Changing spaces, making places

What is the definition of place?

A place is a space with meaning attached to it. Meaning is very subjective, and thus places can be at a cultural or individual level. A place comes into existence when humans give meaning to a part of the larger, undifferentiated space. At the heart of places are people - as they live, work and play space is changed into a place that conveys meaning and identity

What is the definition of space?

Exists between places and does not have the same meaning attached as a place does

What socio-economic characteristics contribute to the identity of a place?

Poverty, education, literacy, family size, average income, type of jobs, healthcare, industry

What political characteristics contribute to the identity of a place?

Political system, effectiveness of local authorities, democracy, monarchy

What cultural characteristics contribute to the identity of a place?

Religion, local traditions, cultures, local clubs

What demographic characteristics contribute to the identity of a place?

Populations, ethnicities, age structure, gender

What physical geographical characteristics contribute to the identity of a place?

Geology (eg. mining for coal in North makes it industrial), topography, climate, rivers, coasts

What aspects of the built environment contribute to the identity of a place?

Age and style of houses, architecture, infrastructure, housing density, housing quality

What is the difference between demographic and socio-economic characteristics?

Demographic is based on a persons identity and characteristic e.g. Age
Socio economic is information about their economic status and wealth.

What is a knowledge economy

A knowledge economy is one that thrives based on the intellect of people who work within it. They analyse, store and gather information.

What effects how people perceive place?

Gender
Religion
Age
Sexuality
Role
Race

How do emotions influence attachments to a place?

1. SOCIAL AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES: if we have positive experiences in a place we are more likely to attribute a strong emotional attachment to it. We also get strong emotions as part of a group, e. the strong emotional attachment sports fans have to their team's home ground. People often have a similar, deeper attachment to nations. Especially true of people exiled from their homeland, eg. the Kurds.
2. EMOTIONS EFFECT OUR BEHAVIOUR IN A PLACE + VICE VERSA: eg. Auschwitz - sad, shocked, upset, emotional \= quiet, thoughtful. Glastonbury - excited, happy \= loud, dancing, carefree

How and why do people experience places differently based on their identity - age?

Places change in purpose for different ages
- accessibility services, Elderly are more efficient at using space

Different perceptions of uses of places, e.g. s.tani shopping mall, teenagers reconstruct the place to fit their needs

Nostalgia memories

How and why do people experience places differently based on their identity - gender?

Historically, sports grounds are male-dominated. Women expected to quit jobs when married. However now phrases like 'househusband' are more common. Women tend to feel less safe than men is spaces like dark alleyways 'geography of fear' etc.

What is an example of a place where geography of fear is prominent?
- Molestation statistics
- Rape statistics

New Delhi - India --\> women try to avoid dangerous areas and going out in the dark.
- Molestation is reported every 2 hours
- Rape is reported every 4 hours.

How and why do people experience places differently based on their identity - sexuality?

Clusters of LGBT communities eg. in Brighton - gives them a sense of belonging and acceptance. Strength in numbers. "Gayborhood".
Also depends on who's in political power in the area and whether they feel comfortable and accepted in that place.

How and why do people experience places differently based on their identity - religion?

Gives places different meanings. E.g. Jerusalem
Within a place there will be different communities and places of worship - do they feel accepted and comfortable?
What community and religious traditions are celebrated?

How and why do people experience places differently based on their identity - role?

As peoples' roles change, places' meanings change too. eg. for children their school has very different connotations and meanings than for their parents, or for an adult without children
- parents perception of safety for their kids, Jill Valentine

Example of emotional attachment?

The Kurds

Who are the Kurds?

An ethnic group spread across Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. There are about 28-30 million living in the heartland, making them the largest stateless nation in the world. Have a larger population than Australia
- spread across 5 different countries
- speak 3 languages
- have their own parliament and armed forces

Explain the history of the Kurds
- What was the name of the treaty promising them a state?

1. They lived border free until WW1
2. Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the 1920 Treaty of Sevres led to the formation of Iraq, Syria and Kuwait.
3. Kurds were promised a separate homeland
4. Did not happen, partly as surrounding countries refused to recognise it.

