CHANGING SPACES
MAKING PLACES
, TOPIC ONE A - FACTORS THAT SHAPE PLACE IDENTITY
CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE UP A PLACE
Physical geography
● Altitude, slope angle, aspect, drainage, geology
Demography
● Number of inhabitants, age of inhabitants, gender, ethnicity
Socio economic
● Employment, income, family status, education
Political
● Local, regional, and national government, local groups such as residents associations
- The government that is in power will impact the decisions that are made for the place and the policies
that are in place - can either cause a positive or negative place identity depending on the extent to
which these policies benefit the place
Built environment
● Age and style of buildings, density of housing
- Can influence the affordability of the place and thus the social class that most of the residents are a
part of. This will subsequently have an impact on the place’s identity
- Poorly maintained built environment makes the place attractive. It may mean that there is a lack of
tourism and that there are more people moving out than moving in
- Density and style of housing can reflect past connections. For example, the high housing density in
Hackney reflects the need for densely packed cheap housing for workers in the factories during the
industrial revolution
- Architectural style may reflect the place’s culture
- The quality of the built environment can influence a person’s emotional attachment to a place
- The built environment can impact how accessible the place is. If there is a lack of roads, trains, or
airports, there will be less people coming into the place and it will be more cut off from the wider
world.
Cultural
● Religion, local traditions, local clubs and societies
- Ethnic groups may be geographically concentrated in certain places; there is a focus on the preservation
of language and other cultural elements such as food, clothing or music. This will give the place a
specific cultural identity. This identity may be very different to the larger place (the city or country) if
the community consists of a different ethnic group to the rest of the place. For example, china town will
have a very different cultural identity to the rest of london and england
- Architectural styles can be influenced by culture. This can include places of worship such as mosques,
temples, churches, and synagogues. Specific cultures may also have very distinct architectural and
design styles, such as portuguese tiles in portugal which give the place a distinct identity
- Cultural diversity may be reflected in past connections, such as past invading groups (such as roman and
anglo saxon) or immigration into the place
- Local traditions such as the types of clubs and societies might shape the identity of the place by
influencing the leisure amenities and facilities that are available
- Cultural festivals, especially those that are well known and popular, can affect the identity of the place
CONNECTIONS AND FLOWS
Connection
- Characteristics of places are influenced by forces that have operated in the past. This can be seen in ethnic
composition, street names, and the style and look of buildings and public spaces
- Characteristics are also influenced by present day connections, existing at regional, national, and global scales.
This includes things like transport and communication links, national government policy, tourism, migration, and
the presence of TNCs
Flows of people
● Shifting flows of people help shape a place profile
● Migration brings new people into a place and also leads others away
, ● In advanced countries there have been considerable increases in most people’s personal mobility. Through
increased car ownership and improvements in transport technology people are able to commute further than
was the case in the past
Flows of resources
● The possession of natural resources help shape a place profile
- For example, the local availability of a mineral resource can lead to the establishment of a community
focused on mining
● A natural resource located in a community that has established itself around the extraction of that resource runs
out or is no longer needed, the place undergoes change
● Increasingly, technology is a resource that strongly influences a place’s profile
- The rise in electronic communication has increased place’s connectivity
● When a place no longer has the advantages a resource once gave it, its profile can soon become characterised by
decline
Flows of money and investment
● Government spending on characteristics of places such as infrastructure, education health and environment can
greatly influence place profiles
● Small scale investments from local businesses can be significant
- The opening up or closing down of a shop, factory or office in a local community can make a big
difference to a local place
● Significant investment in the opening up of chain shops in a place can cause the loss of unique place identity
(clone towns form)
Flows of ideas
● Some places are able to participate fully in the knowledge economy and therefore develop a distinctive place
profile
- Cities which are in the top group of any hierarchy, be it of world cities or those within a country, tend to
be actively involved in the knowledge economy. Their place profiles suggest thriving, lively places
