Theme 2

• Rural area


  An area of countryside characterised by wide open spaces
• Urban area


  A built-up environment where a lot of people live
• Population density


  The average number of people per square kilometre. Usually expressed as densely or sparsely populated
• Location


  A particular place or position
• Population


  The number of people living in an area
• Urban-rural continuum


  A continuum along which all settlements are placed
• The human landscape of the UK is as diverse as the physical environment
• Rural areas are characterised by sparse or low population densities whereas urban areas are busy built-up environments with a higher population density
• Both rural and urban environments are linked and influenced by each other
• As a settlement moves along the continuum from rural to urban it develops more functions and provides more services
• Services provided in a small village

  • Post office
  • Small shop
  • Bus stop
• Services provided in a city

  • Shopping centres with many chain stores
  • Entertainment centres such as theatres and cinemas
  • Pub
  • Church
  • Variety of restaurants and bars
  • Range of medical facilities including a hospital
• The services actually provided in any city will depend on the individual city and its location in relation to other urban areas
• Sphere of influence


  A region within which an urban area provides an important economic and social influence
• The infrastructure and transport links between the urban and rural areas


  The more widespread and efficient the road and rail networks are, the wider the sphere of influence
• The distance from the urban area

  The influence is greater the closer a rural settlement is to the city
• The size of the urban area

  The sphere of influence will be greater for a large city than a small town
• Liverpool is a large city on the north-west coast of England, close to the north-eastern border of Wales. It is the closest, largest urban area to north-east Wales, with a population of 467,250
• Glyn Ceiriog is a small village of 800 people in north-east Wales, within Liverpool's sphere of influence
• Services available in Glyn Ceiriog

  • Two shops (including a post office)
  • Pharmacy
  • GP's surgery
  • Two places of worship
  • Hotel
  • Pub
• Residents of Glyn Ceiriog need to go outside the settlement for many services, for example to buy anything that the local stores could not provide. Wrexham and Chester offer a variety of retail stores, but for a larger choice Liverpool city centre has a range of major shopping areas
• In rural areas, access to healthcare is also restricted and for specialist health services the residents of Glyn Ceiring would need to travel to Wrexham and Liverpool
• Counter-urbanisation


  The movement of people out of towns and cities to rural areas
• Reasons for counter-urbanisation


  • Housing: the type and style of homes people want are more available and affordable in rural areas
  • Family status: with increased income or family size, people may look for larger properties in rural locations
  • Transport: improved road and rail links, together with the increase in car ownership, enable people to live in a different location and travel to their place of work
  • Employment: a decline of industry being located in central urban areas and an increase of industry on the rural-urban fringe improves access from rural locations
  • Social factors: factors such as a low crime rate and good schools often lead to people moving out of urban areas
  • Environmental factors: increased noise and air pollution in urban centres cause people to seek 'cleaner' environments to live in
• The impact of counter-urbanisation varies greatly and depends on the type of rural area that people are moving to
• Impacts of counter-urbanisation on accessible rural areas

  • An increase in house prices due to higher demand
  • A decrease in traditional services (village shops) due to residents doing their shopping at larger urban supermarkets. There may be an increase in non-traditional village services such as a crèche
  • Fewer people in the village during the daytime
  • An increase in the numbers of children attending rural schools
  • Increased amounts of traffic and associated pollution on rural roads
  • Loss of villager identity' as the majority of residents do not work in the village
• Remote rural area


  An area of the countryside that is far away from urban centres
• Remote rural areas have experienced a lot of negative change in recent years, leading to depopulation in many villages and a high level of poverty and deprivation experienced by the villagers who remain
• Deprivation


  The lack of key features that are regarded as necessary for a reasonable standard of living
• Cycle of deprivation


  The cycle where a family living in poverty is unable to improve its lifestyle due to the negative factors of low income, poor housing and education, which keeps it in a state of poverty
• Characteristics of deprivation in rural areas

  • Lack of public transport
  • Lack of healthcare services
  • Lack of education services
• Too few rural jobs

  Reduced demand for rural shops & services
• Declining rural population


  Even lower demand for rural jobs and services
• With the increase of online grocery shopping and home delivery services by many supermarkets, village shops are under even more pressure to close
• Reduction or removal of bus services due to few people using them
• Primary jobs


  Jobs that involve getting raw materials from the environment, for example fishing, mining and farming
• Tertiary jobs


  Jobs that provide a service, for example teaching, medical
• Commuter belt


  The area around a town or city where people travel to work in the urban area
• Depopulation


  The reduction in the population of an area
• Creating sustainable rural communities is the aim of all local planners