connection, economic & social characteristics

• What are 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
• What are industrial connections?

  • places can have long histories with certain industries
  • Middlesbrough’s industrial growth was initially driven by iron ore deposits. These are now exhausted
  • The iron and steel industry has declined due to deindustrialisation. This has left high unemployment levels in Middlesbrough
• What are local enterprise organisations, what do they do?

  Organizations that support and promote local businesses and entrepreneurship.

  • Local charitable trusts funding local initiatives 
  • E.g. The Teesside Charity provides social and economic opportunities for the long-term unemployed, those living in poverty and the homeless
  • Local tourism boards work to promote the area to visitors
• Where do TNCs like to invest?

  1. Infrastructure and Connectivity: TNCs often prefer locations with well-developed infrastructure, including transportation networks, communication facilities, and access to ports or airports.
  2. Cost of Living and Operating: Cities with a lower cost of living and operating can be attractive to TNCs. This includes factors such as real estate costs, taxes, and labor costs.
• What are insiders?

  people who feel at home in the place and perhaps were born there

  hold citizenship for the place

  fluent in the local language and conform with idioms (language relating to a specific culture or location)

  conform with social norms common in the place
• What are outsiders?

  the opposite of insiders - feel as if they don't belong in the place

  perhaps don't belong to the main ethnic group of a community, e.g. an immigrant family

  the shops and restaurants along the high street may not be familiar to them - they may find it hard to find particular foods from their origin country - the architecture of buildings may be different

  these feelings of unfamiliarity may change in the long-term - family starts to integrate into society
• When may perspective of a place change?

  large influxes of people into an area can change the characteristics of a place

  the high street may change as shops and restaurants adapt over time to cater for new cultures, which can make the original residents begin to feel like outsiders as their surroundings become unfamiliar