Topic 4B: Diverse Places
Enquiry question 1 - how do population structures vary?
1.1 - population structure varies from place to place
1.1.1 - the UK
the population of the UK has grown unevenly in the last 50 years, with some regions growing rapidly (london
and the south-east) whilst others have grown more slowly (the north-east of England)
population structure in the UK
- the population of the UK is unevenly distributed and has grown at different rates depending on location
rural / urban
- remote rural areas have experienced population decline, as have some inner cities
- suburban, rural-urban fringe and accessible rural areas have seen population growth
- older (65+) people tend to live more in rural areas
- the percentage of over 65s in inner city areas is low
- suburban places have a high number of 0-15 year olds
- there is less variation in where you would find 0-15 year olds in the over 65s
population changes
- the population grew from 56 million to 63 million between 1981 and 2011, but not equally in all regions,
the 2018 estimate is 66.6 million)
- there has been minimal growth in the north and north-east (inc. Scotland), some growth in the
Midlands and strong growth in the south and south east (inc. London)
- this pattern reflects the economic prosperity of the regions, with the deindustrialised north losing out to
the service sector economy of the south
factors influencing UK population trends
historical planning
- suburban areas have high population densities due to transport developments
- after 1880 many middle-class people moved out of city centres into the suburbs and commuted to work
by rail
- planning policies also contributed to the popularity of the suburbs, accessible rural areas and some
parts of the rural-urban fringe
greenbelt
- since 1947, many cities have been ringed by a greenbelt
- this has encouraged people to move beyond it and live in rural areas and commute further to
work in the city (counter-urbanisation)
- greenbelts have also put pressure on suburban areas to house people at higher densities
rural / urban
- urban areas are usually more accessible by transport than rural areas
- access matters more for working age people, but less so for over 65s, so more retired people live in
rural areas that are more peaceful
- remote rural areas can be more hilly, have limited transport connections and therefore access is even
more difficult with longer journey times between places
- many upland areas have hill farming suitable only for animal grazing, so population density is low
,population dynamics
- growth and decline of populations are affected by birth and death rate and migrations
- there is a difference in population dynamics between rural and urban areas
growth and decline
- the relationship between birth rate and death rate determine whether a population grows or declines
- many remote rural areas have declining populations due to these natural factors, whereas many urban
areas have growing populations
- migration (both internal and international) also has an impact
rural / urban
- rural areas tend to have high levels of internal out-migration and low levels of international migration
(outward and inward)
- urban areas tend to have high levels of internal in-migration and high levels of international migration
(outward and inward)
urban rural
population dynamics growing populations declining populations
high international migration low international migration
high internal in-migration high internal out-migration
changes to the UK over time
1930s-50s
- little investment in urban areas due to war
- decline and deprivation in urban areas
- social housing built in the 1950s, but still high demand for more
1960s
- economic boom and industrialisation
- large scale housing construction, providing the working class with new houses
- some social housing is built, but often as tower blocks, which increased the crime rates,
reduced quality of life in social housing
- inward international migration from Pakistan and India
- the development of transporting people (development of the jet aircraft) and goods (containerisation) in
the 1950s will accelerate the movement of people and goods in the 1960s
- Commonwealth Act of 1962 - restricts the flow of Commonwealth migrants to those with skills,
encouraging economic migration
- immigrants from commonwealth moved to inner city areas
- development of suburban areas
- new towns built outside of cities (eg Milton Keynes)
1970s
- old run down inner city terraced houses demolished and replaced by high rise flats
- decline in secondary industry in cities such as Liverpool and Birmingham
- an increase in unemployment and poor city living conditions encouraged migration away from
major city hubs
- docks became unnecessary, with improving plane transportation, therefore large scale dereliction in
docks such as London, Liverpool and Salford
- inward international migration from Vietnam, Bangladesh and Chile (following a military coup)
1980s
