Unit 2: Changing CitiesCase Study of a major

UK city: BristolResource Booklet

Name: _____________Key Idea 4.3: The context of Bristol influences its functions &

structure

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1. Site, situation & connectivity of Bristol

Key Definitions:

Site = the land the settlement is built on

Situation = where the settlement is built compared to physical and human features around it

Connectivity = the way that a city is connected or linked to other settlements in the UK & other countries around the world

Location of Bristol

Nationally – southwest of UK; southeast of Severn Estuary

Regionally – northwest Europe; north of France; west of Germany

Globally – east of Canada in North America & west of Russia in Asia

Site

Bristol grew on the confluence of the River Avon and the River Frome. The settlement then spread up the river valleys and the hills between them. Bristol has 7 valleys of the 2 rivers and their tributaries. Brandon Hill, St

Michael’s Hill, Old City, Redcliffe Hill, King’s Down, Clifton and College Green.

Bristol grew because of trading with South Wales and Ireland due to the tidal harbour provided by the River Avon.

Clifton is the most famous, due to the limestone ridge forming the Avon Gorge & the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Situation (create an accurate sketch map of Bristol in the box below – using p.125 to help!)

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N

Key:

Bristol is situated to the southwest of the Cotswold Hills and to the north of the Mendip Hills

It is on the banks of the River Avon and 10km east of its confluence with the River Severn

The M4 motorway is close to the northern edge of the city and the M5 is to its west

Bath is 20km southeast; Gloucester is 50km northeast; Newport is 25km northwest across the Severn Estuary; Exeter is 100km southwest; Swindon is 50km east and London is 150km east.

Connectivity

Bristol is well connected It developed as a trading settlement with Spain, Portugal and colonies in

the New World. Mid-18th century Bristol was England’s second largest city due to its

trade Goods included sugar cane, tobacco and rum came into England through

the port at Bristol Bristol was involved in the slave triangle Rich merchants built houses in Clifton to be further from the docks

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Bristol has 2 major stations – Temple Meads & Parkway with trains to London, Scotland, Wales, Manchester, Birmingham & Exeter.

Bristol has 2 motorways that link it to the rest of the UK; M4 going east to west and M5 going north to south.

Planes fly to 112 countries from the international airport, which is southwest of the city.

2. Bristol’s structure in terms of function and building age

Key Definitions:

CBD – the centre of the city; containing most important shops, businesses and entertainment facilities

Inner City – the central area of a major city

Suburbs – a residential area or a mixed use area within commuting distance of the city

Urban – rural fringe – the area on the outskirts of a city

Public buildings – buildings owned by the council that serve the residents of the city e.g. library

Terraced houses – houses that are joined on each side; front doors usually open up onto the street

Semi-detached houses – houses that are joined on one side to another house

Detached houses – houses that are not joined to another house

Owner-occupied – the house is owned by the people who live in it

Social priority housing – houses that are owned by a housing association and rented to people who can’t afford to buy their own home

Green belt land – an area around the city composed of farmland and recreational land. Strict controls on the development to control the growth of cities.

CBD

Tallest, oldest buildings in the middle of the city

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Place of renewal and redevelopment which contains most important shops, businesses and entertainment facilities

Important public buildings: city museum, council offices Land is in short supply and is therefore most expensive, buildings tend to

be tall to take up minimum amount of space Centre was rebuilt after WWII because the city was heavily bombed Broadmead Shopping Centre was built in the 1950s to replace bombed

buildings Part of it has been rebuilt to create The Galleries (1991; redeveloped

2013) and Cabot Circus (2008) providing the CBD with a variety of building ages and structures

Inner City

Residential and light industry High density housing was built between 1850 and 1914 2 bedroom terraced housing with no front garden with a yard/small

garden at the back Larger houses of same age are built along the main roads e.g. A4 leading

into the city Many of the larger houses have been converted into flats or used for

small businesses such as dental surgeries and solicitors offices. Terraced houses were built for workers so they could live close to their

place of work Larger houses were built along the access roads into the city to impress

visitors

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Cabot Circus opened 2008The Galleries after redevelopment in 2013

Suburbs

Main function is residential; split into inner & outer suburbs Inner suburbs built 1920-1940 (in between WWI & WWII) Outer suburbs built 1960s onwards

Inner suburbs

Low density with mainly semi-detached or detached 3 bedrooms, garage, front & back gardens Majority is owner occupied Large estates of social priority housing Open spaces for parks, playing fields, schools & hospitals Grew when public transport provision and private car ownership increased,

as people could live further away from their place of work People were wealthier and wanted larger houses with better facilities

Outer suburbs

Larger than inner suburbs & mainly detached Larger gardens and garages due to cheaper land at the edge of the city Location on outskirts is desirable; away from noise and pollution of CBD and

inner city 1970s housing estates were built in outer suburbs with smaller homes to

cope with number of people wanting to live in the city

Urban –rural fringe

Area on the outskirts of the city Mainly green belt land which is protected from development to stop the

spread of the city Over the past 20 years some development has been allowed

o New housing estateso Out of town shopping areas

Function is to provide additional housing for a growing city and provide shops for residents

