case studies

• Cornwall is far from the economic core (6 hours to London by car). It has the lowest weekly wages in Britain (£329.30 in 2005), due to the decline in traditional employment.
• Cornwall employment in 1970s:

  • farming - mechanisation so fewer workers were needed
  • fishing - larger boats and maximum quotas
  • tin mining - cheaper imported tin
  • quarrying china clay - increased energy costs made it economically unviable

  Rural areas are producing less, so they are the post-production countryside. This has led to high unemployment.
• Remote rural areas are the periphery, which are poorly served by transport infrastructure. They are far from the core markets so there are fewer job opportunities. They suffer depopulation as young people leave to find work.
• The Eden Project took 2.5 years to be opened on 17 march 2001. It was built in an old quarry, and 2 biomes were built with a concert venue.
• Benefits of Eden Project:

  • 6 million visitors in 4 years
  • tourists spent £600 million in Cornwall in the first 3 years
  • locals own holiday cottages that are rented throughout the year
  • employs 400 staff full time, which are all recruited locally
  • 75% of staff were previously unemployed
  • 40% of staff are over 50
  • reduced unemployment by 6%
  • food and drink sourced locally, supporting farmers
  • 80% of local businesses affected positively
  • increases local economy, which increases spending power
• Negatives of Eden Project:

  • damage to the environment
  • increased traffic congestion from single lanes roads
  • littering
  • temporary jobs due to seasonality
  • house prices increased by second homes
  • Cornwall lost its character
  • locals compete for jobs with in-migrants
• curitiba - advantages:

  • 500 times cheaper than subway
  • growth in city centre and bus corridors
  • sustainable and cheap
  • reduces congestion
  • allows for urban expansion
  • lowest rates of air pollution in Brazil
• curitiba - negatives:

  • didn't adapt to changing usage patterns
  • overcrowded
  • services aren't accessible
  • growing favelas
  • empty bike lanes
  • 4.7 murders a day
  • decreased use of bus system of 4.3% in 4 years
• curitiba - function:

  • 2.7 million passengers a day
  • bus lanes
  • double accordion buses take 250 people
  • colour coding system
  • bus stations where people get on and off in 10 seconds as fares are paid prior
  • inter-district bus and small buses that lead to express routes