London Case Study

• london's public transport network serves as a the central hub for the united kingdom in rail, air and road transport
• london has many tourist attractions, hotels and restaurants boosting the local economies
• the crime index is at 53.8 (moderate) and the safety index is at 46.2
• employment rate from 16 to 64 is 74.9% (unemployment rate is 5.8%)
• london is home 3 airports and it has the largest train station in europe (kings cross station)
• london is the most ethically diverse place in the uk - north/east london has a high asian/black population
• multiculturalism is where a country/place has more than one culture living together in close proximity
• london faces crime, high costs of living, over population, unemployment, pollution, lack of public services, racism and inequality
• greenfield site = undeveloped land in an urban/rural area - can be used for commercial or residential activity
• brownfield site = previously developed land which is/was occupied by a permanent structure
• greenbelt = land use zone designated for land-use planning to retain large areas of agricultural land surrounding areas
• rural urban fringe = the area at the very edge of the city, besides the countryside
• urban regeneration = land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities
• urban deprivation = a standard of living below that of majority in a particular society that involves hardships and lack of access to resources
• urban sprawl = spreading of urban developments into undeveloped land (countryside)
• urban decline = deterioration of the inner city, often caused by lack of investment and maintenance
• why was redevelopment needed:

  • the area was hugely deprived, 14% of the population lived in the area and 56% of them faced deprivation
  • severe lack of affordable housing
  • high crime rates
  • unemployment rate from 2010 was 12.9% compared to england's average of 7.8%
  • dockyard closure created 120,000 job losses
• infrastructure development:

  • new stratford link on the jubilee line connecting to centre of london
  • new 80,00 seater stadium already claimed by west ham but can host world events
• environmental quality development:

  • 97% of materials demolished were re-used when building the olypic site
  • many materials were brought by rail which has a lower carbon footprint than lorries
  • large amounts of open space
• social developments:

  • created the olympic village which was proposed to be turned into 3000 affordable homes
  • created 50,000 long term jobs
  • temperate jobs (construction workers) were available
• disadvantages from the development:

  • only 1200 affordable homes, the rest were higher prices
  • 200 businesses had to be recreated
  • wind turbine that was going to be built providing 20% of the power for the games was never built
  • cost of living in surrounding area has increased dramatically
• advantages of the development:

  • 31000 additional jobs had been created as a result of foreign direct investment
  • £2.5 billion of additional investment
  • a BMX track and aquatics genre is open to the public (attracts 800,000 visitors per year)
  • the target to cut 100,000 tonnes of carbon was met
• water disposal strategy:

  1. achieve zero municipal waste direct to landfill by 2025
  2. reduce amount of household waste water
  3. recycle/compost 45% of municipal waste by 2015
• london's management for air pollution:

  • offering people a free app which tells them about the air quality
  • cleaning up london's bus fleet making them less polluting
  • introducing a congestion charge in central london
• particulate matter = tiny solids/liquids suspended in the air, come emissions from engines, small bits of metal and building/industry - they can cause lung disease and several health problems
• ozone pollution is a gas poisonous to the human body in spring and summer
• advantages of building on greenfield sites:

  • no need to clean up previous buildings (cheaper)
  • existing roads are not in place - easier to plan
  • often on the edges of cities (cheaper)
  • more space for gardens
  • countryside/city environment can appeal to buyers
• advantages of building on brownfield sites:

  • more sustainable as existing developments are being reused
  • stop city expansion as they're already within it
  • road networks, electricity and gas already exist
  • easier to gain planning permssions
• impacts of urban sprawl:

  • extra cost to tax payer -public pay for development of infrastructure
  • health issues - people in these areas commute to work by car (pollution)
  • environmental issues - sprawling consumes land, displaces animals