Transport routes have been developed New industrial estates on the cheaper land have been developed

Key Idea 4.4: Bristol is being changed by movements of people, employment & services

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1. Sequence of urbanisation, suburbanisation, counter-urbanisation & re-urbanisation processes and their distinctive characteristics in Bristol

Urbanisation happened during 14th & 15th centuries By mid-18th century Bristol was 2nd largest city in England due to

trade Late 18th century Bristol expanded into Clifton area when rich

merchants built houses to be further away from the docks Inter war period the suburbs began to grow and houses were

built in Brislington. Newer suburbs like Stockwood, were built in the 1960s Counter-urbanisation saw a decline in Bristol’s population in

the latter half of 20th century Re-urbanisation has seen development of many new housing

estates and small towns built on the edge of the city from the 1980s onwards such as Bradley Stoke

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2. a) Causes of national and international migration

Key definitions:

National migration - movement from people in one area of a country to another with the intention on staying there for at least a year

International migration - movement of people from one country to another with the intention on staying there for at least a year

S = social

E = economic

EN = environmental

P = political

Push Factors Pull FactorsNatural hazards – flooding, drought

EN Hazard free areas EN

War & political conflicts – lack of safety

P Political stability P

Lack of jobs S Better job opportunities SLack of facilities – education, medical, housing

S Plenty of facilities S

High crime rates S To be closer to family SPoverty S/E Good climate ENCrop failure EN Fertile land ENPollution EN More attractive quality of

lifeS/E

2. b) impacts of migration on Bristol

Since 2005 the population of Bristol Local Authority is estimated to have increased by 43,900 people, an increase of 10.8% which has put a strain on services such as housing, hospitals & schools as well as employment

Over 8% rise in number of people living in Bristol born outside the UK since 2001 putting a strain on interpretation services & schools who teach children who don’t speak English

Currently 15% population of Bristol born outside UK

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61% of which arrived in UK in last 10 years 69% of which were of working age; 30% were children under 16 More than 24,000 people came to live in Bristol between 2004-

2009; after accession of Eastern European countries to the EU Since 2008 increase in national migration Cabot & Lawrence Hill (INNER CITY) have seen increase in number

of people born outside UK 30.5% 6.2% lived in Cabot for 10 years or more; compared to 11.5% who

have lived in Cabot for less than 2 years 1/3 of Bristol’s growth has taken place in Cabot & Lawrence Hill;

putting pressure on housing, doctors, hospitals and schools Hartcliffe & Stockwood have seen no significant increase in

migration & have seen a decrease in total population so no real impact on housing & services

Age structure: increased in all categories; particularly in 16-49 years group – 30% rise since 2001

Ethnicity: increased in all categories; mirrored by the large population increase

Total black/minority groups increased from 8.2% of population in 2001 to 16% in 2011

The proportion of the population who are not ‘White British’ has increased from 12% to 22% of the total population.

Summary

Bristol has become increasingly diverse o 45 religionso 187 countries of birtho 91 main languages

Projected increase in population of 23.3% by 2039 (compared to England 16.5%)

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Names of wards:Names of Wards

Key Idea 4.5: globalisation and economic change create challenges for Bristol that require long term solutions

1. Census population statistics for Bristol & reasons for growth

2015 population estimates for Bristol: Age & Gender Structure:

Key Characteristics of Bristol’s population:

1/5 are under 15 Number of children under 16 is more than the number of over 65s Higher percentage of working age range than rest of UK 20-39 make up 36% population (UK – 29%) Highest density is in inner city wards – Cabot & Lawrence Hill Highest number of children – Lawrence Hill & Filwood Lowest number of children – Cabot & Clifton Population stabilised in 1990s and has grown significantly since

Reasons for growth & characteristics:

Growth in 2000s is due to international migration Since 2009 it is due to increase in birth rate & decrease in death

rate 1980-90s urban population decreased due to counter

urbanisation Traditional industries closed & people move away to seek

employment

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Source https://www.bristol.gov.uk

2. Causes of deindustrialisation & impacts on BristolKey definitions:

Deindustrialisation – reduction of industrial activity in a region

Globalisation – way that companies, ideas & lifestyles are spread around the world

Decentralisation – process of spreading power or people away from the central authority

Edge and out-of-town shopping – shops or facilities located away from city centre, or on edge of cities

Internet shopping – people buying goods online, which allows them to shop from home

1. Decentralisation – many firms now have part production process; HQ in one country and they have other parts of the company all over the world e.g. Imperial Tobacco closed in 2010 with HQ still in Bristol employing 600, but is manufactured in other countries.

2. Technological advances – wherever companies are located they can keep in touch with each other via the internet & can transport products easily due to advances in transport systems.

3. Developments in transport – goods can be moved around the world more quickly & easily than before. Development in aircraft & containers but also motorway networks across Europe. E.g. Many Marks & Spencer products are made in Portugal where land & labour costs are less; goods are produced more cheaply and then transported to UK via lorry using motorway system.

