GCSE - HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
In this section of the site, you will find information on all case studies for AQA Unit 2
MAJOR CASE STUDY 1 - RIO DE JANEIRO
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SPECIFICATION QUESTION: A case study of a major city in an LIC or NEE to illustrate:
• the location and importance of the city, regionally, nationally and internationally • causes of growth: natural increase and migration • how urban growth has created opportunities: • social: access to services – health and education; access to resources – water supply, energy • economic: how urban industrial areas can be a stimulus for economic development • how urban growth has created challenges: • managing urban growth – slums, squatter settlements • providing clean water, sanitation systems and energy • providing access to services – health and education • reducing unemployment and crime • managing environmental issues – waste disposal, air and water pollution, traffic congestion. 
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MINI CASE STUDY 2
SPECIFICATION QUESTION An example of how urban planning is improving the quality of life for the urban poor
MAJOR CASE STUDY 3
SPECIFICATION QUESTION A case study of a major city in the UK to illustrate:
• the location and importance of the city in the UK and the wider world
• impacts of national and international migration on the growth and character of the city
• how urban change has created opportunities:
• social and economic: cultural mix, recreation and entertainment, employment, integrated transport systems
• environmental: urban greening
• how urban change has created challenges:
• social and economic: urban deprivation, inequalities in housing, education, health and employment
• environmental: dereliction, building on brownfield and greenfield sites, waste disposal
• the impact of urban sprawl on the rural–urban fringe, and the growth of commuter settlements.
• the location and importance of the city in the UK and the wider world
• impacts of national and international migration on the growth and character of the city
• how urban change has created opportunities:
• social and economic: cultural mix, recreation and entertainment, employment, integrated transport systems
• environmental: urban greening
• how urban change has created challenges:
• social and economic: urban deprivation, inequalities in housing, education, health and employment
• environmental: dereliction, building on brownfield and greenfield sites, waste disposal
• the impact of urban sprawl on the rural–urban fringe, and the growth of commuter settlements.
Birmingham Case Study Notes
Location
Birmingham is located centrally within the UK, and it the central part of the West Midlands conurbation (different urban areas that have joined up).
Importance
Within the UK
· Direct rail links to many UK cities. Used by over 34 million people in 2014.
· New Street station is the busiest UK station outside of London.
· Birmingham is one of the ‘greenest’ UK cities. It has over 8,000 acres of parks and open space.
· Excellent job opportunities, including 200 law firms, 50 major property services and a range of other major companies such as Atkins, BBC and Jaguar Landrover.
· Birmingham Hippodrome is the busiest theatre in the UK with over 520,000 visitors each year.
International
· The European Cities Monitor rated Birmingham among the top 15 best cities in Europe in 2009.
· £13 billion invested in infrastructure development over the next decade. The aim is to be a city of global importance.
· Birmingham Airport had over 9 million customers in 2014. It has been extended to connect to more places in Africa, South America, China and the USA.
Provides space to more than 300 companies from outside of the UK
Impacts of national and international migration
Historically, people have migrated to Birmingham from a wide range of cultures, in particular, Jewish people from Tsarist Russia and Nazi Germany, and Polish refugees during the Second World War. Currently there are a lot of refugees from places suffering conflict such as Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012-2013, there were 12,000 international migrants and 40,800 UK migrants to Birmingham.
Migration has given Birmingham a rich cultural heritage and has led to the development of a range of successful multi-cultural communities, as indicated by the wide range of ethnic restaurants and cultural events. Migrants bring a range of skills, contributing to areas such as the Jewellery Quarter and the Polish Catholic Centre in Digbeth. Migration to Birmingham has helped the city to be successful.
Urban change and opportunities
Social and economic
· Five universities and over 50,000 students, Birmingham has one of the youngest populations in Europe.
· Largest number of businesses outside of London, offering a wide range of job opportunities including retail, manufacturing and research (for example, the Birmingham University BioHub, a biomedical research centre).
· Over 28,000 job vacancies in Birmingham listed on major websites such as Indeed.com.
· Excellent transport links - New Street Station and Birmingham Airport, as well as road links to the rest of the country with a range of motorways including the M5, M6 M40 and M42. There is also an integrated bus, metro and rail system run by Network West Midlands that is undergoing continued development.
· Birmingham Hippodrome – the most visited theatre in the UK.
· City centre museum and art gallery have over 2,000 exhibits.
· Bullring shopping centre has over 160 shops and an average of 750,000 visitors each week.
· Home to the most Michelin starred restaurants outside of London.
Environmental – urban greening
Birmingham City Council aim to further increase the amount of green space in the city with a plan called Birmingham’s Green Vision. The main aims are to make the city more attractive, encourage business, and improve health. So far, this includes:
· The opening of Eastside City Park, a new six acre park, in 2013.
· Creating blue corridors alongside rivers and canals (for example, as part of the Longbridge redevelopment scheme).
· Encouraging walking and cycling. This is supported by organisations such as Network West Midlands who provide detailed walking and cycling information for the city.
· Developing green roofs and walls to increase biodiversity, reduce the amount of heat absorbed, and to minimise water run-off.
