Full summary of notes on Birmingham for the case-study under the Contemporary Urban Environments topic (A Level Geography).
Includes:
Physical Geography of Birmingham
Economic situation
How the physical environment affects Birmingham's sustainability (and the residents)
Local experience of La...
Contemporary Urban Environments – Case studies
Birmingham:
Physical Geography:
Birmingham is located in the West Midlands and lies at about 350ft above sea level. As it
was a significant city in the Industrial Revolution, it has flat land. Birmingham also has an
extensive canal system.
Economic situation of Birmingham:
Birmingham has high levels of deprivation within the city (e.g. Ladywood) and on the
outskirts with the most common level of the city being in the 10% most deprived. However,
to the South and South West of the city, there are some areas of low deprivation (e.g.
Sutton Coldfield) although within the city these levels can only be seen in small pockets.
Richer Areas Poorer Areas
Average Income £37,000 £19,000
Average Life Expectancy 8 years lower for men
6 years lower for women
Unemployment Rate 1.6% 6%
Crime per month 270 reports 1100 reports – most
common being anti-social
behaviour and shoplifting
More than 100,000 children in Birmingham live in poverty and many families rely on food
banks. The population of Birmingham is ethnically diverse where in 2011, around 40% of the
population were non-white and the largest minority groups were Pakistanis (13%) followed
by Black/Black British (9%).
There are social and economic inequalities between the different ethnic groups:
Life expectancy is higher in areas with a majority white population than in minority
communities
White families are more likely than minority families to become homeowners (64%
of white people own their own home compared to 48% of Bangladeshis and 29% of
Black Africans
Many ethnic minorities face prejudice and discrimination
Birmingham is an old industrial city which was significant in the Industrial Revolution which
means that today, it has lots of buildings and waterways specially designed for this sort of
industry. However, the industry of Birmingham has changed since with the de-
industrialisation in the 1970s and 80s, then which means there is a high level of derelict
buildings which can lead to crime and also indicate poverty.
, How the physical environment of Birmingham affects their environmental sustainability
As there has been a decline in the amount of industry within Birmingham (de-
industrialisation), the envionment has improved. Although there are still some issues:
Air pollution – Areas within the centre of Birmingham have very bad air quality as
high levels of nitrogen dioxide are emitted by cars and factories. This can cause acid
rain which then might contribute to acidification within rivers and canals which
harms aquatic life
Water pollution – Lots of rivers and streams which make up Birmingham are
polluted. This pollution goes into the water through surface runoff (highly urban)
from roads, badly connected drains and incorrect disposal of waste (e.g. engine oil).
These high levels have had a negative impact on the species of insects within the
environment which also affects other species (positive feedback, food web etc.)
Lack of green space – The high amount of impermeable surfaces within Birmingham
have left little room for green areas which reduces the ability of the city to be able to
absorb greenhouse gases and other pollutants to balance out the environment
Flooding – Lack of green space contributes to an increase in the risk of flooding from
high surface runoff and flash flooding. This increases erosion and deposition of
sediment which can harm ecosystems
Urban waste – The city produces 3.2 million tonnes of waste per year and the
majority of this is sent to landfill or to be incinerated. Only 25% is reused/recycled
which means that this adds to water and air pollution
Extreme weather events – Birmingham’s climate is temperament which means there
is little extreme weather. However, extreme weather events have been increasing
steadily like storms, drought and tornados.
These environmental factors also affect residents within Birmingham:
High levels of air pollution can cause respiratory problems like bronchitis. Air
pollution in Birmingham is linked to 500 deaths per year
Lack of green space impacts on health and well-being or the residents. This is
through there being less motivation for exercise which causes obesity, there are high
levels of obesity within the city. Around 40% of adults who don’t do exercise said
that they would do more if there were more green spaces available
Flooding causes damage to properties and businesses as heavy rainfall in June 2016
flooded hundreds of houses, disrupted train services and forced some schools to
close temporarily
These extreme weather events can also cause damage to property as in 2005, for
example, a tornado damaged hundreds of houses leaving 100 families in need for
evacuation. There was also about £50 million of damage. Heatwaves and icy
conditions can also affect health
Some parts of the city like Aston have large numbers of derelict buildings which are
then targets of vandalism leaving some residents feeling unsafe
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