Case Studies/Examples - Docklands, Olympic Park and Cardiff

AQA A-Level Geography - Changing Places

Why did the Docklands need to be regenerated?

• They were closed in 1981 as ships were too big to pass through

• Led to high unemployment and living standards deteriorated

• Former industries had contaminated some of the land

• Poor transport network and lack of green areas

How was the Docklands area regenerated?

• The gov established a Urban Development Corporation (UDC) with powers to make rapid planning decisions without consulting local councils

• Lots of the area became an Enterprise Zone - qualified commercial and industrial projects to reciefe gov grants and tax relief

Key Dockland’s characteristics → Employment

• Growth in tertiay secotr jobs

• Financial institutions, legal companies, oil companies, news companies and mediacal and pharmaceutical companies have all taken up office space

Key Dockland’s characteristics → Housing

• 1981 - 83% homes council owned

• 1998 - 45% homes owner occupied & the rest rented or under shared ownership

• Old warehouses have been converted into housing to make housing more affordable

Key Dockland’s characteristics → Transport

• New roads - e.g. 1.8km Limehouse link to relieve the conjested A13

• Jubilee Line tube extension

• London city Airport opened 1987 - by 2030 → estimated to reach over 8million passenger numbers and create over 8000 jobs

What were the location and aims of the olympic park?

• The area had high levels of poverty, people with limited qualifications, low house ownership, lack of affordable housing, high unemployment and polluted waterways.

• Socio-economic features made it suitable for the Olympics site - also close to other facilities to usw for the olympic and a brownfield site

What is the economic legacy of the Olympic Park?

• 7,000 temporay jobs creates and 5,000 construction jobs → many only short term and only 20% recruited from the local area

• 380 companies collectively employing 11,000 people were relocated - difficult for some local people to keep their jobs

• Apprenticeships and training opportunities will develop for local young adults

• Skills gained by olympic workers will help them in other employment roles

What is the social legacy of the Olympic Park?

• Some forcibly moved from their homes - were relocated nearby and compensated but many were worse off

• Housing prices increaned by 1/3 - housing affordibility worsened

• The olympic village will provide 3,000 flats for local people - half of which will be low cost housing

What is the environmental legacy of the Olympic Park?

• Area was landscaped with 4,000 trees and 74,000 plants with wildlife habitat areas

• Wetland environments → (300,000 wetland plants) to boost the biodiversity - created a wildlife corridor from Hackney Marshes to the Thames

• 2 million tonnes of soil contaminated by industrial chemicals where thoroughly cleaned by 2008 and reused in the Olympic park landscaping

• Polluted groundwater was treated and £12 million was spent 2006-2012 removing 30,000 tonnes of rubbish from canals

How did tourism improve in Blaenafo? (South Wales)

• The ironworks there used to be the 2nd largest in wales and is now a ‘Scheduled Ancient Monument’

• The town was designated a conservation area - includes 46 buildings and 8 scheduled ancient monuments

• Achieved UNESCO ‘World Heritage Status’ for the historical value of its industrial landscape

How has Wales benefitted from tourism?

• Generates £2bn - (7% of GDP)

• Provides 1 in 9 of all jobs

• Growing trend to understand our more recent ‘industrial heritage’ appreciating the hardships and working conditions of the previous generations

Why did the Cardiff docks need to be regenerated?

• Were once the busiest coal exporting port in the world

• Decline of coal and steel industry - by 1987 large areas were derelict and unemployment was high

• Led to the creation of the 2nd largest regeneration scheme in Europe (1st is London Docklands)

What was the aim of the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation?

• encouraging new investment and creating a more dynamic/attractive waterfront

What were the main aspects of the Cardiff Bay Regeneration Project

• Construction of a barrage across the mouth of the bay - created a 500acre freshwater lake and 8 miles of waterfront - would no longer be affected by the tide (Cardiff Bay had the 2nd largest tidal range in the world - 14m - exposing large areas of mudflats at low tide)

• The barrage is 1.2km and cost £220 million