5 - UK Human Landscape - Birmingham Case Study

Question 1

What are 5 overall facts of Birmingham?

Answer 1

• A regional hub for transport and manufacturing
• Sports (villa park)
• Business tourism venues (ICC)
• Lots of canals
• Birmingham universitys

Question 2

What is located in the CBD of Birmingham?

Answer 2

densely built areas, many high-rise buildings, shopping centres
some older buildings, but many have been completely redeveloped

Question 3

What is located in the inner city areas of Birmingham?

Answer 3

Some redevelopment (Brindley Place – canal side) and some derelict factories due to deindustrialisation and decentralisation, any remaining buildings are from the late 1800s and were terraced housing, back to backs and factories (Digbeth).

Question 4

What is located in the suburbs?

Answer 4

Richer suburbs (Sutton park)
Poorer suburbs (Washwood Heath)

Question 5

What is located at the rural-urban fringe?

Answer 5

The rural-urban fringe is protected by a greenbelt and has some villages

Question 6

How does migration affect a city?

Answer 6

age structure, ethnicity, housing, services, culture

Question 7

What has migration of students led to?

Answer 7

Studentification

Question 8

What is studentificaiton?

Answer 8

an increase in the number of young adults and the services begin to reflect this and houses of multiple occupancy develop

Question 9

What area was most affected by studentification?

Answer 9

Aston

Question 10

What has international and national migration brought to Brindley palace

Answer 10

A wide variety of highly skilled and high wage workers

Question 11

Why does areas like Digbeth attract new migrants?

Answer 11

Low housing prices

Question 12

Why do specific groups of people tend to live near eachother?

Answer 12

culture

Question 13

Where are more affluent areas found?

Answer 13

near the perphery like Sutton coldfield

Question 14

What are features of affluent areas?

Answer 14

Higher incomes and newer/improved housing stock, leisure services and large parks leads to improved health. There is good quality education including private schooling.

Question 15

Features of poorer areas

Answer 15

They have lower employment levels, higher pressure on ageing services and lower school outcomes, leading to a spiral of decline.
Lower income levels and aging housing stock leads to increased health issues

Question 16

What has deindustrialisation caused in Digbeth?

Answer 16

In Digbeth, deindustrialization has led to depopulation of the area, due to a lack of jobs.
This leads to services closing and people force to move for work and services.

Question 17

What is a way in which the city can be improved

Answer 17

Rebranding and regeneration

Question 18

How has rebranding and regeneration been used in Birmingham? (3)

Answer 18

• street cleaning and recycling
• Birmingham has increased the amount of open space through a series of improved and extended urban parks
• Transport has been improved by a tram (aimed at reducing congestion, but only has 14,000 users a day), improved cycle routes and a congestion charge for the city centre have all led to a reduction in the city’s transport related carbon emissions

Question 19

How has the development of Birmingham effected rural areas? (2)

Answer 19

Surrounding areas buy goods sold in Birmingham, leading to increased human capital

People moving into rural areas due to counter-urbanisation

Question 20

What is counter-urbanisation?

Answer 20

The movement of people from the towns/cities into smaller villages and the countryside, often as a result of a lack of housing, improved transport, flexi homeworking contracts and improved telecommunications

Question 21

What housing challenges does the changing rural areas around Birmingham face?

Answer 21

Rural areas face issues with availability (not enough) and affordability (too expensive) of housing as there is increased demand from the next generation, migrants and retirees.

Question 22

What job challenges does the changing rural areas around Birmingham face?

Answer 22

A decline in primary employment (farming – less jobs available due to mechanisation and cheaper imports, forestry, fishing and mining – cheaper imports and exhaustion of mineral deposits)

Question 23

What Quality of life challenges does the changing rural areas around Birmingham face?

Answer 23

This limited income means that there is often a spiral of decline leading to rural deprivation (healthcare and health services close)

Question 24

What opportunities does the rural areas around Birmingham have?

Answer 24

New income and economic opportunities can be created by rural diversification (farm shops) and tourism projects

Question 25

What are some problems with the changing rural area’s opportunities?

Answer 25

these may have environmental impacts such as increased numbers of visitors, footpath erosion, soil erosion and noise pollution