Summary
Summary In depth notes on A level edexcel geography diverse places
- Module
- Human geography
- Institution
- PEARSON (PEARSON)
In depth notes on A level edexcel geography diverse places
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Population structure 84% of the UK live in England with a population density of 413 people per km2 compared to Scotland with the lowest
at only 68 people per km2 due to highlands, less hospitable climate, fewer employment and peripheral isolation
2021, the UK population reached 68 million with fertility rates < replacement rates, meaning positive net migration
Change in birth rates Changes in death rates Changes in net migration
1. Population growth 1. Advancements in medicine 1. Government policies
2. Government policy 2. Immunisation 2. EU policies
3. Contraception 3. Clean water and sanitation 3. Push factors (global recession,
4. Religion 4. Smoking and alcohol war and conflict)
5. Financial costs 5. Unbalanced diet 4. Pull factors (job surplus, living
6. Working women standards, university, lower
price of long-distance travel)
5. Integration and acceptance
schemes
Cornwall’s population structure is reflectant of its position from the economic core. As it is far away, there are very
tertiary sector jobs causing an outward net migration of young and economically active people to other cities. This leaves
behind lots of elderly dependents.
Demographic transition model suggests there is a correlation between development and birth and death rates. Divided
into 4 stages with stage 1 have the highest birth and death rate due to lack of health and education and reliance on
primary industry. Stage 2 is where death rate decreases and funding for hospitals and doctors with basic knowledge of
sanitation. Stage 3 is where death rate continues to decrease, and women have more rights and can attend education,
contraception and family planning advice. Stage 4 is where birth and death rates are much lower and have plateaued.
Population increase is instead due to positive net migration. However, the demographic transition model doesn’t consider
worsening development through conflict and natural disaster. For example, the Syrian civil war and the Haiti earthquake.
Rural-urban continuum shows the population varieties within the country. This is shown through the change in population
density throughout the UK, with the highest in urban areas and lowest in rural areas. In the UK, 11% of land area is urban
and 80% of the UK population live in urban areas which are defined as settlements with populations greater than 10,000.
This means large parts of the UK are sparsely populated. Characteristics of the built environment also prove the theory of
the rural-urban continuum. The continuum is separated into 6 stages from the urban core, urban sprawl or suburbs,
commuter settlements, suburbanised towns, rural villages and remote locations.
Urban core has a central business district, with working, middle class young families. Two models suggest the
structure of the urban core. Burgess’ model suggests the city is divided into bands moving outwards from the CBD
and then working-class housing. Hoyt’s model suggests industry travels outwards in sectors running parallel to
transport routes with working-class housing closer to industrial areas.
Factors that affect the rural-urban continuum and thus population density
1. Historic development affects population density as traditional mining has been abandoned – deindustrialisation
2. Physical factors as rural areas with high altitudes with poor soil and wet climate have a lower density, detached
property is less dense than apartment blocks and terraced housing
3. Social factors as isolated peripherals are only attractive for retirement
4. Economic factors which drive pull factors like universities, job surplus and standards of living, wealthier people tend
to live-in low-density areas in large houses with privacy, avoiding congestion and can commute
5. Planning also affects this, as green belts and planning restrictions prevent urban sprawl by limiting the type of
development that can occur
Causes of UK rural change
,1. Changes in the agriculture industry
Rural areas used to consist of farmland and isolated dwellings where farm workers would sell their goods for access to
the banking system
Globalisation and increasing imports from abroad as well as technological change and mechanisation has meant prices
have fallen for primary products causing many farmers to become unemployed encouraging outward migration
This has caused an ageing population as young people don’t find this attractive
Ageing population is also seen in scenic rural areas due to being centres of retirement
Many farmers who have stayed have diversified their incomes with tourism, recreational activities, renewable
energies or selling their land to buy houses elsewhere
Increased government dependency
Traditional farming in Scotland Highlands and sheep farmers in Wales rely heavily on government aid to have
support and enable their work through subsidies. Farm mechanisation has also decreased the needs for farmers
2. Growth of the suburbs
Some villages now have a clear land use pattern as they have been suburbanised by commuters and exurbanites
Commuters and exurbanites remain urban oriented and their consumer spending patterns remain the same
Suburbanisation has converted rural land into urban settlements which is usually irreversibly
This happens in accessible rural areas like East Anglia
3. Growth of commuter towns
Commuter tows are also growing for many of the same reasons
This is as a result of increased mechanisation, wider variety of job opportunities, influences from and recreational
opportunities in urban areas and developments of faster transport networks and widespread car ownership
Counter-urbanisation is also leading to population growth which drives up the prices of local goods and properties are
forces many rural dwellers out. This alters the socio-economic mix by changing land ownership
The internet and computerisation have also fuelled this
Commuter belt experiences the fastest rate of population growth due to the immigration of workers and their families
escaping the negatives of urban life. Children become a visible component of population pyramids
Accessible rural is mostly retired people with predominantly white population which provides recreational activities
Suburbanised is part of urbanisation in which people in the CBD and inner city resulting in urban sprawl
Remote rural suffers from depopulation due to urbanisation meaning a spiral of decline
Population characteristics of the Scottish Highlands (non-accessible) and East Anglia (more accessible)
Scottish Highlands has 233,000 people and is a remote rural area with population density of 0.1 people per hectare. Main
industry is in the primary sector, through agriculture, fishing, construction and tourism. It has a well-established energy
sector with wind energy and the Dounreay nuclear power station which is now being decommissioned. Despite having a
low population density, the Highland Local Authority has stated that residents have a good quality of life with relatively
low deprivation. Predicted to grow by 15% between 2010 and 2035 with the number of retired people predicted to
increase 79% during this period which increases their dependency ratio. Urban areas like Inverness South have seen
population growth while others have declined. Ethnicity still remains homogenous compared to large cities like Edinburgh.
