4.a. Places are influenced by a range of players operating at different scales

Question 1

What is economic change

Answer 1

a process that affects places at a variety of scales. At any scale, change is brought about by the interaction of players

Question 2

What are players

Answer 2

individuals, groups of people or formal organisations who can influence the process of change. Some have more influence than others

Question 3

Who are the public players

Answer 3

government and the national e.g. UK Government, and local scale
-government tries to stimulate economic growth, sustain existing employment and create new jobs

Question 4

Who are the private players

Answer 4

TNCs e.g. Nike but also NGOs e.g. the National Trust

-aim is to generate money to make a profit on their investment

Question 5

Examples of players involved in the construction of a by pass

Answer 5

• local government- transport planning
• national government- strategic transport planning
• EU- funding as part of a regional aid package
• retailers in town
• county wildlife trust
• local emergency services
• people living along route of the new road

Question 6

Birmingham- main economic change

Answer 6

• the main economic change is de industralisation which occurred from the mid 1970s as a result of the global shift. Before this, Birminghma was a thriving Industrial City
• closure of many factories meant jobs in the secondary sector were lost
• growth of the service sector saw many new jobs created in the tertiary sector

Question 7

Birmingham characteristics before economic change- early inventions

Answer 7

• machines for processing cotton
• invention/1st use of the electro plating oxugen and prenumatic tyre
• steam engines in 1775 (Boulton and Watt)
• post ww2, radar development took place

Question 8

Birmingham characteristics before economic change- 12th century

Answer 8

• players- De Birmingham family
• role- purchased royal charter which allowed markets to take place, meaning trade grew and continues today
• economic activity that took place- trade

Question 9

Birmingham characteristics before economic change- medieval Birmingham

Answer 9

• 1/2 dozen streets focused on the Parish Church and Market
• metal working was already established
• metal smelting e.g. the black Country supplied raw materials for Birmingham’s metal working trade
• in 1563, William Camden reported that te won was ‘swarming with inhabitants’. Power came from watermills, with the products increasingly being non agricultural e.g. blades for swords

Question 10

Birmingham characteristics before economic change- Industrial Revolution 1700s

Answer 10

• population grew to 15,000
• economic change was the middle classes were beginning to increase in numbers as service sectors e.g. law developed
• key player was Matthew Boulton. His role was an entrepreuenur and engineer, moving the town forward. His ‘Soho Manufacturing’ brought 700 employers under one roof

Question 11

Birmingham characteristics before economic change- Industrial Revolution 19th century

Answer 11

• growth of the gun, jewellery, button and brass industries
• the Cadbury factory set up their Bournville factory for workers on the outskirts of the city
• the national canal network (London to Birmingham railway) was a transport infrastructure developed due to industrial growth

Question 12

Birmingham characteristics before economic change- 1900-1950s- new industries, economic growth, population growth

Answer 12

• new engineering industries developed e.g. the Austin car plant. As vehicle industry expanded, hundreds of small firms started e.g. the Dunlop tyre company created 10,000 jobs. A chemical industry developed (Bakelite being manufactured). Birmingham suvived tge Great Depression due to developing of metal working industires
• Birmingham sustained economic growth- accompanied by continuous population growth from natural increase within the city

Question 13

Birmingham characteristics before economic change- 1900-1950s- housing, transport innovations, demographics

Answer 13

• housing was terraced, cramped, limited mobility and so many people lived within walking distance to work. The development of a middle class helped drive urban expansion
• transport innovations e.g. suburban railways, buses and cars facilitated urban expansion
• until the 1950s, predominantly white ethnic groups dominated employment. 60% skilled jobs. The inter war suburbs e.g. Northfield were classic areas of semi detached housing but also longest local housing e.g. Kingtstanding
• inner city areas comprised poor quality housing e.g. Handsworth

Question 14

Birmingham characteristics before economic change- place characteristics up until 1950s (befiore industrical decline occurred)

Answer 14

• demographic was white ethnicity
• socio economic- unemployment was below 1%
• employment- 60% skilled
• built environment- housing consisted of large subrubs and council housing
• environmental quality was bad air quality
• industrial decline- 1970-83- earning fell from being the highest in UK to lowerst. In 1982, unemployment was 19.4%

Question 15

Birmingham economic change- economic change occurred through the interaction of several players. What players were involved

Answer 15

• TNCs

- geopolitics

Question 16

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- economic change occurred through the interaction of several players. What was the role of geopolitics

Answer 16

• the geopolitics of the Middle East resulted in another Arab-Israeli war
• most western countries supported Israel and the DPEC used oil supplies a ‘weapon’
• the oil price increased which was a shock to the global economic system

Question 17

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- economic change occurred through the interaction of several players. What was the role of TNCs

Answer 17

• Birmingham’s traditional industries were already beginning to suffer from overseas competition from TNCs based in countries with lower production costs
• this was part of the global shig in economic structure

Question 18

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- what happened to car ownership

Answer 18

increasingly, people owned more cars e.g. 1970 5% of people owned two cars, in 2010 7% did

Question 19

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- why did the car manufacturing industry decline in 1970s

Answer 19

• by the 1970s, the British vehicle industry was in decline
• foreign based TNCs began to make significant in-roads into the British Car Market which was more reliable and better value for money

Question 20

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- what happened with the car industry to put off potential investors

Answer 20

-frequent strikes during the 1970s
-management and the unions were players involved in the delcine affecting the industry
Both of these made Birmingham less attractive to potential investors

Question 21

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- what happened to small scale industrial premises

Answer 21

• they occupied smaller inccer cities sites

- small industrial premises were demolished- SMEs had difficulty in finding suitable premises

Question 22

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- demography- why did in-migration occur from the 1950s

Answer 22

• there was national in-migration in inner cities

- most immigrants were from the Caribbean, South Asia and far East

Question 23

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- demography- compare the ethnic composition of Brimingham with England

Answer 23

• 13.5% Pakistani, 2.1% ENgland

- 6.0% Indian, 2.6% England

Question 24

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- demography- where did immigrants live and what impact did immigration have on Birmingham’s urban landscape

Answer 24

• cheap housing, good access to employment- low skilled jobs

- Birmingham became a comspolitan city- relflected in religious landscape e.g. ethnic clothing/food

Question 25

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- demography- impact of immigration on Birmingham’s culture

Answer 25

youthful population

• 38% were 24 years old or younger- England is 31%
• Birmingham’s elderly 13%, 16% for england

Question 26

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- housing in ww2

Answer 26

• 5000 houses destroyed in Birmingham

- many more damaged

Question 27

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- housing- post war years

Answer 27

• 110,000 sub standard houses

- local government had resisted large scale redevelopment based on flats

Question 28

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- housing- 1950’s-60s

Answer 28

-400 tower blocks built

Question 29

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- housing- 1945-1970

Answer 29

-81,000 new dwellings- better than old slums

Question 30

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- housing- consequences of development

Answer 30

• redistribution of people
• central zone was to a large extent cleared of residential land use
• moved to new towns
• flows of commuters increased

Question 31

Birmingham economic change and industrial decline- housing- what is a green belt, why was it established and what are the impacts

Answer 31

• it is inbetwen two cities
• established to restrict outward expansion
• it increased value of land adjacent to the belt