What four countries does Kurdistan include?

Turkey, Iran, Syria, Iraq

How much of the population do the Kurd made up in Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran

Syria - 10%
Turkey - 19%
Iraq - 15-20%
10% - Iran

Describe the physical geography of Kurdistan

Mountainous, fertile land, semi-arid climate

Describe the human geography of Kurdistan

High unemployment (14%), low GDP ($4,452), economy largely based on oil industry and agriculture - valuable to Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria

Give an example of a place of national significance to the Kurds, to which strong meaning is attached?

The Erbil Citadel - a Kurdish settlement built progressively on top of itself - a symbol of national pride as it shows how long they've been there. Strong meaning

What are the Kurds doing today?

Fighting in the Syria crisis for independence

What is globalisation?

Globalisation is the increasing interconnectedness and independence of the world - economically, socially, politically and culturally.

What is time-space compression?

A set of processes leading to the world becoming smaller, caused by reductions in relative distance between places eg. travel time

What is a global village

The world has become more interconnected and therefore feels smaller and areas have become closer together. This is achieved by social media, technology and transport.

How have the advances in communication contributed to globalisation and space-time compression?

can contact anyone, anywhere, anytime. Homogenisation of culture

How have advances in technology affected our experience and perception of place?

Focus more on phone and social media than our surroundings, reducing perception and attachment to place.

How has the transport revolution contributed to globalisation / time-space compression?

Ease of ever-lower cost of travel. Containerisation. You can get further faster. Migration. Food transport

How has globalisation and space-time compression had an impact on our sense of place?

Cultures and towns are becoming more similar as they’re affected by the same influences. For example, homogenisation of culture and clone towns.

What is cultural globalisation?

The spread of predominantly Western culture eg. food, fashion etc. around the world. Dangers of cultural globalisation - loss of distinct cultures. Erodes aspects of cultural identity

What are some advantages of globalisation?

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* The global market leads to an increase in profits for large companies and presents new business opportunities
* Economic migrants are able to send money home as remittances and stay in contact with their family in their origin country

What are some disadvantages of globalisation?

* Increased pollution and climate change
* AI and technology make begin to take peoples jobs
* Smaller scale farming industry’s in EDC’s may not be able to afford to compete with TNC’s
* Some remote islands are being cut off as larger ships are being used which can’t access the islands

What are formal representations of a place?

Produced by trusted organisations or groups of individuals with no bias, eg. census data, journal articles, government reports

What are informal representations of a place?

More subjective, produced by groups of people or individuals working outside formal sector institutions, e.g. Films, TV, music, art etc.

For example the advertising campaign in Michigan

What are the benefits of studying formal and informal sources?

Studying both forms of source helps us gain a deeper understanding of place. The shortfalls of one are made up in the other.

What is social inequality?

The unequal distribution of opportunities or rewards for different social groups - e.g. factors such as income, education and health across a population

What is economic inequality?

Differences in income and the distributions of money in an area or between areas.

What is the difference between poverty and deprivation

Poverty is defined in terms of money. Often use the poverty line and if people live below this they are in 'poverty'
Deprivation is having insufficient resources to be able to afford the basic necessities for living e.g Food.

What is standard of living?

The ability to access services and goods eg. basics such as food, water, clothes, housing and personal mobility. More about survival

What is quality of life?

The extent to which peoples' needs and desires (social, psychological and physical) are met. More about wellbeing and desire

What are social indicators for measuring SOL and QOL?

Incidence of crime, fear of crime, % on free school meals, standard and access to healthcare, standard of education, % on state benefits,

What are physical indicators for measuring SOL and QOL?

Quality of housing, level of air pollution, noise pollution, incidence of litter, graffiti, vandalism

What are economic indicators for measuring SOL and QOL?

Access to leisure services, open spaces etc, access to employment, level of income

What are political indicators for measuring SOL and QOL?

