London

• Background of London:

  • The site chosen by the Romans in 43AD when they conquered the South of England.
  • They called the city Londinium, the capital of the Roman colony in Britain.
  • London is located on the River Thames, this is a tidal river.
  • At high tide, ships were able to navigate up the river to London and use it as a port.
• Why did London grow?:

  • Two thousand years after the Romans built the city, London was still the capital.
  • New docks were built along the river, this increased the number of ships using London as a port.
  • London became a trade centre, this attracted new industries and more people.
  • Road and rail networks focussed around London, with Heathrow and Gatwick located close to London.
  • London is the capital for finance, media and communication, renown universities, culture and entertainment.
  • Tourism, iconic landmarks, football teams.
• Why does London face challenges?

  • Large growing population - high population density
  • Inadequate housing
  • High levels of poverty
  • Rising house proces
  • High levels of air and water pollution
  • Rising crime rates
  • Brexit
  • Tourism
• London is predictred to have an increase in demand by 60% by 2050 for public transport
• Impacts of the Crossrail (Elizabeth Line):

  • Reduce journey times - access to Heathrow
  • Increase number of rail passengers in London by 10% (200 million)
  • Brings an extra 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of central London
  • Improve transport network
  • Raise property values by 25% around Crossrail stations
  • Encourage regeneration across London - job creation
• Crossrail, 2018 (Elizabeth Line):

  • Links East London with Reading and Heathrow
  • Expanding the commuter network and interconnectedness
• London is 47% green
• London used to have a higher percentage of green spaces but gardens have been paved for parking or patios.
• Suburban growth - farmland used for homes meaning large gardens
• Why is it good to be a green city?

  • Trees produce oxygen, clean air to help reduce global warming by using the carbon dioxide. There are 8.1 million in London - that's almost 1 per person.
  • Trees and open spaces reduce the danger of flooding by intercepting the rain water, more trees less flooding.
  • Habitat for wildlife, increasing biodiversity in the area. There are over 13,000 wildlife species in London.
  • Enjoyment and rest - people enjoy open spaces. They help keep us healthy, physical and mental health. Good space for recreational activities.
  • Growing food - 30,000 allotments in London.
• Urban Greening examples:

  Focussed more on protection rather than new green spaces

  Small scale 🡪 individual action- feeding birds in winter, not paving over gardens.

  Large scale 🡪 connecting green spaces we have to help species migrate naturally. This is called London’s Green Grid.
• London’s Garden Bridge Project is one example of a proposed strategy:

  • Was planned to open in 2018 costing £175 million
  • This failed due to uncertainties and resident rejections and in 2019 the BBC reported it cost the taxpayer £53 million.
• London's Green Belt:

  Green belt: Land around a city that has strict planning controls. London’s green belt was established in 1947 to prevent further urban sprawl.

  People are questioning the importance ofthe green belt and think some areas should be built on.

  Alternatives from building on the green belt include, building on brownfield or greenfield sites. These are areas that have

  been previously built on and have potential for redevelopment. There are many sites in London due to the decline in manufacturing.
• Social impacts of the effects of urban sprawl:

  • Poor quality housing
  • Residents don't like new developments
  • Higher population density
  • Overcrowding and increasing demand for public transport
  • Decreasing 'social capital' - more time spent commuting, less sense of community etc.
• Environmental impacts of the effects of urban sprawl:

  • Air pollution - more cars and congestion
  • Resource stress
  • Urbanisation - destruction of local ecosystems and green space
  • Decreasing soil and water quality
• Other challenges in London:

  • Social deprivation - limited access to society's resources due to poverty, discrimination, or other disadvantage.
  • Inequality - variations in life expectancy.
  • Housing crisis - lack of affordable housing
  • Pollution - above safe air pollution, and increasing water pollution of the Thames.
• Inequality: London is the wealthiest city in the UK, but social

  deprivation affects 2 million people (lack of decent services, housing, income or employment). Projects such as redevelopment can help to address these problems.
• Housing: The Mayor of London’s office has calculated 66,000 new homes are needed each year; recent new building has averaged 20,000 per year. New homes can be built on ‘brownfield’ sites (old industrial wasteland) or ‘greenfield’ sites (open space on the edge of urban areas).
• Transport: Around 3 million people use the London underground train network every day, and millions more use the buses. With population increase this will put the transport network under considerable strain.
• Pollution and Waste: Air pollution from cars means 2 million Londoners (including 400,000 children and 450 schools) live in areas of pollution above international pollution limits. A quarter of London’s waste still goes to landfill rather than recycling.
• Gentrification describes a process where wealthy,

  college-educated individuals begin to move into poor

  or working-class communities, often originally

  occupied by communities of colour.
• Shoreditch:

  • Economic decline (factories and manufacturing)
  • Out- migration of local people led to in-migration of Bangladeshi immigrants into Brick Lane
  • Today- Older residents and Bangladeshi families now moving away as rent skyrockets.
• London's recreation and entertainment scene:

  • It has a huge number of cultural attractions such as the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum.
  • It has the West End where a huge number of shows can be seen and tourist attractions such as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.
  • On top of that London has a huge number of concert and cinema venues and lots of sporting events such as the Oxford-Cambridge Boat race, the Wimbledon Tennis Open, many big name football teams (Chelsea, Tottenham, West Ham, Wembley Stadium and even hosted the Olympics.
• Employment oppurtunities:

  • London- a port city since the Romans. Decline in 1970s of docks
  • 1981- plan to regenerate docks- London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC).
  • Canary Wharf was the beginning and focal point of regeneration- now 100,000 work there (many in finance).
• Stratfod needed regeneration because:

  • A historically popular location- central location, well connected, good facilities.
  • Good for students/ part time jobs available.
  • Although lots of positives- in desperate need of regeneration.
  • Nicknamed as ‘stinky Stratford’ as a result of all the noxious industries and slaughterhouses.
  • Before 2012 Olympics, the city was full of garbage sites and polluted waters.
  • Stratford was one of the most diverse and economically deprived areas of the country.
• Benefits of hosting the Olympics:

  • Investment - Incentive to invest in long-terms infrastructure such as better transport links.
  • Tourism - Olympics attracts many international visitors and businesses.
  • Marketing - Cities which have hosted successful Olympics put on global map.
  • Sporting facilities - Development of world class sporting facilities for post-games.
• Costs of hosting the Olympics:

  • Inefficient investment - Olympics may require investment that is unused after the Games end.
  • Locals face congestion - Locals face inconvenience and congestion during games.
  • Cost to taxpayers - Hosting Olympics costs local taxpayers
  • Public not always supportive - Many locals in Rio de Janeiro felt money misused on games.