Urban change and challenges
Social and economic
· Urban deprivation – this is when an area has a quality of life below the acceptable standard.
· Many areas in Birmingham suffer with deprivation, and Birmingham is measured as the 6th most deprived area in the country.
· A major cause was industrial decline from the 1970’s when many businesses left the city, often to cut costs by moving to other countries where labour was cheaper.
· This created a ‘spiral of decline’ that contributed to urban deprivation in Birmingham.
· Inequalities in housing – Deprived areas tend to have poorer quality housing than other areas. In Birmingham, these areas are often located where industrial decline has occurred, leading to many boarded up factories and shops. This can cause an increase in crime and vandalism. Loss of employment linked to industrial decline also means that people can’t afford to buy a new home or to improve their current home. Around 10,000 people in Birmingham are now homeless.
· Inequalities in education, health and employment – Similar to housing, these vary across Birmingham. Health, for instance, may differ for a range of reasons. People living closer to the centre may suffer from greater air and noise pollution. Smoking and drinking are more common in deprived areas. People on higher incomes may have better access to facilities such as gyms. Key statistics:
o Education (5 GCSEs A*-C) – Sutton Four Oaks, 87%. Ladywood, 43%.
o Average life expectancy – Sutton Four Oaks, 86. Winson Green, 75.
o Unemployment – Sutton Four Oaks, 21.7%. Lozells, 41.4%.
Environmental
· Derelict buildings such as closed factories and shops lead to poorer environmental conditions. They are often vandalised and covered in graffiti.
· An increasing population means an increasing demand for housing. In 2015, it was estimated that Birmingham needed 89,000 new houses, but space was only found for 51,000 new houses.
· Building houses can be either done on greenfield sites or brownfield sites.
· Greenfield sites are sites that have not been built upon before, for example, farmland and countryside. These are cheaper than brownfield sites but contribute to urban sprawl (the outward expansion of urban areas) and problems like traffic congestion.
· Brownfield sites are sites that have built on before, such as for industry, but are no longer in use. These can be redeveloped to provide new housing and make a place nicer, however it is usually expensive as the old buildings need to be removed first. They may also be contaminated by the previous land use.
· Waste disposal is an increasing challenge as population increases. In 2015, only 30% of Birmingham’s waste was recycled. Birmingham City Council aim to increase this to 40% by 2026 with these strategies:
o Household waste recycling centres – These are collection points for recyclable materials across Birmingham. From these, waste is taken to one of five new recycling centres. Over 52,000 tonnes of rubbish was recycled or composted in 2014.
o Energy recovery – Birmingham has a new Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) that takes 350,000 tonnes of rubbish per year and converts it into electricity. The only problem is that this waste is burned, releasing a lot of carbon dioxide.
Urban Sprawl, the rural-urban fringe and commuter settlements
· Rural-urban fringe = the area on the edge of an urban area. Here, rural and urban land uses are often mixed. The area is often at risk of urban sprawl.
· Urban sprawl = the expansion of an urban area into less populated areas.
· The rural-urban fringe is often wanted for a range of reasons including new retail parks, new suburbs (residential areas on the outer part of a city), leisure facilities (such as golf courses) and industrial estates.
· For example, continued demand for new housing in Halesowen, to the west of Birmingham, has led to conflict over the use of many parts of the rural-urban fringe. In 2017, there was ongoing debate whether to build on some of this land. So far, the council have stopped the plans, but this may change as population increases.
· Commuter settlements = Towns around a larger city where people commute (travel) to the city to work. Examples around Birmingham include Dudley, Bromsgrove, Lichfield and Walsall.
· In the last 10 years, around 42,000 people have moved from the centre of Birmingham to the edge of the city. This has led to an increase in the population of commuter settlements. Challenges include increased traffic, air pollution and pressure on public transport as people are travelling further.
· In Birmingham, the number of daily commuters was between 150,000 and 200,000 in 2011.
Birmingham Regeneration
Regeneration = Improving the economic, social and environmental conditions of a previously run down area.
· Many areas in Birmingham have suffered from industrial decline.
· For example, Longbridge was a major centre for car manufacturing.
o At its peak in 1965, over 25,000 people were employed there.
o From the 1970’s, increased competition from abroad led to the decline in many industries in Birmingham, including car manufacturing.
o The manufacturing plant at Longbridge finally closed in 2005. The area became run down and many people were unemployed, therefore Longbridge was in need of regeneration.
· Recent and ongoing regeneration in Birmingham includes Longbridge, Grand Central, Paradise, and Birmingham Curzon.
· The Longbridge Regeneration Plan aims to completely regenerate the derelict Rover car plant by building over 2000 new homes and creating 1000 jobs. The plan includes:
o A technology park, including an innovation centre suited to small technology businesses.
o A £70 million new town centre with a range of major stores.
o Now hotels and leisure developments such as restaurants and cafes.
o Bourneville College, a new £66 million learning facility.
o A range of new office accommodation.
o Residential developments for a variety of age ranges.
o Large industrial and distribution centre buildings (warehouses) with easy access to the road network.
