Changing places

• Place


  A location which could be plotted on a map or defined by a grid reference, e.g. latitude 51.5074°N, longitude 0.1278°W (London)
• A place is made up of all the things that come together to make a place what it is, apart from just its location
• What makes a place

  • Its location
  • The physical characteristics of the landscape
  • All the things that flow in and out of that place
  • The human characteristics (who lives there and what they're like) plus the human features of the landscape
  • The sense of place, i.e. the emotional meanings the place has, either to individuals or groups of people
• Sense of place


  The subjective emotional attachment to a place which gives it meaning
• Placelessness


  Suggests that a place is not unique
• Attachment


  Grows stronger over time as you have more experiences in a place
• Topophilia


  The love of a place and having a strong attachment to it
• Topophobia


  The dislike of a place
• The idea of place is important because many people create their identity (the sense of who they are) based on the places that they feel connected to
• Insider


  Someone who is familiar with a place and who feels welcome in that place, i.e. they feel that they belong there
• Outsider


  Someone who feels unwelcome or excluded from a place, i.e. they don't feel that they belong there
• Experienced place


  Places that people have spent time in, where their experiences shape their sense of that place
• Media place


  Places that people have not been to, but have created a sense of place for through their depiction in media (e.g. books, art and films)
• Endogenous factors that shape a place's character

  • Location
  • Topography
  • Physical geography
  • Land use
  • The built environment
  • Demographic characteristics
  • Economic characteristics
• Exogenous factors are about how places are related to other places, and how these relationships can affect their character
• How exogenous factors can affect a place's character

  • Relative location to other places
  • Tourism
  • Flows of investment
  • Migration
• Shifting flows that can cause demographic change


  • Flows of people
  • Flows of money and investment
  • Flows of ideas and resources
• How cultural characteristics are changed by shifting flows


  • Flows of people
  • Flows of money, investment and ideas
• How economic characteristics are affected by shifting flows


  • Flows of people
  • Flows of money and investment
  • Flows of ideas and resources
• Multinational corporations


  • KFC
  • McDonald's
  • Pizza Hut
• Eating habits have changed in China as a result, with increasing numbers of people favouring western-style fast food over traditional Chinese food
• Economic characteristics


  To do with work and money, e.g. income, employment rates and the types of job available
• Economic characteristics are affected by flows

  1. Flows of people

  2. Flows of resources

  3. Flows of money and investment
• Flows of people


  • People visiting places can change the economic characteristics of those places, e.g. St Ives in Cornwall used to be a fishing settlement, but is now a popular tourist destination
• Flows of resources


  • The outward flow of local products or natural resources from a place can have a large impact on local economies, e.g. the Scottish whisky industry has grown to be one of the largest industries in Scotland due to international exports
• Flows of money and investment

  • Reduced investment and competition from global markets has led to the decline of some primary industries in the UK (deindustrialisation), which has damaged the economies of many places
  • Investment in the finance industries in the City of London has created many high value service sector jobs and made it a wealthy place
• Social characteristics


  To do with what people's lives are like, e.g. their overall quality of life, their access to adequate food supplies, healthcare, education, sanitation, leisure facilities etc.
• Social inequality


  The differences in social characteristics between different groups of people
• Flows of people


  • Regional migration from rural areas to urban areas in poorer countries has changed social characteristics and levels of social inequality, e.g. in India, large-scale rural to urban migration has resulted in slums developing in cities such as Mumbai
• Flows of resources


  • The outward flow of natural resources from poorer countries can change levels of social inequality, e.g. large amounts of oil are extracted around Warri in Nigeria then exported round the world, but most of the wealth goes to a few individuals while large numbers of people remain in poverty
• Flows of money and investment

  • The process of gentrification has improved the social characteristics of some places, but it can also increase inequality, e.g. Notting Hill was once one of the most deprived areas in London, but now has much lower levels of deprivation, and social inequality between the wealthy newcomers and existing poorer residents has increased
• Connections between places in the past shape their character in the present
• New connections are made between places in the present which can affect their character
• Past development of cities

  • Many settlements in the UK initially developed because of factors to do with their location (endogenous factors), e.g. Sheffield originally located at the confluence of two rivers, near to coal and iron ore reserves
  • During the Industrial Revolution, large industrial cities developed that were globally connected through the trade of the goods produced
  • In the later part of the 20th century, many UK cities were heavily affected by deindustrialisation — the closure of factories due to increased automation, competition from abroad and the removal of manufacturing to developing countries where labour is cheaper
• The character of places is shaped by a mix of all the connections and developments they have undergone throughout their history, and the present-day connections and developments that are occurring
• Sheffield


  • Sheffield is still characterised as an industrial city — steel works such as Sheffield Forgemasters still supply steel to international markets, and the heritage of the city has been retained by creating a conservation area (the Cultural Industries Quarter) to preserve historically significant roads and buildings
  • New art installations around the city, such as the Cutting Edge sculpture, also reflect the industrial character of the city
  • Sheffield is also characterised as a student city, with over 50 000 students in two universities, and a place of academic and research excellence
  • The city has developed and made new connections in high-tech industries, e.g. the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) carries out research into cutting-edge manufacturing techniques
  • Sheffield City Council has been re-branding the city as 'The Outdoor City' to encourage tourism and boost events surrounding activities such as running, cycling, climbing and walking
• Government agencies


  Can directly affect the demographic, cultural, economic and social characteristics of places through policies
• Government policies


  • Introducing policies to control population, e.g. China's one-child policy
  • Controlling immigration, e.g. Germany inviting Turkish people to live and work in the 1960s
  • Funding schemes aimed at regenerating run-down urban areas, e.g. the Hulme City Challenge Partnership in Manchester
• Multinational corporations


  The decisions of MNCs can have major impacts on the demographic, social and economic characteristics of places
• Impacts of MNCs


  • Detroit in the USA was a major global centre of car manufacturing, with MNCs such as Ford, General Motors and Chrysler located there. This gave the city a massive economic boost, altered the demographic characteristics by attracting large numbers of migrants, but then the closure and relocation of factories led to massive population decline, high unemployment and social deprivation