Urban Issues and Challenges - London revision

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the capital city of the UK and the largest and wealthiest city. It has the fastest rise of earning and house prices, home to the royal family and the government. Internationally - London is one of the most important financial centres in the world. Is headquarters to large international companies, and a centre for media, education, research, culture, and entertainment. Also, it has the international port and airport. Which helps with global trade. 4. What does London's population look like? London has a population of 9,648,000 full of different cultures and beliefs. 5. How has London's population changed and how old is it? London's population is currently 9.5 million which increase by 1.22% in the last year. This is a slight drop in population over previous years where the percentage increase has been on an average of 1.3%. The population 1000 years ago was about 20,000. 6. The impact of national and international migration on the growth and character of the City of London? London has also been greatly affected by migration. Within the last 20 years, more UK residents moved out of London than moved into London. However, the large number of financial and knowledge-based job opportunities has attracted people from the rest of the world. 1 Opportunities of Urban change 1. How has urban change created opportunities? Social opportunities - chances for people to improve their quality of life, for instance access to education and healthcare. Economic opportunities - chances for people to improve their standard of living through employment. Environmental opportunities - Factors including nature, wildlife, habitats and the quality of the natural and built environment. 2. Urban growth has created opportunities in Stratford? Social - 10,000 new homes will be built in the park by 2030, neighbourhoods with lots of greens play space will be built and around 1/3 of those houses will be affordable also an all-through academy built Economic Stratford is now a well-connected area of London which allows commuters to travel to work easily. New jobs in construction and tourism have been created, creating a multiplier effect is estimated that over 20,000 jobs could be created by 2030, bringing more than £5 billion into the area. Cultural mix - One of the reasons London won the Olympic bid is because Newham was already a multicultural borough. Recreation & Entertainment - in array of restaurants, shops, bars, and services available. The East Village sits right next to Westfield Stratford City - Europe's largest urban shopping centre. There are also 35 acres of parks and gardens and a community hub. Employment - East Bank is going to be an area of employment. There are going to be 40,000 jobs by 2025 and the economy value is worth £5 billion. Integrated Transport Systems - Integrated transport systems mean that all the different forms of transport can link to one another. There are nine tube and train links working 24 hours and numerous bus and coach routes. 3. How much of London is green? Why is it good to have green cities? Around 47% of London is green including parks, woodlands, and royal parks. It's good to have green cities as it means more oxygen is produced, reduced flooding also its sustainable. 4. Urban growth has created opportunities in Stratford? Environment - the Olympic bid was partly successful based on sustainability, the park is sustainable in several ways e.g., walk and cycle routes, public transport and efficient design of homes. Urban greening - Rooftop green spaces have been created to grow plants and for living spaces. Canals, rivers, and river jetties have been used as significant water bird beat breeding roosts. Making major new building projects that take into consideration urban green spaces. 5. What strategies can be used to make London greener? Create more rooftop gardens, reuse rainwater for flushing toilets and irrigating trees, have a combined heat and power system 2 Challenges of Urban change 1. How has Urban change created challenges? After the closure of many of London Docks in the 1960s, thousands of people lost their jobs. Stratford, in the Lower Lee Valley, lies to the north of the London Docklands. It had to be one of the most deprived communities in the country, where unemployment was high, and levels of health were poor. There was a lack of infrastructure, and the Environmental Quality was poor. 2. The regeneration of the Olympic Park has created economic and social challenges? Urban deprivation - There are high levels of deprivation in East London. One of the reasons for this is it was an area of secondary industry. So, this area suffered from high unemployment leading to deprivation as people weren't paying taxes to help with development. Inequalities in housing - there are many problems faced with housing in London as it contains a wide variety financial background, so people struggle to find affordable housing Education - Children across London do not get equal exam grades, but some of the schools in London's poorest boroughs are amongst the fastest improving schools in the country. Generally, the schools in the poorest areas score the vest num of GCSE points per pupil. Health - The people in wealthy areas tend to live longer than those in the poorer areas of London. The census 2011 showed that the % of people reporting themselves as in not good health was also highest in the areas of lowest income. Employment - Despite the huge wealth found in London unemployment remains a major issue. London's employment rate was just 75.7 per cent in 2020, similar to the average of 75.6 per cent for the UK. The unemployment rate was 5.3 per cent compared with 4.8 per cent for the UK in 2020. 3. Urban growth has created challenges in Stratford? Dereliction - There is a sizeable supply of brownfield land in London, which to date remains untapped. In 2019 there were almost 3,000 brownfield sites in London, covering 2,600 hectares. The Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics is a good example of how derelict land can be brought back into use. Building on brownfield and greenfield sites - Housing is a big issue in the UK because it is a reasonably small country in terms of surface area which has a large and growing population. To make the problem worse, population is not evenly distributed across the UK with lower densities the further north you go and the highest densities in London and the Southeast. The result of this has been housing shortages in the SE and high property prices and rental costs. The number of households has increased 30% since 1971 due to more people living on their own, rising life expectancy and high net levels of immigration. Waste disposal - London suffers from air pollution, mainly due to the sheer size of the city, a dense road network and high buildings. This means that central London tends to be one of the most polluted places in the UK. London has failed many of the standards set by the EU and pollution can build up in London when anticyclones bring settled weather. 3 Urban sprawl 1. How has London changed over time? London's population is in a period of growth. It grew from just over 1 million in the 1801 census, to a peak of over 8.6 million in 1941. Following this period, the population of London went into decline, slipping to just over 6 million in 1991 2. How does urban sprawl work? As the population grows, there is a higher need for housing and services such as schools and hospitals. This means that the rural/urban fringe is pushed back to make space for the required buildings, taking over the countryside. 