombed during WW2 and over 3,200 houses were lost and 1,800 badly damaged. Private houses were built on the edge of the city, extending it's boundary.

Urban sprawl has extended particularly to the North-West of the city.

What's being done to reduce urban sprawl?

Bristol has done well in developing brownfield items. Successful developments include Harbourside and Temple Meads.

Between 2006 and 2013only 6% of new developments were on greenfield sites.

By 2026 over 30,000 new homes are planned on brownfield sites.

What is Bristol's waste disposal problem?

The amount of waste produced per head in Bristol is 23% lower than the UK average, however, the city still produces half a million tonnes of waster per year. It’s among the worst cities in the country in terms of the amount of food waste it produces.

How is Bristol Reducing the Environmental Impact of Waste disposal?

It reduces the amount of waste set to landfill.

Reducing the amount of waste generated per household by 15%.

Increasing the amount of waste recycling to 50%.

How has Bristol's household waste changed since 2000?

Although Bristol's population has grown by 9% since 2000, the amount of household waste has decreased by 18%. A major reason for this is because there has been a focus on increasing the amount of recycling.

How has Bristol placed a greater emphasis on recycling?

DOing more to teach pupils in schools about the importance of recycling and how to recycle at home.

Introducing specialised kerbside collections and facilities doe recycling different kinds of waste (eg. Food, plastics, cardboard.)

Making technological improvements in recycling facilities to be able to cope with more waste.

How does Bristol contribute to atmospheric pollution?

Their main cause of pollution is vehicle emissions. Bristol is the most congested city in England and the main bus routes are often the most polluted. An estimated 200 people in the city die as a result of pollution per year.

How is Bristol trying to reduce their atmospheric pollution?

Reducing speed limits on motorways around Bristol and residential areas.

An electric vehicle charging points in 40 public car parks.

A smartphone app with information about public transport to make it easier to use.

How has cycling changed in Bristol?

The number of people cycling has doubled in Bristol over ten years, but the city still has a long way to go to achieve the levels of cycling in some european cities.

What does the Bristol cycling strategy include?

It provides a network of cycle routes, both on-road and off-road throughout the city. Where possible, cyclists are directed along quiet routes that avoid heavy traffic.

Apart from their cycling strategy, what strategies are Bristol introducing?

A metro style rail service linking Bristol with other nearby towns by reopening old railway lines.

A network of charging points for electric vehicles at car parks.

20mph limits in neighbourhoods across Bristol to make strettes safer for cyclists.

What did a 2010 survey reveal about Filwood?

More than a third of people living in Filwood and over R1/2 of the children were in very low income houses.

Is Filwood an area of deprivation?

Yes, it’s in the top 10% of the most socially deprived areas in the country. Bullying, crime, drug use, poor environment, lack of transport and dumped cars are identified as problems facing local residents.

Who are homes in Filwood owned by?

They are equally split between owners occupied and those rented from the city council. Most of the council houses in the area were built in the 1930s and 1940s. They replaced the slums that had been cleared, and homes bombed during the war. Many are poorly insulated.

What are some facts about Filwood?

There are over 1300 crimes a year.

There’s poor access to shops selling fresh fruit and vegetables for a healthy diet.

In 2013, only 36% of students got top grades at GCSE, including English and Maths.

They have an above average teenage conception rate.Their life expectancy is 78 years compared to the averagae age of 80 in Bristol.

Describe Stoke Bishop?

Its a very affluent suburb to the north west of the city. It includes Sney park, an area that's home to many millionaires who live in large Victorian and Edwardian villas.

What are some statistics on the death rates and proportion of older people living in Stoke bishop?

Despite the proportion of older people being 8% higher than the average for Bristol, the death rate is comparatively low.

What are some facts about Stoke bishop?

Fewer than 4% of children live in poverty.

There are less than 300 crimes a year.

Nearly 50% of the population have a degree or equivalent.

94% of 16 year olds got the highest grades in 5 or more GCSEs including English and Maths.

What are brownfield sites?

Sites that have been built on before.

What are advantages of brownfield sites?

They reduce the requirements to use Greenfield sites, limiting urban sprawl.

They’re near many facilities.

It’s usually easier to get planning permission as people want to see them being used.

What are disadvantages of brownfield sites?

Loss of some historic buildings.

More expensive than building on greenfield sites.

It’s expensive to clear the sites.

What are Greenfield sites?

Areas of land that haven't been developed on before.

