(2.1.1-2.1.2) How are urban and rural areas linked + changing?

What are the main populated areas of the UK?

The major cities:

London

Manchester

Birmingham

Leeds

Glasgow

Describe these areas of the UK by population:

• SE of UK, in and around London

• cities and surround areas

• Scotland and Wales

• highest populations

• highly populated

• low population

What is a rural area?

An open swathe of land with few homes and buildings and not many people.

What is an urban area?

A developed, densely populated area where most inhabitants have non-agricultural jobs.

What is population density?

The number of people per square km.

What is population distribution?

The way in which people are spread across an area.

What is a settlement hierarchy?

The result when several settlements are grouped and classified according to their size and shape.

What is the threshold of a service?

How many people are needed to support and keep a business profitable.

What is the range of a service?

The max distance people are prepared to travel to purchase it.

What is the urban-rural continuum?

A sliding scale with urban areas at one end and remote rural areas at the other.

Why does the rural urban continuum exist?

There is unlikely to be a clear distinction between the end of a rural area’s land use and the start of an urban area’s land use.

Instead there is generally a gentle graduation showing a decrease in urban characteristics as distance form city centre increases.

What is the sphere of influence?

An area around a settlement that comes under its economic, social and political influence.

What factors means that larger areas have larger spheres of influence?

• More services offered

• More high order services available

• Comparison goods

What are some positive impacts of a large sphere of influence?

• Job opportunity

• Economic benefits

• Central hub

What are some negative impacts of a large sphere of influence?

• Pollution- air + noise

• Congestion

What happens to the impacts of a sphere of influence as distance from centre increases?

They decrease the further you get.

What is counter-urbanisation?

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

What are some push factors to get people moving away from urban areas? (social, economic and environmental)

• difficulty spending time with family

• difficult to build a community

• high crime rates

• high house prices

• high cost of living

• limited space

• high pollution + traffic

What are some pull factors to get people moving into rural areas? (social, economic, environmental)

• slower pace of life

• lower crime rates

• more family time

• ability to work from home easily

• easier to have a tight-knit community

• cheaper housing

• lower cost of living

• more eco-friendly- greenery, open spaces

What social impacts has counter-urbanisation had on rural settlements?

• New inhabitants aren’t involved in traditional primary local activities, and instead commute for work.

• Small daytime population as residents commute to work, creating a dormitory village.

• Loss of community spirit as new residents are less likely to be part of community activities

What economic impacts has counter-urbanisation had on rural settlements?

• Village shops and local services suffer as commuting residents use large supermarkets on the edge of towns.

• Some services- like schools- have to expand or move to accommodate higher demand.

• Decline in bus services as car ownership increases.

• Housing prises increase

What environmental impacts has counter-urbanisation had on rural settlements?

• loss of rural characteristics as villages become more suburbanised

• loss of farming land as housing developments start

• increase in congestion means pollution

• noisier and more crowded- traffic and parking issues.

How has counter-urbanisation affected commute and transport?

Advances in tech, the post-Covid work from home culture, ease of access and cheaper living in rural areas mean that more people commute to work.

This means higher congestion and more pollution which makes it more dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians and those in the area.

Why are services available in rural areas changing?

• Counter-urbanisation

• Commuters

• Easy access to large towns

• Online access and ease

• Second home residents live seasonally, using services rarely

• Threshold population unmet so services close.

Who is most likely to be affected by the closing of shops and services in rural areas + why?

• Elderly population - difficulty with long distance travel and reliant on public transport as well as difficulty online

• Those who don’t work outside the rural area- no alternative places near work.

• Lower income people- possible reliance on public transport, reliance on local affordable items.

What is rural depopulation?

The process in which population density in rural areas decreases over time due to net migration or natural decrease in population.

What is absolute depopulation?

This occurs if people leave and are not replaced.

What is relative depopulation?

When young people leave but are replaced by retired people, so while population remains similar, the ageing society will ultimately lead to natural decrease.

What is a ‘brain drain’?

The movement of many people with qualifications leaving the rural area for work.

What are the causes of depopulation in remote rural areas?

• migration for work or school, especially higher education

• families might move for children’s schooling

• high rate of elderly population means natural decrease occurs

• farming jobs decrease so less primary sector jobs

What are some consequences of remote rural depopulation?

• threshold populations of shops aren’t met, leading to closure

• reduced job opportunity

• decrease in services to engage with

What is deprivation?

A condition in which people lack some basic needs like money, jobs or decent homes. A community is deprived if they lack features regarded as necessary for a reasonable standard of living.

What is poverty?

The condition of people who live under a certain income level.

What is the Index of Multiple Deprivation?

The government’s measure of deprivation, taking into account 7 types of deprivation and ranking areas in England and Wales.

What are some causes of poverty and deprivation in remote rural areas?

• low wages in seasonal jobs

• lack of jobs as services close

• high goods and service cost as availability decreases

• high rent + heating prices

What are the consequences of poverty and deprivation in remote rural areas?

• reduced bus service and low transport links leads to isolation + MH problems

• difficulty in predicting profits - services close

• prices will change as agriculture workers face competition from abroad

• seasonal jobs would lead to unemployment for the better part of the year- exacerbating poverty

Why is it so difficult to break out of the cycle of deprivation?

Different factors contribute to and exacerbate others.

population declines → threshold unmet → services and shops close → lack of jobs → urban migration → population decline

What is a sustainable community?

A community that provides a good quality of life for residents with local jobs and local services and is designed to have minimum impact on the environment.

What must exist to make rural communities sustainable?

• effectively use natural resources

• enhance environment

• promote inclusion and cohesion

• strengthen economy

Strategies to create sustainable rural communities:

• Community shops

• sustainable rural housing

• old primary industry locations into leisure amenities

• ensuring local services stay open

• reliable wi-fi

What is the Egan wheel?

A tool for judging sustainable communities

What are the aspects of the Egan wheel?

• Well Run

• Well Connected

• Well served

• Environmentally sensitive

• Fair for Everyone

• Thriving

• Well designed and well built

• Active, Inclusive and Safe