,- economic recession continues to cause unemployment and deindustrialisation in many towns and cities
- this discourages some international migrants, who are interested in better employment
opportunities in the UK
- UK government begins to offer tax incentives and special economic zones to try to encourage Foreign
Direct Investment and TNCs establishing offices or manufacturing within the UK
- first basic internet developed
- over time this will lead to the development of online banking (1984), allowing capital and
financial transactions to transfer around the world quickly
- inward international migration from China, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Somalia and Australia
- urban development corporations (UDCs) set up to redevelop inner city areas
- counter-urbanisation → when large numbers of people move from urban areas into surrounding
countryside or rural areas
1990s
- demolition and replacement of poor quality high-rise flats that were built in the 1970s
- suburbanisation continued, with growth of out-of-town shopping malls and retail parks
- growth in the UK population is mainly due to net migration
- conflict in The Congo, Balkans, Yemen and Kosovo encourages international migration into the UK
- the collapse of the Soviet Union also encourages migration to the UK, as migrants wish to
improve their quality of life
- the first smartphone is developed (1994)
- the NHS begins recruiting overseas, trying to use migrants to fill their skills gaps
- high streets experienced decline, but new developments (eg pedestrianisation) encourage to revive
high streets and central business districts (CBD)
- pedestrianisation → to restrict vehicle access to a street or area for exclusive use of pedestrians
2000s
- the Race Relations Amendment Act aimed to reduce racial tensions and reduce discrimination by the
Police and Government
- suburbanisation accelerates, creating new towns for highly-paid migrants to move into, offering them a
more rural lifestyle whilst maintaining their job in the city nearby
- EU Freedom of Movement → increased migrants from the UK due to reduced limitations
- increases cultural diversity
- increase the creation of religious secondary and primary schools, to cater for Muslim and Jewish
migrants
- development of social media allows personal and business connections across the world
- expansion of the EU to include previously Soviet states increases the number of Polish, Slovakian and
Lithuanian migrants
- financial crisis (07/08) led to high street shop closures
2010s
- London’s reputation continues to develop and attract new migrants by developing as a multicultural city,
shown through the Olympic Games, the election of Sadiq Khan and clustering of different cultures and
ethnicities
- suburban growth and infilling
- initiatives aimed to attract fresh private investment, new businesses and people back into inner urban
areas
- london’s house prices increase
- conflict in Syria pushes asylum seekers into the UK
- brexit causes uncertainty in migration and population patterns
, - increased outward migration of some British wishing to live in Spain and France
- uncertainty for existing Commonwealth and International migrants (windrush generation)
- the closure of some TNCs manufacturing plants, as they may wish to remain connected within
the Eu for logistics a cheaper workforce and more economic certainty)
1.1.2 - population structure and density varies according to the rural urban continuum
population structure and density varies according to placement in the rural urban continuum and therefore
accessibility, physical factors, historical development and the role of planning
changes to urban land use have occurred due to:
- political reasons
- eg government redevelopment plans
- economic reasons
- eg deindustrialisation led to dereliction of certain urban areas
- demographic reasons
- eg population growth and migration have increased demands for more housing
the rural urban continuum
- the rural urban continuum is a classification that distinguishes
metropolitan counties by their population size, and
nonmetropolitan counties by their degree of urbanisation and
closeness to metro areas
- population density as well as the characteristics of the built environment suggests the changes in
stages of the rural-urban continuum
- the population density ranges between high density, inner urban areas to low density, remote rural
areas
1) urban core
2) suburbs/ urban sprawl
3) commuter settlements/ expanded towns
4) suburbanised villages/ market towns
5) rural villages and farming areas
6) remote rural tourism and second
urban city structure
- most cities have a similar structure, with development occurring outwards and living conditions
changing the further outwards you travel
Burgess’ Model → left
- shows the city as bands moving outward from a central business district (CBD)
- the next band out from the CBD is often industrial, followed by working class housing
- the other residential bands are often middle class housing and commuter areas