However, a 2011 census showed an increase in ethnic minorities with 1.5% Polish.
Norfolk has a population of 880,000 people and is much more accessible than the Scottish Highlands with a population
density of 1.6 people per hectare. It is growing at a rate of 7.6% but at a slower rate than the rest of England. It is
experiencing a growing aging population with most of this increase due to over 65 migration and the old are living longer
due to low morality rate and long-life expectancy. It has 5.8% more old people than average. It also has a small but
growing ethnic population with an influx of 2700 international migrants in 2012 to work on farms. Agriculture is still the
largest industry but due to its proximity to Norwich, there is an expanding tertiary and quaternary sector.
Population dynamics and change to UK urban areas
, 1960s Changes to UK urban areas
Annual population growth rate of 0.61% Many immigrant workers arrived from Caribbean,
Baby boom after the 1945s where the economy was India and Pakistan due to industrialisation and
growing strongly which encouraged families to have economic boom
children 472,000 people arrived between 1955 and 1962 to
Immigration from the wind rush generation also fill the available jobs
caused population to increase Immigrants moved to inner urban areas where they
found affordable housing and similar community
Spatial area of cities grew with the development of
suburban industrial parks like in the outer suburbs
which have become economic jibs and central points
for business and industry
London didn’t grow during this time due to
decentralisation
o Decentralisation involved the building of
‘new towns’ like Milton Keynes to relieve
overpopulation
o Richer people started living in commuter
towns using cheap rail travel
Quality of housing was declining for many areas and
social housing was built in the 50s but lots of
demand in the 60s
Peak was reached in 1968 when 425,000 homes
were built and ½ of UK families owned their homes,
but the construction of tower blocks proved to be
poorly designed and constructed
1970s Economic conditions worsened and secondary jobs
decreased due to deindustrialisation like Liverpool
Annual growth rate slowed to 0.14% whose population decreased by 250,000 in between
Recession, deindustrialisation and higher 1961 and 1981
unemployment Significant number lived in poor conditions like
More women in the workforce also meant fertility dilapidated housing and due to unemployment were
rates decreased and there were fewer jobs to attract unable to improve their quality of life
migrants Redevelopment began in many rural areas to
improve living spaces involving demolishing and
building high rise flats in inner urban areas
London population also decreased during this time
due to the exodus of government offices out of
London to areas of economic decline and reduced
rates of immigration
1980s
Global economic recession affected the whole country and many factories closed due to deindustrialisation, leaving
urban buildings derelict often in the CBD zones and became discarded
External factors like competition with Japan and South Korea and TNCs and containerisation meant outsourcing
National government set up Urban Development Corporations to undertake large scale redevelopment like London
Docklands which started in 1981 and became the largest redevelopment scheme in the world. This is known as
assimilation where an inner urban place becomes similar to the central business district
Enterprise zones offering tax benefits were also established and financial markets were deregulated to attract
businesses to urban areas, including FDI
Counter urbanisation also occurred with migration from urban areas to the rural urban fringe and accessible rural
areas and commuting. Migration was largely voluntary. Push and pull factors were very strong leading to urban
sprawl a process that continued into the 21st century and can be seen in modern cities
1990s
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