Opportunities to participate in community life and influence eg. % voting in elections

'Higher incomes may lead to a higher standard of living but not always a higher quality of life'. Explain

Money can't buy happiness - higher income may require more work. Social life suffers. May allow you to have greater choice of housing, education and diet, but may not make you happier. In some places, getting a higher income requires migration for jobs - remittances provide family with higher standard of living but will miss the member who has migrated and therefore have a lower quality of life

What is deprivation?

When quality of life and standard of living are low

What is the cycle of deprivation?

Poverty - poor living conditions - ill health - poor education - poor skills - repeat

How do the UK government measure social equality and deprivation?

The index of multiple deprivation - based on census data

What 7 indicators is the index of multiple deprivation based on?

* income


* employment
* health
* education
* crime
* access to housing and services
* living environment

What is HDI?

Human development index (0-1)

* life expectancy
* education
* GPD per capita
* literacy rates

What is absolute poverty?

The severe deprivation of basic needs eg. food, safe drinking water, sanitation, health, shelter, education, and information.

What is the international poverty line?

THE INTERNATIONAL POVERTY LINE: Living on less than $1.90 per day. Extreme poverty is less than $1 per day. In 2013, 10.7% of the world's poverty lived in poverty.

What is relative poverty?

Poverty in relation to the economic status to other members of the society. eg. In UK 60% of median household income counts as poverty. 28% of UK children are in poverty.

What is the GINI Coefficient

looks at distribution of a nations wealth/income (0 = equal, 100 = unequal)

How is the distribution of income / wealth measured?

Gini coefficient, international poverty line, relative poverty, GDP, absolute poverty, GNI

Why are some places poorer than others?

* civil unrest (civil wars)
* historical factors (colonial rule, infertile land)
* economic factors (debt servicing, corrupt gov)
* environmental factors (desertification, natural hazards)

How does the IMF classify countries?

they devised a system (AC, EDC, LIDC) - when classifying countries they take into account

* income
* education
* housing
* health
* employment
* quality of life

Describe the north-south divide in England

The north-south divide is a term used to describe the **social, economic and cultural disparities between the London and the south-east of England and the rest of the UK**. People living in the south-east typically have a longer life expectancy, higher income and better standard of living than those living in the north.

What are the reasons for the north south divide in the UK?

* deindustrialisation
* geographic location
* demographics

What is the global economy?

The worldwide economic activity between various countries that are considered intertwined

What is global shift?

Refers to the relocation of the global economic center and manufacturing production on a global scale, from Europe/USA to Asia.

→ it is driven by improvements in transport and communications

→ manufacturing is drawn to Asia for large work force willing to work on low wages

What is deindustrialisation?

The absolute or relative decline in the importance of manufacturing in the economy of a country or region - involves a structural change in the way the economy of a place is organised.

What are the social impacts of deindustrialisation?

1. structural unemployment
2. outmigration of skilled people
3. population declines
4. increased crime
5. ill physical & mental health

What are the environmental impacts of deindustrialisation?

1. Abandoned and derelict buildings
2. polluted land and waterways
3. increased vandalism and fly tipping

Economic impacts of deindustrialisation

1. Industrial decline
2. businesses reduce workforce
3. shops and services get less investment
4. negative multiplier effect as people have less disposable income

What are some benefits of deindustrialisation in the UK?

* changes in employment types
* lower levels of industrial pollution - air and water
* declining populations in some city regions
* investment in training and skills

restructuring of the economy

the change from one type of industry in an area to another - usually from manufacturing based to service based.

what is cyclical economic change?

frequent periods of boom and bust that economies go through

Why was the great financial crisis felt more in northern England?

* greater percentage of public sector workers
* in 2010 conservative government made public sector cuts
* incomes in the north reduced leaving people with less disposable income
* shops like BHS and Woolworths struggled to stay open
* This led to a spiral of decline on the Northern highstreets

How can governments reduce or reinforce patterns of social inequality?

through their spending, or cutting on key services:

* spending on education, pensions and healthcare
* spending on rural communication systems
* spending on infrastructural developments to support economic growth

How have governments reinforced inequalities in the UK in the past?

