GCSE geography manchester 🌆

LOCATION & BACKGROUND

  • Located in the North West of England

  • Population: 3 million in Greater Manchester

  • One of the UK’s largest cities

  • Known as the “Capital of the North” — a major business hub far from London

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE

  • National Importance

    • Transport links: major railways, M60 motorway, extensive tram system

    • Manchester Airport: connects UK + world

    • Universities: 5 universities attract students nationwide

    • Historical importance: key city in the Industrial Revolution

  • International Importance

    • Manchester Airport: global connections

    • Music: famous for bands like Oasis

    • Football: home to 2 major clubs (Man United & Man City)

    • Universities draw international students

    • Business hub with global investment

MIGRATION IN MANCHESTER

  • National Migration

    • Rural → Urban migration during Industrial Revolution

    • People moved for factory jobs and better opportunities

  • International Migration

    • Eastern European migrants (e.g., Poland, Latvia) after 2004 EU expansion

    • Modern migration due to universities, creative industries, tech, and culture

  • Push & Pull Factors

    • Push: unemployment, low wages, rural poverty, conflict, poor education

    • Pull: job opportunities, better wages, universities, culture, established communities

MULTICULTURALISM — PROS & CONS

  • ✅ Pros

    • Balances ageing population (younger migrants)

    • Contributes to economy (local + national)

    • Improves skill levels where there are job shortages

    • Hardworking workforce

    • Integrates into community

    • Enriches culture and diverse lifestyles

    • Multicultural food (Curry Mile, Chinatown)

    • Festivals like Pride and Diwali boost inclusivity

  • ❌ Cons

    • Competition for housing

    • English as a second language – harder to access jobs and education

    • Pressure on services (healthcare, schools, transport)

    • Job competition in low-skilled sectors

    • Strain on council funding

    • Social tension/segregation between communities

    • Traffic congestion and waste

    • Air pollution

    • Exploitation of workers (low wages, poor conditions)

    • Overcrowded schools

URBAN CHANGE IN MANCHESTER

  • 🧠 SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES

    • LGBTQ+ community supported (Canal Street, Pride events)

    • Cultural diversity – Curry Mile, Chinatown, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese restaurants

    • Retail + leisure – Trafford Centre, entertainment, and nightlife

  • 💼 ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

    • Over 35,000 jobs created through regeneration

    • Universities attract global students and research

    • MediaCityUK – major employer in tech + creative industries

  • 🌱 ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES

    • Urban greening – more parks + trees

    • Sustainable transport – trams, cycling routes, electric buses

    • Regeneration of brownfield sites instead of countryside

CHALLENGES IN MANCHESTER

  • 🌳 ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

    • Waste: 1.1 million tonnes of waste each year

    • Over 1 million houses to collect from

    • Fly-tipping, vandalism, old buildings breaking in

    • Air pollution: 1,000 deaths yearly from car fumes

    • 75% of pollution from road transport

    • Solutions:

    • Tax breaks for businesses on brownfield sites

    • Natural composting

    • Thermal Recovery Facility (Bolton): burns waste at 850^ extrm{o}C → produces 7 ext{MW} energy powering 7,000 homes

    • 43 waste + recycling schemes

    • Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone

    • Metrolink + cycling lanes to cut car use

  • 💸 SOCIAL INEQUALITIES — Miles Platting vs Trafford

    • Summary: Big wealth gap and education inequality between neighbourhoods, making it harder to find jobs in deprived areas and contributing to a cycle of poverty.

    • Factor Comparisons:

    • Life expectancy: Miles Platting (69 years) vs Trafford (78 years)

    • Education: Miles Platting (3× more likely to have no qualifications) vs Trafford (78% go to uni)

    • Employment: Miles Platting (13% higher unemployment) vs Trafford (Easier to find good jobs)

    • House prices: Miles Platting (£80,000) vs Trafford (£180,000)

    • Crime rate: Trafford (20% lower than Miles Platting)

URBAN TRANSPORT SCHEMES

  • Metrolink Tram System:

    • Opened 1992

    • Around 30 million journeys a year

    • Affordable tickets (£ few)

    • 1 ext{ km} access for all residents

  • M60 Orbital Motorway:

    • UK’s only full orbital motorway

    • Reduces congestion, connects towns

    • Smart Motorway: Cameras + digital signs adjust speed limits for safety

  • Cycling initiatives:

    • Bee Network aims to create UK’s largest cycling + walking network

URBAN GREENING IN MANCHESTER

  • 1/5th of Manchester = green space

  • Northern Forest:

    • 50 million trees

    • £500 million cost

    • Creates jobs

    • Carbon sink, flood prevention, cleaner air

  • Spinningfields:

    • 30% green space

    • Open areas for workers’ breaks

    • Trees in pots used as bollards

  • Oxford Road Symphony Park:

    • Green roof, trees, near universities

    • “City Trees” technology: Artificial moss walls that absorb CO₂

BROWNFIELD VS GREENFIELD SITES

  • Brownfield

    • Pros: Close to jobs, existing infrastructure, no habitat loss, sustainable reuse

    • Cons: Land may be contaminated, congestion, demolition waste

  • Greenfield

    • Pros: Cheaper land, easier design, more space

    • Cons: Habitat loss, urban sprawl, derelict inner-city areas left behind

  • Examples:

    • Salford Quays = brownfield redevelopment

    • Wythenshawe suburbs = greenfield expansion

REGENERATION PROJECT — SALFORD QUAYS → MEDIACITYUK

  • 🕰 BACKGROUND

    • Originally a cotton mill + docks area

    • Declined after 1960s when cheaper cotton was imported from India

    • Docks closed in 1982 → dereliction, unemployment, poor housing

    • 1990s urban renewal: tower blocks demolished, new housing (flats, terraces, detached), improved transport, sense of community

    • Example of gentrification

  • 🧍 SOCIAL IMPACTS

    • Pros: 26,000 jobs created; Uni of Salford provides training for media careers; 23,000 more jobs than before the docks closed

    • Cons: Limited affordable housing; Some residents displaced (not enough replacement homes)

  • 💼 ECONOMIC IMPACTS

    • Pros: Over 900 businesses; Higher tax revenue for city; Links to Salford Uni + job growth

    • Cons: Few unskilled jobs; Expensive area widens economic gap

  • 🌿 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

    • Pros: Urban greening + reuse of brownfield land; 2021 net zero carbon status; 300 bike racks + tram access encourage sustainable travel

    • Cons: Limited renewable energy (no solar); Construction pollution; Few green roofs or natural habitats

SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN MANCHESTER

  • Goal: Carbon neutral by 2038

  • Strategies:

    • Urban greening + green roofs

    • Expanding Metrolink + Bee Network

    • Recycling + waste management

    • Energy-efficient