L15 + L16 how urban change has created challenges in bristol

• many industrial buildings that are no longer in use have become derelict
• demand for new homes has led to urban sprawl
• the areas that have become run down are mainly in the inner city and where there is a concentration of redundant industrial buildings
• when the port function moved downstream from the city, many warehouses were abandoned and fell into decay
• stokes croft:

  • this inner city area consisted of high-density housing built in the 19th century for industrial workers
  • the area became notorious for its derelict housing and abandoned properties, including Perry's carriage works, which is now a listed building
  • many empty houses have been taken over by squatters and the area has suffered from riots and anti-social behaviour
• bristol city council obtained lottery grants to help improve the poor economic activity and environmental decay in the area
• activists and artists wanted to revitalise the area through community action and public art, it is now well known for its music, independent shops, nightclubs and numerous pieces of graffiti art
• there have been protests about the possible gentrication of the area, which would mean many local people would no longer be able to afford to live there
• bristols growing population towards the end of the twentieth century and the demolition of older areas of slum dwellings, have led to an increased demand for new housing
• bristol was heavily bombed during world war 2 and over 3200 houses were lost and 1800 badly damaged
• in 1955, 43 families per week were moving into brand new homes on new estates, many new homes were owned by the council, private houses were built on the edge of the city, extending its boundary
• urban sprawl has extended particularly to the North-west of the city, the new town of bradley stoke has extended the city to the north
• bristol has done well in developing brownfield sites, successful developments include Temple meads, templegate, harbourside and finzels reach
• between 2006 and 2013, only 6% of the new developments were on greenfield sites
• by 2026, over 30,000 new homes are planned on brownfield sites
• planned brownfield site developments will be high-density with an average of 210 houses per hectare compared to 60 on greenfield sites
• the amount of waste produced per head in bristol is 23% lower than the Uk average however, the city still produces half a million tonnes of waste per year, it is among one of the worst cities in the country in terms of the amount of food waste it produces
• strategies to reduce waste and therefore pollution include:

  • reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill
  • reducing the amount of waste generated per household by 15%
  • increasing the amount of waste recycling to 50%
• bristols population has grown by 9% since 2000 but in the same time period, amount of household waste decreased by twice that at 18%, this is mostly because of increasing the amount of recycling
• bristol has:

  • agreed higher targets with contractors who handle household waste
  • done more to teach pupils in school about the importance of recycling and how to recycle at home
  • introducing specialised kerbside collections and facilities for recycling different kinds of waste (food, plastics, cardboard, garden)
  • making technological improvements in recycling facilities to be able to cope with more waste
• bristols new strategies generate an income when recycled materials are sent to reprocessing plants in england and wales
• a recycling plant will create around 4.2 million litres of diesel each year by treating 6000 tonnes of waste plastics
• the avonmouth waste treatment plant treats 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, any non-recyclable waste is used to generate enough e;ectricity to meet the needs of nearly 25,000 homes in the bristol area
• vehicle emissions are the main causes of air pollution in the city
• bristol is the most congested city in england and the main bus routes are often the most polluted
• an estimated 200 people die in the city as a result of air pollution each year
• the prevailing winds are from the south west and at times, pollutants are blown all over the city from the industrial area around the port at avonmouth
• the whole of bristol city has been made a 'smoke control' area
• other plans to reduce city pollution include:

  • reducing speed limits on motorways around bristol and in residential areas (the M5, M4 and M32)
  • the frome gateway, a walking and cycling route to the city centre to encourage this instead of driving
  • an electric vehicle programme with charging points in 40 public parks
  • a smartphone app with information about public transport to make it easier to use
  • car sharing lanes to encourage less cars on the road by giving priority to full cars
• bristols eco friendly 'poo bus' is the first bus to be powered by human and food waste and will transport people between bath and brostol airport, the bus will run on bio-methane gas produced at a sewage treatment works, the eco bus can travel up to 186 miles on one tank of fuel, which takes the annual waste of around 5 people to produce
• a greenfield site is green land that doesnt have any houses already on
• a brownfield site has been built on before
• advantages of building on greenfield sites:

  • fewer cleanup costs
  • cheaper to purchase
  • expand city
  • dont need to demolish strctures
  • more job opportunities
  • blank canvas to work with
  • no limitations to size of property
• disadvantages of building greenfield sites:

  • ruins rural areas
  • contains green belt land
  • can have an impact on wildlife
  • urban sprawl encourages commuting
  • traffic congestion
  • can cause cities to merge
  • there is a lack of infrastructure
  • valuable farmland is lost
• advantages of building on brownfield sites:

  • reduces the need to build on greenfield sites
  • brings old buildings back to life
  • reduces eyesore in the city
  • the infrastructure is there already
  • conserves the historic environment
  • its easier to get planning permission
• disadvantages of building on brownfield sites:

  • costly to clear area
  • there is limited space
  • can cause more traffic congestion
  • can have an impact on existing communities
• bristols population, like most uk cities shows great social variations between different areas, these can be measured by looking at a range of factors that affect peoples lives including housing, education and health
• lack of investment in the city has led to social inequalities between different areas, in some areas there are high levels of social deprivation
• filwood:

  in 2010 a survey by bristol city council revealed that more then a third of people living in filwood and over half the children were in very low income households
• filwood:

  is in the top 10% of the most socially deprived areas in the country, bullying, crime, drug use, poor environment, lack of transport and dumped cars are all problems facing local residents