Regenerating
Places
Enquiry Question 1: How and why do places vary? An in-depth
study of the local place in which you like or study and one
contrasting place.
,4A.1 Economies can be classified in different ways and vary from place to place.
A place is a geographical space shaped by individuals and communities over time. They may
be completely urban places, or modified rural landscapes, moulded by centuries of farming,
forestry and mining. A place may be made distinctive by regional specialties in food and
drink, eg: Yorkshire puddings, Cornish pasties and also how they are portrayed by the
media. Books, film and TV characterise places, eg: Coronation Street (Manchester). Places
are shaped by internal connection (between people, employment, services and housing)
and external connections (such as government policies and globalisation). Place boundaries
may be official, administrative ones such as electoral ward or village boundary, or more
functional, such as travel to work catchment areas.
An important part of a place is its meaning to individuals and groups of people. This reflects
how people perceive, engage with and form attachments to particular places. Places also
vary in the rate at which they change. Smaller or more remote places may change socially
and economically more slowly than larger cities, while villages close to cities will be affected
by commuting.
Regeneration refers to long-term upgrading of existing places or more drastic renewal
schemes for urban residential, retail, industrial and commercial areas, as well as rural areas.
This sometimes includes conservation to preserve a specific identity. It is connected with
rebranding, which centres on marketing a place, where places are given a new or enhanced
identity to increase their attractiveness to people and investors.
Economies Can Be Classified in Different Ways and Vary from Place To Place
A key factor in the creation of a place is the structure of the local economy. This will affect
directly and indirectly the income and lifestyle of individuals and communities and
therefore the perception of a place.
Employment by Economic Sector
Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary
Fishing Car Banking Biotechnology
Forestry manufacturing Retail IT
Farming Steel making Teaching
Mining Oil refining Healthcare
Finance
Law
Tourism
The Quinary sector is one which has developed more recently. This includes jobs in the
highest level of decision making in an economy (eg: top business executives and officials in
government, science, universities, healthcare, culture and the media. It is connected to
STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).
, Primary: 22% - 1% (2011), decline in rural areas (mining, farming) therefore leads to
unemployment and out-migration due to lack of jobs.
Secondary: 36% - 9% (2011), deindustrialisation, therefore derelict land, depopulation,
therefore unemployment and a need for regeneration (eg; Sheffield).
Tertiary: 33% - 81% (2011), jobs in education, healthcare, banking, however, some jobs in
retail and tourism are low paid and part time.
All of these factors will affect people's perception of a place:
Accessing higher levels of education at university and apprentices has allowed people
from traditionally working class and unskilled families to access higher paid and
skilled jobs.
Places have become less 'parochial' (narrow minded) and therefore people are less
tied to their place of birth than a century ago. University graduates often settle in the
place they studied/trained or where they find a job.
The process of globalisation has influenced the balance of employment sectors and
the growth of high tech and knowledge industries (science, technology, finance) have
been encouraged by governments.
Places embracing these employment growth sectors are able to be winners, such as
London and Manchester. Other places are losers, deprived of opportunity, facilities
and standard of living.
Employment Type
In 2015, there were 32 million people in work in the UK, with 1.85 million unemployment
(5.6%). There are three main types of workers:
Employees with contracts (permanent or fixed). In 2015, 18.4 million people had full-
time contracts and 9 million part-time contracts.
Agency staff and volunteer workers.
Self-employed (freelancers, contractors).
