4.3A Regional and national influence

• Regional and national influences shape the social and economic characteristics of places, both through past and present connections
• Transport connections:

  • Larger settlements often have multiple transport routes e.g. motorways, rail
  • Reading is a preferred location for high-tech industries
  • It is within the M4 corridor and close to Heathrow
  • It has several principal railway routes
• Settlement connections

  • Major settlements nearby can offer opportunities for collaborative working e.g. 
  • Universities working together to address common challenges (climate change)
  • Sharing of resources to attract investment and develop industries
• • National policies
  • Different migration policies may impact the demographics 
  • E.g. the Windrush Generation
  • The Northern Powerhouse Initiative (2010-15) was a scheme designed to boost economic growth and productivity in northern cities
  • UK’s Green Belt policy aims to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land around major urban areas open and undeveloped