london case study

• The population and cities of the UK are not evenly distributed. The population density is also uneven. Northern Scotland and the upland areas of England and Wales tend to be sparsely populated so contain few people. 
• London can stake a claim to be the world’s greatest city, it is certainly one of the most globalised, connected and influential places on planet earth even if it isn’t the largest city by area or population size.London can be found in the South East of England, located on the River Thames which has been influential in its growth, and in the centre of the densest population of the UK.  It also hosts the parliament of the UK.
• Within Europe, London is part of Europe’s economic core, the area producing the majority of the GDP or wealth of Europe.  London also has a Global reach, through its major airports Heathrow and Gatwick, and its economic pull via the City of London and the Stock Exchange.
• London- Location and population• population is 12.5% of the UK’s on just 0.6% of the land• It is predicted to go beyond its highest population soon and was at 8.98 million in 2019• 117,500 babies were born in London in 2019• The wider London area has a population of over 9 million people• It is the world’s 10th largest Capital city
• • london-Travel Hub
  • Heathrow carried 80 million passengers in 2019,  more than all the other airports put together. It connects to cities all over the world
  • London has several major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, City and London Stansted
  • 700,000 bike journeys are made every day in the capital.
  • Public transport journeys have increased by 40% since 2000-
• london - Tourism

  • London is one of the most visited cities in the world
  • London has one of the highest tourist spend in the world with $15.73 billion in 2019
  • 19.8 million people visited London in 2018
  • 19, 930 jobs in London are reliant upon Tourism (2019)
• Finance

  • Londoners earn £736 a week on average,  £152 more than the UK average (2019)
  • Londoners spend £658 a week to live—£106 more than the UK average.
  • The average London house price went above £667,000 in 2020 compared to a national average of £232,000
  • London has the 5th largest city economy
  • London accounts for 27.5% of the Gross Value added of the UK in 2018
• Education:

  • London has 40 higher education institutions including some of the World’s top universities
  • 410,000 students attend these institutions
  • 125,000 international students study in London (2019)
  • London represents one-third of higher education institutions nationally
  • Over 50% of Londoners have a degree
• Business:

  • In 2019 London had the highest number of businesses per 10,000 resident adults in the UK.
  •  In London 11.2% of companies had a turnover of at least a million pounds compared to 9% for the rest of the UK
  • home to 15 of the head offices of the 250 largest companies in the world
  • over 50% of the UK's 100 largest companies have their headquarters in central London.
• Jobs:

  • 1.1million people commute to London for work every day
  •  5.3 million jobs in London at the start of 2018
• Cultural diversity:

  • Over 2 million Londoners do not speak English at home
  •  3 most common languages spoken at home other than English are Bengali, Urdu and Polish
  • 44% of Londoners are from Black, Asian or minority ethnic group
  • over 300 languages spoken daily
• Green space:

  • 65% of London’s land is either gardens, public green space or water
  • 223 of London’s Parks and green spaces hold Green Flag awards
  • London has 8 Royal Parks
• causes of growth:

  
  

  • Internal migrants into London tend to be in the age groups 20 -30, whilst those who tend to leave are over 30 or children.  This means that generally people migrate into London for work; and leave when they start having families.
  • International net migration has been positive from 1994- 2018, so there were more foreign born people moving into London than out of it
  • Positive natural increase- higher birth rates than death rates per 1000 people per year
• social and economic opportunities- cultural mix

  • multiculturalism can be viewed in both a positive light and as something that can pose problems that need careful management.
  • The increasing interconnections of the city and the ever moving populations of our planet via migration mean that most cities like London around the globe especially in HICs have huge numbers of people of all different races, religions and culturesThe UK has huge numbers of cultures and races, as well as white British people there are huge numbers of migrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Canada,
• s&e opportunities- cultural mix pros:

  • enriches huge areas of London cultural life, from the amazing array of food that is available on nearly every high street in London to the music variety we have (the BBC's Asian Radio channel is a great example of this). 
  • exposure of other religions, languages and cultural parties. London also benefits from huge cultural events celebrating this multiculturalism, such as the Notting Hill Carnival.  The cultural mix in London also highlights what a broadly tolerant and Liberal people the citizens of the London are.
• s&e opportunities- cultural mix cons:

  • One of the big issues for London and other parts of the UK is INTEGRATION.  To ensure that all new peoples moving to London and other parts of the UK can converse properly in English, mix with other groups and have access to all of the advantages of living in London.
  • Another issue is ghettoes, how to prevent economically poorer cultural groups living in the poorest parts of our cities. 
  • Language is another issue, and many public services such as schools and hospitals have to provide language translation services.
• s&e Opportunity - Recreation and entertainment

  • huge number of cultural attractions like the British Museum and the National Gallery. 
  • West End where a huge number of shows can be seen and tourist attractions such as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. 
  • huge number of concert and cinema venues and lots of sporting events like the Oxford-Cambridge Boat race, the Wimbledon Tennis Open, and even hosted the Olympics.
  • mix of bars, restaurants and street entertainment common of most large cities then London has a great select of recreation and entertainment.
• s&e oppurtunity- employment:

  • Productivity in London is 40% higher than the UK average
  • London accounts for 27.4% of the Gross Value added of the UK in 2018 at £425 billion.
  • London was responsible for 05 per cent of the total UK GVA from the financial and insurance activities sector in 2018
  • London houses a major world financial centre and a range of business specialisms which attract a highly skilled workforce.
• s&e oppurtunities- transport

