L11 a case study of bristol

• bristol is the largest city in the south-west of england
• bristol has a population of approximately 440,500
• bristols population is expected to reach half a million by 2029
• bristol is one of the Uk's 11 core cities
• the 11 core cities are: glasgow, belfast, newcastle, leeds, manchester, scheffield, liverpool, nottingham, birmingham, bristol and cardiff
• bristol borders north somerset and south gloucestershire with the cities of bath to the south east and gloucester to the north east
• bristol is connected to london directly via the M4 and other cities in the south, midlands and north via the m5 and M6 and the M4 west to wales
• bristol temple meads and bristol parkway are the mainline rail services connecting to other major population centres with bristol airport to the south-west of the city and the avonmouth and royal portbury docks 7 miles downstream of the city
• bristol is surrounded by the cotswold hills and the mendip hills
• bristol has 2 universities
• bristol has the largest concentration of silicon chip manufacture outside california (industry)
• bristol has two cathedrals - Bristol (anglican) and Clifton (roman catholic) (religion)
• bristol is the eighth most popular city for foreign visitors, attractions include the SS great britain and Bristol zoo (tourism)
• bristolo has several theatres and music venues including bristol old vic theatre it is also home to the animators who created wallace and gromit (culture and entertainment)
• bristol developed in the eighteenth century as part of the triangular trade linking west africa and the west indes
• around 700,000 cars are imported to the port of bristol from japan, germany and korea each year
• bristol has recently experienced lots of economic and social change
• bristol holds a strategic position on the M4 corridor with good road and rail links and easy access to london and rail and ferry services to london
• bristol airport links the city to major european centres and the USA
• there has been a change from dependence on traditional industry like tobacco and paper, to the development of global industries such as financial and business services, defence, aerospace, technology, culture and media
• there has been a high level of inward investment, including FDI (foreign direct investment) in manufacturing companies (BMW), finance and high-tech businesses
• bristol university attracts students from all over the world, providing graduates for professional, managerial and knowledge based jobs