Contemporary urban environments

• What is urban decline? 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.
• What is urban deprivation? A standard of living below that of the majority in a particular society that involves hardships and lack of access to resources.
• What is urban change? Urban change involves any change within the urban environment associated with growth or decline of an urban area
• Give an example of urban change in the past. the Industrial Revolution
• Give a current example of urban change. In HICs inner city areas are suffering as they are avoided by newer manufacturers and service industries in favour of edge of city areas resulting in urban decline.
• What is deindustrialisation? a process involving the loss of manufacturing industries in many HICs.
• What factors have caused deindustrialisation? 1. Competition from abroad 2. Mechanisation 3. Reduced demand of certain manufacturing products 4. Greater value-added and productivity in service industries
• What is mechanisation? the shift from using humans to using machinery to do work
• How did the number of manufacturing workers change from 1978 to 2000? it decreased by 60%
• What is decentralisation? is the movement of population shops offices and industry away from urban centres in HICs and NICs into housing estates retail and business parks in the suburbs and on the fringes of cities.
• What does 'footloose' mean? a term for an industry that can be placed and located at any location without effect from factors of production such as resources land labour and capital.
• How have the secondary and tertiary sectors changed since 1950? employment in the tertiary industry has increased and employment in the secondary industry has decreased.
• What are the social impacts of decentralisation deindustrialisation and the rise of the service economy in urban areas? - increased unemployment - increased crime drug abuse - negative multiplier effect - people become depressed about the situation - outmigration of skilled people in search of jobs
• What are the environmental impacts of decentralisation deindustrialisation and the rise of the service economy in urban areas? - dereliction of industrial premises - abandoned properties - increase in vandalism and fly tipping - environmental and building quality decline
• What are the economic impacts of decentralisation deindustrialisation and the rise of the service economy in urban areas? - industries and businesses start to reduce workforce and relocate - local shops and services get less income - less skilled workforce - low investor confidence in the area
• What is urban dereliction? when areas of cities are abandoned and the buildings become dilapidated