CGP Place Studies

• Place Studies
• The distant place could be in the UK or abroad, but think carefully about how easy it will be to find information on the place
• Maps


  A good source for the basic characteristics of places - they can show the physical characteristics eg the location and topography, and some human characteristics, eg the built environment and infrastructure
• Ordnance Survey


  The UK's mapping agency providing a variety of types of map
• Google Maps

  Can be viewed online and can provide both maps and satellite images
• Google Street View


  Gives images at street level of many places round the world
• Historic maps are also available, which can be compared to modern maps to show change over time
• Net searches will allow you to find a wide variety of other sources about your places, such as local tourism websites, local government websites and news articles
• Central Liverpool

  • Located on the River Mersey, it was the commercial centre of Liverpool and a major port for global trade until the 1990s, leading to long-term deprivation. Recently though, Liverpool has been regenerated and was the European Capital of Culture in 2008
• Lerwick


  • The capital of the Shetland Islands, a slow and remote located on the east of the main island. It was populated by Vikings but has been part of Scotland since the 15th century. It has traditionally been a fishing town, but North Sea oil was discovered in the 1970s which, along with increases in tourism, has led to economic change
• Demographic characteristics


  About who the people are and what they're like - eg population size, density, age and gender structure, birth rate or ethnicity
• Demographic data can be found through the census, the Office for National Statistics website, and websites like Datashine.org and the Consumer Data Research Centre
• Central Liverpool


  • Had a population of 5,435 in 2011, with a young and working age population due to the high availability of work in the city, and a high proportion of residents
• Lerwick

  • Had a smaller population of 2,011, with a lower proportion of young and working age people compared to the national average
• Cultural characteristics


  About how people live their lives - eg the languages spoken, foods eaten, clothes worn, literature read, music listened to or the attitudes and beliefs people have
• Sources for cultural characteristics may be quantitative, eg census data, or qualitative, eg literature, music, travel writing or biographies
• Central Liverpool

  • Poetry and music are considered a key part of the local culture, with famous Liverpudlian poets and musicians like Roger McGough
• Lerwick


  • Has a distinct dialect of the Scots language that is influenced by Norwegian. The annual Up Helly Aa festival celebrates the Viking heritage of the Shetland Islands
• Economic characteristics

  To do with work and money - eg employment and unemployment statistics, income, types of jobs available, house prices
• Data on economic characteristics can be found through the census, the Office for National Statistics, and websites like CheckMyStreet.co.uk and uklocalarea.com
• Central Liverpool

  • Has a very high proportion of workers in managerial and professional occupations, and a low proportion in skilled trades and elementary occupations. This reflects the decline of the docks and manufacturing industries, and the rise of professional and office-based work as the city has been regenerated
• Lerwick


  • Has higher than average proportions of the workforce in skilled trades and elementary occupations, and lower than average proportions in managerial and professional occupations. This reflects the continued importance of the seafood industry in Lerwick - the catching, processing and sale of fish around the harbour employs many people
• Social characteristics

  To do with what people's lives are like - eg quality of life, level of deprivation, crime, access to healthcare, education and leisure facilities
• Compound indicators of social and economic characteristics, like the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), are a good overall indicator
• Data on health can be found on the Public Health Outcomes Framework website, and mapped crime data for local areas can be sourced at police.uk
• Central Liverpool


  • Has historically had high levels of deprivation, with areas of the city ranking among the most deprived in the country. There have also been issues with crime, including riots in 2011
• Lerwick

  • Has a very low crime rate - in 2012-2013 there were only 1,067 crimes reported for the whole of the Shetland Islands. However, some media reports have highlighted the rise of particular crimes, such as drug crime, in recent years
• Meaning and representation of place


  The lived experience of people in your places, both in the past and present, and how the places have been represented
• Sources that reflect the meaning and representation of places are likely to be qualitative, eg works of art, photographs, news articles, interviews, stories or poems
• Central Liverpool

  • Photographs of abandoned buildings like the Stanley Dock tobacco warehouse show the decline and dereliction of parts of the city, while the redevelopment of the Albert Dock presents a more vibrant and attractive image
• Lerwick


  • The annual Up Helly Aa festival celebrates the Viking heritage of the Shetland Islands, with local people involved in the preparations throughout the year. Images of the dramatic torch-lit procession help to communicate the lived experience of the people and create a sense of place
• It's important to be critical about the sources used - consider the strengths, weaknesses, biases and reliability of each one