What are advantages of Greenfield sites?

Fewer cleanup costs

Land can be cheaper in rural areas

Gives urban areas opportunities to grow.

No need to demolish or rebuild existing structures.

New infrastructure provides more job opportunities.

What are disadvantages of Greenfield sites?

Concerns about impact on wildlife

Urban sprawl - encourages traffic congestion

Facilities eg. Hospitals will be under increasing demand.

What is Bristol's greenbelt?

It was set up to prevent urban sprawl on the rural-urban fringe and the merging of bath and bristol.

Only 5% of greenbelt land around Bristol is controlled by the authorities.

What did the South Gloucestershire government build at Harry Stoke?

A new development of 1200 homes has been built on land at Harry Stoke with a further 2000 homes planned for 2016-7.

Why did local people object to the Harry Stoke development?

They were concerned about:

Increased congestion, road traffic noise, poor air quality.

The impacts on ecology and loss of habitats.

The loss of open space and informa recreational areas.

The impact on existing community services and facilities.

What type of site was the Harry Stoke development built on?

A greenfield site.

What is the regeneration of Bristol Harbourside an example of?

Housing development on brownfield land

Describe why Bristol Harbourside was left with empty buildings.

Bristol’s dockland declined when cargo ships became too large to come up the river Avon from the bristol channel. The closure of several industries around Bristol docks such as tobacco factories left several listed buildings empty and unused.

Describe the new regeneration scheme at Bristol harbourside

The re-use of industrial buildings for residential purposes, which also inclusded facilities for culture and leisure.

Why did some people oppose Bristol harbourside s regeneration?

Not everybody is happy about the architecture of the waterfront properties. The cost of the flats for sale is too high for most of the people on the city’s housing waiting list.

How has the Harbourside scheme been successful?

A very run down area of the city has been developed.

People still live in the centre, so the city does not have a ‘dead heart’ in the evenings.

What is a green belt?

An area of land on the rural-urban fringe thas protected to prevent urban sprawl and the merging of cities.

What is social deprivation?

Areas with large social problems including poor health, education and housing.

What are commuter settlements?

People living outside of the city in smaller towns and travelling into the city for work.

What's a rural-urban fringe?

The very edge of the city where residential areas/industry meets very rural countryside areas.

What's an integrated transport system?

When different transport methods connect together, making journeys smoother and therefore public transport more appealing.

What's the aim of Bristol's integrated transport system?

To see more people switching from private car use to public modes of transport, which should be more sustainable.

This may also lead to a fall in congestion due to less road users.

What was congestion like in Bristol in 2012?

Bristol was the 2nd most congested city in the UK - a journey during rush hours takes 31% longer than any other times of the day.

Does Bristol have a lot of cyclists and walkers?

Bristol has a higher percentage of people walking and cycling than any other UK city (57 percent).

Whats urban greening?

The process of increasing and preserving open space such as public parks and gardens in urban areas

Do most of bristols population live near water bodies?

More than 1/3 of bristols open space and 90% of the population live within 350m of parkland or waterways

What is Bristol hoping to achieve as part of their urban greening scheme?

27% of the city to be part of a wildlife network.

30% of the city is to be covered with trees.

A new housing development on portbury wharf was allowed by the local council on the condition the neighbouring was made into a nature reserve.

How does Bristol strive to improve its nature?

Its wildlife network is 3,000 hectares protecting 27% of the land area in the city.

Many community groups and ititiatives involve 50,000 people in green activities per year.

Describe what the employment situation is like in Bristol.

Most people work in professional or public services.

Finance and insurance is the third most employed sector.

What kind of high-tech industries are there in bristol?

There are 50 micro-electroic and silicon design buisnesses in the Bristol area - the largest concentration outside California's silicon valley.

How have high-tech industries developed in Bristol?

There are close links between city council and the university.

They have an educated and skilled workforce.

They have advanced research facilities at their universities.

How has Bristol's industry changed?

Its traditional industries were based on its functions as a port. The closure of the city centre port left empty warehouses and some turned into flats.

Major developments have been in services and high-tech sectors.

The major change in bristols industry is more people employed by high tech companies.

What is aerospace?

(An example of a high tech industry in Bristol)

Fourteen of the fifteen main global aircraft companies are found in the Bristol region. Eg. Rolls-Royce, Airbus and GKN aerospace.

Supply chains have grown up in the region to supply to these high tech companies.

There is a 100-year tradition for the aircraft industry in Bristol.