Human Geography Fieldwork
What makes Stratford a key economic hub?
- Economic hubs are where economic activity is concentrated (e.g. they often have lots of businesses)
- They have economic influence beyond the hub itself - for example, companies located in the hub may trade with companies in other countried
- They can occur at a range of scales from an entire region to a single street within a city
- However, economic hubs are often found in cities, or in other places where are is good transport and links with universities
- Many of the UKās economic hubs have a high concentration of tertiary and quaternary industries
Key Questions:
- How has land use changed since regeneration?
- How have services changed over time?
- How has the environment changed since regeneration?
Stratford is situated in East London, in the borough of Newham. Investment in this area is due to the 2012 Olympics and the spread of regeneration from Docklands. The area has good transport links, making it convenient and accessible.
MULTIPLIER EFFECT - The opposite of the spiral of decline - there is more money, leading to more businesses. The area improves and āmultipliesā.
History of Stratford:
- The main industry in the 1700s was agriculture - the area was famous for growing potatoes
- These potatoes were taken to markets in central London by boat using the river and canal networks
- The area became industrialised in the 1800s due to its proximity to London as well as a water source and the land being cheap + flat
- Train lines were built to transport goods
- The industry moves to Asia in the mid 1900s and factories close down, resulting in a spiral of decline
- Jobs are reduced, leading to an increase in crime and a decrease in general quality of life
- Regeneration begins around 2005 when it was decided that Stratford would host the London 2012 Olympics
- Other business were attracted to Stratford - Westfield, which opened in 2011, offered more than 2500 jobs
- There was a reinvestment in transport and the DLR came
| HAZARD | CONTROL | RISK LEVEL |
|---|---|---|
| Transport | Be vigilant and observant - use road crossings | Low |
| People | Donāt talk to strangers - stick with the group | Low/Medium |
| Wildlife | Stay away from animals and plants | Low |
| Falling Over | Be observant of your surroundings, use the first aid kit | Medium |
| Crime | Stay safe | Low |
| Weather | Check the weather beforehand and wear appropriate clothing | Low |
Which key questions do each method help to answer?
- Service/Employment count (1, 2)
- Landuse Mapping (1, 2)
- Taking Pictures (1, 2, 3)
- Questionnaire (1, 2, 3)
- Environmental Quality Survey (3)
- Field Sketch (1, 2, 3)
RANDOM SAMPLING:
- Least biased of all sampling techniques because there is no subjectivity - each member of the total population has an equal chance of being selected
- Can be obtained using random number tables
ADVANTAGES - Can be used with large sample populations, Avoids bias
DISADVANTAGES - Can lead to poor representation if large areas are not hit by the random numbers generated, There may be practical constraints in terms of time available and access to certain parts of an area
SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING:
- Samples are chosen in a systematic or regular way
- They are evenly distributed in a spatial context - for example, every two metres along a transect line
- They can also be at regular intervals in a temporal context - for example, every half hour or at set times of the day
- They can be regularly numbered - for example, every 10th house or person
ADVANTAGES - More straight-forward than random sampling, A grid does not have to be used, A good coverage of the study area is more easily achieved
DISADVANTAGES - More biased becuase not everything has an equal chance of being selected, Could lead to over or under representation of a particular pattern
STRATIFIED SAMPLING:
- Used when the parent population or sampling frame is made up of sub-sets of known size
- These sub-sets make up different proportions of the total
- Sampling should be stratified to ensure that results are proportional and representative of the whole
ADVANTAGES - Can be used with random/systematic sampling and with point/line/area techniques, Generates results which are more representative of the whole population
DISADVANTAGES - The proportions of the sub-sets must be known and accurate if it is to work properly
ACCURACY - Knowing how to use equipment and surverys correctly so that the data is correct
RELIABILITY - Making sure you follow a plan so that someone else can repeat the investigation
VALIDITY - Making sure what you decide to measure will help to answer the enquiry question
LIMITATIONS - How time, location and resource use could be improved on next time
BIAS - How the data might be affected by someoneās opinion