Geography - Rural-urban links

Why are rural and urban areas closely linked?

Cities provide a central place for employment and recreation for those living in nearby towns and villages who do not have the same level of opportunity.

How are rural and urban areas linked?

• Major roads and other transport routes (eg. rails) will link smaller areas to the city

• There will be daily flows of people, goods and money between the different areas

Sphere of influence

• The area affected by a city

• These effects can be positive or negative

• Decay over space, so the further away you are the lesser effects the city’s influence will have

Positive spheres created by large urban areas like London

• Sociocultural events, diversity

• Educational and employment opportunity

• Tourist attractions

• People drawn in from large distances, providing jobs and helping to improve public transport from surrounding areas to the urban centre

Negative spheres created by large urban areas like London

• Pollution

• High energy and water consumption

• Surrounding areas may see a decline in use of services and thus their revenue as people are drawn to the choice available in larger urban areas.

Counter-urbanisation

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

• They want to live within the sphere of influence of a city without being in the city itself

Why might people want to leave the city and live in a nearby more rural area?

• Access to all the city has to offer while avoiding the problems that can come from living there

• Still benefit from what living in more rural areas offers

What might push people from urban areas?

• Higher crime rate

• Pollution

• Higher population density

• Expensive cost of living

• Fewer green areas and less space

• Might lack a sense of close community

How has counter-urbanisation affected commuting patterns in the UK?

• In some areas the number of people commuting has increased as more people move out of the city

• Average commuting distances has increased as examples of extreme commuters are more common

• Commuting times have also increased as there are more cars on the road and more congestion

• Some people only commute occasionally, preferring to work from home from their rural homes

Issues created by commuting

• Increased congestion due to more vehicles on the road, leading to increased air pollution

• Overwhelming public transport

• Increased traffic accidents due to more vehicles on the road

Solutions suggested for issues caused by commuting

1. Congestion charging: charge for driving vehicle within a certain window of time (usually on weekdays.) Encourages use of public transport, reduce congestion and pollution. May be unaffordable, impact the car sales industry or overwhelm public transport.

2. Improved public transport: Make public transport more attractive and accessible by increasing number of stations, introducing discounts etc. Reduce pollution, cheaper than private transport. May become overcrowded.

3. Bike hire: Environmentally friendly, appeal to physical and mental wellbeing, reduce crowding on public transport, reduce traffic, convenient, relatively cheap, quicker than cars. May not be cycling routes, some cannot cycle.