Untitled Flashcard Set
What is a place?
Dictionary - ‘a particular position, point, or area in space; a location’, or ‘a portion of space designated or available for or being used by someone
Tim Cresswell - ‘place is a way of seeing, knowing and understanding the world that allows us to grasp attachments and connections’
Anthony Giddens - ‘place is best conceptualised by the idea of ‘locale’ which refers to the physical settings of social activity as situated geographically’
Landscape - a portion of the earth’s surface that can be viewed from one spot, landscapes are viewed whereas place have much things to be inside of
Place profiling - a geographical method used to build a detailed understanding of a specific location, involving gathering qualitative and quantitative data to capture the ‘profile’ of a lace. A place profile may include demographics, socio-economic data, cultural characteristics, built environment, natural characteristics, historical and political context, perceptions and representation.
Examples:
Birmingham
Demographic - 1.15 million population, 42% BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic)
Socio-economic - unemployment rate 7.6%, 37% of children in poverty
Cultural characteristics - 22% Muslim, 46% Christian, known for music, arts and food culture
Llandudno
Demographics - 20,000 population, 30% over 65 (UK average 18%)
Socio-Economic - dependent on tourism economy, median income lower than UK average
Built Environment - Victorian seaside town, famous for the Great Orme and conservation of heritage buildings important to identity
Cultural Characteristics- Welsh spoke by 30%, traditional festivals and strong local identity
Quantitative way of distinguishing a place: population, GDPpc and house price
Qualitative way of distinguishing a place: what someone relates to a place (job/home), how happy a place makes someone, perception
What makes a place change over time? - migration, shift in industry and regeneration efforts
Places defined by objects -
Landmarks
Eiffel Tower associated with Paris and France
Big Ben associated with London
Colour
Red, White and Blue colours are the colours of many country’s flags but most associated with Britain, France and USA
Orange smoke when Max Verstappen wins for the Netherlands due to their long time association with the House of Orange, almost national colour despite it not being in the flag
What Influences changing places?:
Globalisation - the increasing interconnectedness of the world, leading to flows of goods, people, money and ideas.
London Docklands
Decline in shipping industry led to economic collapse and dereliction in the 1970s, although global investment through the London Docklands Development Corporation transformed Canary Wharf into a global financial hub
£12 bill in private investment led to 24,000 new homes, 85,000 new jobs.
Also led to gentrification, displacement of the working class communities
Deindustrialisation - decline of manufacturing industries in a region, often leading to unemployment and social challenges.
Sheffield
Once a global centre of steel production, during the 1980s-90s huge losses in jobs as steel moved abroad. In 1971, 50% of jobs were in manufacturing, by 2011 this dropped to 13%, urban decline in Attercliffe and other areas, but now undergoing regeneration through cultural and digital sectors
Government Policy and Investment - local or national government decisions that shape a place’s development through planning or funding.
Salford Quays, Manchester
Decline of Manchester docks in the 1990s led to investment in the area, creation of MediaCityUK in 2011, over 7,000 jobs created, high end apartments and modern transport links, as well as a new identity as a media and tech hub
BBC relocated here
Migration - movement of people into or out of a place can alter its demographics, culture and economy.
Southall, London
Major destination of South Asian immigrants since the 1950s, over 76% of population are BAME, known as ‘Little India’, economic boost through ethnic businesses but also challenges in housing and services
Technological Change - New technologies can transform the way places function, especially through communications and transport.
Cambridge Science Park
Developed in 1970s, 7,000 people employed in tech and research companies, boosted housing demand, rising housing prices (£500,000 in 2023),
Shift from a traditional university town to a global innovation centre
Studentification - the process by which areas become dominated by student populations, having significant social, economic and environmental effects on the local areas.