  • heavily developed and integrated transport system
  • Greater London and rest of the UK is well connected to central london
  • public transport accounts for 25% of London's journeys
  • TFL controls main public transport within London, using the oyester (or credit) card system.
• The richest 10% of people in London have 60% of all assets whilst the poorest 80% of the population share just 20% of all asset wealth in London• In 2020 a huge 28% of Londoners lived in poverty, 2.5 million peopleThese huge differences in wealth result in big differences in people’s access to and success with in housing, education, health and employment
• challenges in london- housing:

  House prices and rents are higher in London than any other part of the country.  More people in London rent than own their house and those that rent pay more than half their weekly pay in rent. The average London house price went above £667,000 in 2020 compared to a national average of £232,000.At the same time as those who live in poor quality, small rented accommodation, there are people living in some of the most expensive properties on the planet.
• london challenges- education:

  Children across London do not get equal exam grades, but some of the school’s in London’s poorest boroughs are amongst the fastest improving schools in the country.  Generally, the schools in the poorest areas score the lowest GCSE scores per pupil.
• london challenges- health:

  The people in wealthy areas tend to live longer than those in the poorer areas of London.  The census 2021 showed that most people reporting themselves as in “Not good health was also highest in the areas of lowest income.
• london challenges- employment:

  Despite the huge wealth found in London unemployment remains a major issue. London’s employment rate was just 75.7% in 2020, similar to the average of 75.6% for the UK. The unemployment rate was 5.3% compared with 4.8% for the UK in 2020.
• The wealthier areas of London with have fewer people declaring they are in very bad health, fewer long term unemployed and lower percentages of deprived people. This is the opposite in poorer areas. 
• Urban decline is the deterioration of the inner city often caused by lack of investment and maintenance. It is often but not exclusively accompanied by a decline in population numbers, decreasing economic performance and unemployment.
• Urban deprivation is a standard of living below that of the majority in a particular society that involves hardships and lack of access to resources. Places suffering from urban deprivation have visible differences in housing and economic opportunities been the rich living alongside poor people.
• Despite the large wealth found in parts of London many areas suffer from both Urban Decline and the people suffer from deprivation.  It is particularly hard for the poorest people to have a decent standard of living because the prices of many things are more expensive, especially rents which account for a huge proportion of peoples incomes. 

  Areas like Newsham, Barking and Dagenham and Tower Hamlets have the highest unemployment rates in the capital.
• The edges of cities are known as the rural urban fringe.  There has been increasing building in these areas because of housing pressure.  The growth outwards of our cities into these regions is known as URBAN SPRAWL
• london challenge - impact of urban sprawl on the rural–urban fringe

  • Extra cost to tax payers – the public help to pay for infrastructure to allow building developments to go ahead.
  • Increased Traffic – extra people in these areas means that there is more traffic on the roads, and there is more air pollution and accidents
• urban sprawl+ rural urban fringe:

  • Health Issues – travelling by car causes health issues as there is no physical activity being done
  •  Environmental Issues  -sprawling cities consume land, and this displaces animals from their habitat
  • Impact on Social Lives – people in sprawling communities can often live further from their neighbours, this can cause isolation.
• Greenfield site – a term used to describe any area of land that has not been developed previously.

  Brownfield site – an old industrial or inner city site that is cleared for a new building development.
• brownfield and Greenfield sites

  population is not evenly distributed across the UK with lower densities the further north you go and the highest densities in London and the South East.  Resulting in housing shortages in the SE and high property prices and rental costs.

  the trend towards smaller family units and the demand for people to live at the edge of the city has put incredible pressure on the countryside. land is cheaper and often more accessible at the edge of the city means that Light industry, High Tech Industry and retail like to locate there.
• Advantages of greenfield sites:

  • There is no need to clean up the site from previous land uses therefore can work out cheaper.
  • Existing road networks are not in place so don't restrict planning
  • They are often on the edges of cities where land is cheaper
  • Planners and architects have a blank canvas to work with
  • More space is available for gardens
  • The edge of city countryside environment can appeal to buyers and businesses.
  • Sites on the edge of the city are often close to major motorways providing great access
• Advantages of brownfield sites:

  • It is more sustainable as existing developed land is being used
  • They stop city expansion as they are already within the city - this stops the loss of countryside and reduces journey times as the city is more compact
  • Road networks already exist, as do electricity and gas networks, although these may need updating
  • It is easier to gain planning permission as councils are keen to reuse the brownfield sites.
  • The sites are closer to the CBD for shopping and job opportunities
• London suffers from air pollution, mainly due to the sheer size of the city, a dense road network and high buildings.  This means that central London tends to be one of the most polluted places in the UK.
• london challenge- atmospheric pollution:

  • Ozone pollution -poison to the human body
  • Particulate matter – tiny particles of solids / liquids suspended in the air. They come from carbon emissions from engines, engine as well as dust from road surfaces.
  • Nitrogen Dioxide (from burning fossil fuels in cars and central heating boilers) can cause lung infections such as bronchitis, and so can ozone pollution
• • Management;London is working hard to try and protect people and clean up the air by;
  • Offering a free to download app that informs people of air quality
  • Cleaning up London's bus fleet by making them less polluting
  • Introducing a congestion charge in central London to reduce traffic volumes
  • Set new and tighter standards for the London Low Emission Zone
  • Invest record amounts of money in cycling
• london challenge- waste disposal

  London hopes to:

  • achieve zero waste direct to landfill by 2025.
  • reduce the amount of household waste produced by a 20% reduction per household.
  • increase London’s capacity to reuse or repair waste
  • cut London’s greenhouse gas emissions through the management of waste
  • Generate as much energy as possible from London’s organic and non-recycled waste in a way that is no more polluting in carbon terms than the energy source it is replacing. 
• Part of the aims of the Olympics was to completely transform an area of East London that is lagging behind the rest, East London.  The idea was to leave a lasting legacy or impact not just for sport but for the urban area in the East of London.