* beeching cuts (1963), jobs and rural connections lost as over 2000 stations were closed
* funding for large projects in different areas of the country

How are governments in the UK trying to reduce inequalities?

* HS2, aim to encourage business’ to develop in the North
* Northern powerhouse scheme
* Free access to tax funded health care system (NHS)
* Universal credit

How are places created through the place making process - what does reimaging, rebranding and regeneration mean?

The peacemaking process involves regeneration usually as a result of either -
- reimagine (creating a new mental image of the place)
- Rebranding (Marketing a place to give it a new identity)
- Regeneration (Long term process of improving the environ, social, econ aspects)

What are players?

individuals, groups or organisations involved in any geographical issue

What is placemaking?

creative, collaborative process that includes design, development, renewal or regeneration of urban or rural built environments

describe the role of governments and organisations in place making

1. Governments - invest in the infrastructure of a place, enabling change
2. TNC’s - provide investment that gives them the best return (e.g. a hotel or factory)
3. the EU - has provided large sums of money to regenerate declining areas in the UK

describe the role of planners (local authorities) and architects in place making

Local Authorities - develop local plans including elements of place such as housing developments, transport and amenities. These plans set the framework for new buildings or uses of land.

Architects - seek to enhance the built environment making an area more attractive to investment.

Together they aim to create mixed use communities.

What are mixed use communities?

Areas designated by planners and designed by architects -

**combines residential, commercial, cultural, or institutional functions into a building, block, or neighborhood**.

What are 24 hour cities?

‘cities that never sleep’ - develop 24hr rhythms, constant but differing uses throughout the day.

→ clubs, bars, gyms, fast-food outlets all open 24hrs

e.g. Transport systems in London operate throughout the night

What has led to the development of 24hr cities?

* population change, young professionals and international tourists create a need for night services
* rebranding areas that may be seen as scary or dangerous at night to a 24hr city to attempt to alter perceptions

What influence do local communities have in shaping places?

residents associations - tend to be concerned with housing, community and environmental matters (e.g. speed limits, community centre use)

heritage associations - the protection of history and character (e.g. the national trust, protecting buildings and architecture/landscapes)

social media - allows collaborative decision making (e.g. communities coming together to decide plans for land-use)

→ also allows individuals to contribute ideas and multiple ideas to be combined.

rebranding

changing the perceived image of a place for visitors and investors by marketing methods.

Re-imaging

using a variety of media to improve the perception of locations and make them more attractive to investors.

→ changing the way a place looks (art/advertisements)

Regeneration

the investment of capital and ideas to renew the infrastructure and built environment, and improve the environmental, social and economic condition.

Why do places rabrand?

* poor environmental quality
* economic change - deindustrialisation
* they have a acquired a negative brand
* conflict/historical corruption
* failing to attract sufficient investment

What are the three key elements of rebranding?

1. brand artefact - the physical environment
2. Brand essence - people’s experience of the place
3. Brandscape - comparison with competitor places

What are the 5 strategies for rebranding a place?

1. Market led
2. Top-down
3. Flagship
4. Legacy
5. Events

What is market led rebranding?

private investors take the lead (e.g. property developers)

→ gentrification is typical of this strategy

What is top-down rebranding?

large scale organisations, often public sector (e.g. local authorities planning sector)

What is Flagship rebranding?

large scale one off projects using distinctive architecture - usually aims to catalyse further investment.

What is legacy rebranding?

investment following a large sporting event (e.g. 2012 olympics)

What is events rebranding?

major festivals (e.g. those associated with the European Capital of Culture)

What elements are involved in rebranding places?

1. Architecture
2. Heritage
3. Retail
4. Art
5. Sport

How has architecture been involved in rebranding places? - give an example

It can be used to reinforce a particular heritage look or to promote the place as modern and forward looking. It can also alter how people use the place.

e.g. in Derry, flagship project building the peace bridge

How has retail been involved in rebranding places? - give an example

rebranding can be aided by retail developments as increased consumer spending influences the area.

e.g. in Liverpool, flagship shopping centre