Swansea
Home to Swansea University and University of Wales Trinity Saint David, popular student resident areas include the Uplands, Brynmill and Mount Pleasant
Positive effect of studentification in Swansea
Students contribute significantly to the local economy through rent, shops, nightlife and services, bringing £245 mill annually to the local economy
Growth of businesses like cafes, bars and letting agencies tailored to student demand
Increased demand for rental properties leads to investment in housing stock
Negative effect of studentification in Swansea -
In Brynmill, 40% of houses are HMOs/ Houses in Multiple Occupation
Drives up rental prices, reducing housing availability for families and long-term residents
Leads to seasonal population changes, noise complaints, littering and anti-social behaviour
Long-term residents often feel displaced or isolated, which can reduce community cohesion
Durham
Home to Durham University one of the UK’s top universities, located in a relatively small city
Positive effect of studentification in Durham -
Significant investment in infrastructure, such as student accommodation, restaurants and public transport
University supports community initiatives - partnerships with local schools
£160 million annual student support to the local economy
University works with local council to manage housing balance and reduce tensions
Negative effect of studentification in Durham -
Property price inflation - student dominated area house prices increasing to over £250,000
Seasonal population patterns affect service provision - reduced demand in summer months
Environmental impacts of studentification
Overcrowding, pressure on waste and services
Brain Drain
A term for a significant emigration of educated/talented individuals
This may have resulted from turmoil within a nation or chances of improved standard of living elsewhere
Brain drain disproportionately affects doctors, scientists and engineers
Greece
2010-22 1.08 million working-age individuals left Greece, 10% of the total population
Greek population in UK nearly doubled from 35,000 to 75,000 in 2011-19
Impacts on Greece
loss of skilled workforce, emigration has caused shortage of professionals in critical sectors. The departure of skilled workers hampers economic recovery and growth
Impacts on UK
UK benefits from the influx of highly educated Greek professionals contributing to various sectors. Growing Greek community adds to the UK’s multicultural landscape
Nigeria
2023 - 10,639 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives were registered to practice in the UK
2015-2021 - number of Nigerian doctors moving to UK increasing, 1,347 doctors moved in 2019 alone
2023 - survey revealed 52% of Nigerian professionals are considering relocating abroad within a year
Impacts on Nigeria
Healthcare crisis, doctor to patient ratio at 1:50,000, WHO recommended is 1:600. Nigeria has lost £2 billion since 2010 due to the migration of doctors trained domestically.
Impacts on the UK
Nigerian healthcare professionals have alleviated staffing shortages on the NHS, the UK saves on training costs by recruiting already trained professionals from Nigeria
Poland
Polish born population in the UK increased from 60,711 in 2001 to 743,083 in 2021
As of 2018, Poles became the largest overseas-born group in the UK
Impacts of Poland
Emigration of workers led to gaps in the domestic labour market. Remittances from abroad contributed to Poland’s economic development
Impacts on the UK
Polish workers filled essential roles across various sectors. Poles have a significant input to the UK economy through labour and taxes
Brixton Pound
Money that sticks to Brixton, designed to support Brixton businesses and encourages local trade and production
It is a complementary currency, working alongside, not replacing, the pounds sterling.
It allows local traders to get together to support each other and maintain the diversity of the high street and strengthen the pride in Brixton
Launched in 2008 to help businesses during the financial crisis. Continuing to develop, blockchain currency introduced in 2021 thanks to a partnership with the Algorand Foundation
How does Foreign Direct Investment affect a place
FDI significantly influences the character and development of places by introducing capital, generating employment and facilitating technology transfer
Examples include:
UK Financial Services Sector
2023 UK attracted over £1 billion in FDI, resulting in 222 projects and nearly 7,000 jobs
2019-2023 secured (most) 697 projects surpassing Singapore with 590
Only 1.1% of UK businesses received FDI but these accounted for 4 million jobs and contributed 27% to the UK’s approximated gross value added
Impact on Place
FDI led to economic growth in Uk, creation of thousands of jobs has positively affected local communities and lowered unemployment rates. Cities outside of London also benefited, 40% of FDI located outside of the capital
Poland’s Special Economic Zones
By 2012, Polish SEZs reached approximately £23.3 billion
By 2014, SEZs in Poland employed 250,000 workers
SEZs attracted major industry players such as General Motors, Investment particularly in the automotive sector
Impact on Place
FDI led to the establishment of manufacturing plants, boosting industrial output. Influx of foreign companies provided employment opportunities, reducing regional unemployment rates. SEZs spurred the development of infrastructure
E.g. Katowice SEZ - attracted £10 billion in investment, created more than 85,000 jobs