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4. Globalisation – growing economic interdependency (working together) of countries influenced by technological advances & development of transport systems. Countries have decentralised & this has caused deindustrialisation in many cities including Bristol e.g. 2011 Cadbury plant in Keynsham closed to due Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury in 2010. 400 jobs were lost when factory closed; now the chocolate is made in Poland & brought 1,200 miles to UK by lorry.

3. How economic change is increasing inequality in Bristol & creating differences in quality of life

Sector %

Public services 27.5 Tertiary

Business & financial services 19.5 Quaternary

Wholesale & retail 15.7 Tertiary

Manufacturing 13.2 Secondary

Transport & communications 7.4 Tertiary

Construction 6.9 Secondary

Hotels & restaurants 5.2 Tertiary

Primary industry 1.1 Primary

Other 3.3 N/A

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Change from majority working in secondary sector; to majority working in tertiary/quaternary sectors.

Many people who worked in secondary sector haven’t been able to find new employment because they lack the skills.

This has led to decline in quality of life & increased inequality for these people.

4. Recent changes in retailing and their impact on Bristol

Decline in CBDs – shops closing & businesses have moved out Council has tried to change the trend by renting land in the CBD to

development companies Companies have developed new shopping centres e.g. Cabot

Circus Cabot Circus is covered (unlike old CBD high street) Street cafes and contain entertainment facilities and restaurants Good car parking facilities and excellent public transport Trying to fight against out-of-town shopping centres e.g. Longwell

Green (east) & Cribbs Causeway (west) Internet shopping has led to decline in trade in CBD UK Internet sales reached £52.25 billion in 2015; 16.2% increase

on 2014. Internet sales were 15.2% of all retail sales in the UK In-store sales dropped by 1.4%

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Bristol Docks today: The modern Bristol docks has been regenerated to include shops, cafes and open areas for the public.

Bristol Docks in Victorian times: During Victorian times Bristol docks was an industrial area closed to the public.

5. Range of strategies aimed at making urban living more sustainable and improving quality of life

Energy efficient housing – less energy is used to provide the same level of heat/power; homes are well insulated

2013 quality of life survey in 12 biggest cities in UK – Bristol ranked 1st (London ranked 7th)

Council asks residents to complete ‘Quality of life in your neighbourhood’ survey every year, asks questions about:

o Healtho Educationo Graffiti

o Access to leisure facilities

o Cycling to worko Fear of crime

Results are on council’s website & they use them to measure against sustainable goal

Council funds a research project with University of West England (UWE) looking at sustainable living

Council has 5 main strategies:1. Recycling2. Employment 3. Education & health4. Transport strategies5. Affordable & energy efficient housing

1. Recycling Different bins for waste Recycling centres Council have collection service for large bulky items for £15 (up to

3 items) Bristol has 1 of the highest recycling rates in the UK; 2012 Bristol

recycled 50% of their waste; increased from 12% in 2004

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New waste collection – save the council £2.5million a year and residents can recycle plastics and Tetra Paks

New waste treatment built at Avonmouth by New Earth Solutions; stops 200,000 tonnes of waste going to landfill & provides electricity to 13,000homes

2. Education & Health Council has 20:20 Plan to:

o Improve education standardso Provide better healthcareo Funding projects for healthy eating o Raising awareness e.g. the importance of 5 portions of fruit

& vegetables

3. Transport Strategies

a) Walking Bristol council has partnership

with walkit.com – provides easy to read maps between 2 points & shows distance, calories burned, time & carbon saved

This will improve people’s health & cut down on carbon emissions

b) Public transport Bus lanes that can’t be used

by private vehicles Developing system similar to

Oyster Cardc) Car sharing

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Council have set up a car club so you can hire a car whenever you need one

Car share page on council website Employers have car share schemes e.g. priority parking for

car sharers Bristol has 2+ people lanes – only cars with at least 2

passengers can use it – less traffic for them at rush hour!

d) Cycling Became UK’s first cycling city in

2008 Government gave Bristol Council

£11.4 million to create cycle lanes Dedicated cycleway that links

suburbs with city centre 300 cycle parking spaces in city centre Scheme which repairs bikes and provides them free of charge in

deprived communities On –street hire system Network Rail (& other companies) offer employees to buy a bike &

pay it back monthly through the salary; this avoids VAT Council has invested £35million to get 1/5 commuters on their

bikes by 2020 Segregated cycle paths to increase from 9% to 20%

4. Affordable and energy efficient housing Houses are responsible for 25% of UK’s carbon footprint

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Council are helping to improve energy efficiency:o Grants are available for loft insulation; council working with

British Gaso New developments have to submit sustainable energy

strategy to planning committee before they can get planning permission

Council knows housing is expensive, is trying to make it more affordable:o Provide affordable housing, rent is 80% of local marketo Rent can also be worked out on national social formulao HomeChoice Bristol provides contact details of private

housing associations as well as council’s housing schemeo Help-to-buy schemes with shared ownership and rental

schemeso Provide sheltered housing for elderly & retirement housing

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