3. What are the causes of urban sprawl? The Burgess Model CBD Factories / Industry (transitional) Low Class Residential (old inner city area) Medium Class Residential (inter-war period) High Class Residential (modern suburbs) Decentralisation of offices - some offices from central London are relocating to business parks on the outskirts of the city. This is because its cheaper and in an unpolluted area, attracting employees Transport changes - faster train links mean that people can live in cheaper houses on the edges of the city where there is more green space Housing developments - from the 1950's council estates and new housing developments were built on the edge of London to combat the problem of overcrowding 4. What are the impacts of urban sprawl? New industry and business districts - industrial States and business parks have been built on the cheaper land on the rural slash urban fringe. This is because there are more room for these businesses to expand than in London. Social - The character of the rural community is lost as commuters start to bring city-style living to the commuter towns. Economic - Providing public transport for people to commute to the city is costly. Modern housing estates and retail parks and supermarkets are built in commuter towns changing the look and feel of area. Commuter towns are 'ghost towns' during day as all workers are in the city meaning there are no customers in shops nor services. City workers tend to earn more money than the original residents in commuter towns because the house prices increase as people sell to the richer city workers. Environmental - Wildlife habitats destroyed as new homes and services are built. More built services on previous green land meaning that floods are more likely because the rain can't soak through into the ground. 5. The growth of commuter settlements? As there are more and more people moving to the suburbs/outer city, it means there is more development happening in the area such as better transport, technology and road links meaning more people can live further from their place of work. However, the growth of commuter settlements comes with negatives such as an increase in air pollution and an increase of traffic congestion 4 Urban regeneration project 1. Where is the Olympic Park located? Olympic Park, Stratford, Newham, East London. The river Lea is a tributary of the Thames and flows through the Olympic Park. It was one of the most deprived part of London. The lower Lea valley lies north of the river Thames surrounded by 4 boroughs: Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Newham Lee Navic HACKNEY WICK Hackney Wicke Tumbling Bay Playground Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London Stadium STRATFORD Stratford International O STRATFORD.mm Stratford 2. Reasons why the area needed regeneration? - What obstacles had to be overcome? After the closure of many of London's docks in the 1960s, thousands of people lost their jobs. People left the area to look for jobs elsewhere. Between 1981 and 1998, the London Docklands underwent urban regeneration. Stratford in the Lower Lea Valley lies to the north of the London Docklands. It had one of the most deprived communities in the country, where unemployment was high, and levels of health were poor. There was a lack of infrastructure, and the environmental quality was poor. 3. Why was the London bid so successful? The bid was partly successful on the understanding that Stratford would be used during the games and regenerated for local people to use after the competitors had left. After the Olympic Games were over, the park was named the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and will forever hold its legacy. Also, because Stratford had a very big cultural mix and very diverse. 4. Main features of the project: Olympic Park built, the waste and industrial land were cleared, buildings and venues were built sustainably, public transport and infrastructure improved, waterways improved so it would suit the park 5 Features of sustainable urban living 1. Why do cities need to become sustainable? Urban environmental sustainability encourages revitalisation and transition of urban areas and cities to improve liveability, promote innovation and reduce environmental impacts while maximising economic and social co-benefits Curitiba, Brazil: Water - Cities should only use as much water that can be replaced naturally. Water conservation schemes Curitiba, Brazil Collecting rainwater for gardens and toilets Using dual flush toilets Government policies for; Installation of water meters Hose pipe bans Water meter so people pay for their water Education turn off taps when not in use, sensor taps Separate systems for non-drinking water Curitiba has reduced its water consumption to less than half of other Latin American countries. Energy - Fossils are running out, they contribute to climate changes, and they produce greenhouse gases. Curitiba, Brazil Government policies for; 2009 - Green Line transport system with dedicated bus lanes for biofuel buses. Energy conservation schemes Promoting renewable energy e.g., solar or wind. Make homes more energy efficient, e.g., solar panels. New homes should meet energy efficiency requirements. Encourage people to use public transport. Waste - Landfill is unsustainable as it wastes resources which could be used. There will be competition for space between landfill and housing. Landfill releases greenhouse gases. Waste recycling schemes Kerbside collections Recycling facilities which can take large items, e.g., fridges Streetlights have any energy efficient bulbs 84% of energy from HEP. Curitiba has reduced CO2 emissions to less than 65% of other Latin American countries. Using websites such as Freecycle Curitiba, Brazil Collects 100% of waste and recycle 70% of it 1989 - The green exchange programme, for every 4kg of recyclable waste residents receive 1kg of food or bus tickets 68,000 waste collected every year Green spaces - People can find cities unpleasant and stressful. Green spaces encourage people to stay, work and live. Green spaces schemes Curitiba, Brazil Encourage people to exercise and use bikes, better mental health, less stress. 2007 Government scheme to encourage preservation of green areas, to limit urban sprawl Provide cool areas to relax in hot weather. People who create parks are exempt from taxes. Reduce air pollution and reduce surface run off (less flooding). The city's 28 parks are designed to absorb flood water (so no flood defences). 6 Urban Transport Strategies 1. Background information: London is attempting to be sustainable by encouraging the use of public transport. To reduce traffic congestion, London has adopted and improved several schemes 2. How could transport strategies reduce traffic congestion? As more people go on public transport. It means less single use vehicles on the road, which means less traffic on the road and then it leads to less air pollution emitting into the atmosphere. 3. What could be the impacts of Crossrail be on London? This new underground line is being built east to West across the city, it will increase rail capacity in central London by 10% once completed. 4. Self service bikes and cycleways. Self-service bikes can be self-hired in many public places in London for as little as £2 for short journeys. This has encouraged many people to cycle, reducing traffic congestion. Also, the cycleways means that people have a safe easy route into the city. 7