· Grand Central is another major regeneration project including:
o A new large concourse
o Better links to the surrounding area
o A nicer physical environment
o A range of new stores, including John Lewis which created 650 jobs.
Location
Birmingham is located centrally within the UK, and it the central part of the West Midlands conurbation (different urban areas that have joined up).
Importance
Within the UK
· Direct rail links to many UK cities. Used by over 34 million people in 2014.
· New Street station is the busiest UK station outside of London.
· Birmingham is one of the ‘greenest’ UK cities. It has over 8,000 acres of parks and open space.
· Excellent job opportunities, including 200 law firms, 50 major property services and a range of other major companies such as Atkins, BBC and Jaguar Landrover.
· Birmingham Hippodrome is the busiest theatre in the UK with over 520,000 visitors each year.
International
· The European Cities Monitor rated Birmingham among the top 15 best cities in Europe in 2009.
· £13 billion invested in infrastructure development over the next decade. The aim is to be a city of global importance.
· Birmingham Airport had over 9 million customers in 2014. It has been extended to connect to more places in Africa, South America, China and the USA.
Provides space to more than 300 companies from outside of the UK
Impacts of national and international migration
Historically, people have migrated to Birmingham from a wide range of cultures, in particular, Jewish people from Tsarist Russia and Nazi Germany, and Polish refugees during the Second World War. Currently there are a lot of refugees from places suffering conflict such as Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012-2013, there were 12,000 international migrants and 40,800 UK migrants to Birmingham.
Migration has given Birmingham a rich cultural heritage and has led to the development of a range of successful multi-cultural communities, as indicated by the wide range of ethnic restaurants and cultural events. Migrants bring a range of skills, contributing to areas such as the Jewellery Quarter and the Polish Catholic Centre in Digbeth. Migration to Birmingham has helped the city to be successful.
Urban change and opportunities
Social and economic
· Five universities and over 50,000 students, Birmingham has one of the youngest populations in Europe.
· Largest number of businesses outside of London, offering a wide range of job opportunities including retail, manufacturing and research (for example, the Birmingham University BioHub, a biomedical research centre).
· Over 28,000 job vacancies in Birmingham listed on major websites such as Indeed.com.
· Excellent transport links - New Street Station and Birmingham Airport, as well as road links to the rest of the country with a range of motorways including the M5, M6 M40 and M42. There is also an integrated bus, metro and rail system run by Network West Midlands that is undergoing continued development.
· Birmingham Hippodrome – the most visited theatre in the UK.
· City centre museum and art gallery have over 2,000 exhibits.
· Bullring shopping centre has over 160 shops and an average of 750,000 visitors each week.
· Home to the most Michelin starred restaurants outside of London.
Environmental – urban greening
Birmingham City Council aim to further increase the amount of green space in the city with a plan called Birmingham’s Green Vision. The main aims are to make the city more attractive, encourage business, and improve health. So far, this includes:
· The opening of Eastside City Park, a new six acre park, in 2013.
· Creating blue corridors alongside rivers and canals (for example, as part of the Longbridge redevelopment scheme).
· Encouraging walking and cycling. This is supported by organisations such as Network West Midlands who provide detailed walking and cycling information for the city.
· Developing green roofs and walls to increase biodiversity, reduce the amount of heat absorbed, and to minimise water run-off.
Urban change and challenges
Social and economic
· Urban deprivation – this is when an area has a quality of life below the acceptable standard.
· Many areas in Birmingham suffer with deprivation, and Birmingham is measured as the 6th most deprived area in the country.
· A major cause was industrial decline from the 1970’s when many businesses left the city, often to cut costs by moving to other countries where labour was cheaper.
· This created a ‘spiral of decline’ that contributed to urban deprivation in Birmingham.
· Inequalities in housing – Deprived areas tend to have poorer quality housing than other areas. In Birmingham, these areas are often located where industrial decline has occurred, leading to many boarded up factories and shops. This can cause an increase in crime and vandalism. Loss of employment linked to industrial decline also means that people can’t afford to buy a new home or to improve their current home. Around 10,000 people in Birmingham are now homeless.
· Inequalities in education, health and employment – Similar to housing, these vary across Birmingham. Health, for instance, may differ for a range of reasons. People living closer to the centre may suffer from greater air and noise pollution. Smoking and drinking are more common in deprived areas. People on higher incomes may have better access to facilities such as gyms. Key statistics:
o Education (5 GCSEs A*-C) – Sutton Four Oaks, 87%. Ladywood, 43%.
o Average life expectancy – Sutton Four Oaks, 86. Winson Green, 75.
o Unemployment – Sutton Four Oaks, 21.7%. Lozells, 41.4%.
Environmental
· Derelict buildings such as closed factories and shops lead to poorer environmental conditions. They are often vandalised and covered in graffiti.
· An increasing population means an increasing demand for housing. In 2015, it was estimated that Birmingham needed 89,000 new houses, but space was only found for 51,000 new houses.
· Building houses can be either done on greenfield sites or brownfield sites.
· Greenfield sites are sites that have not been built upon before, for example, farmland and countryside. These are cheaper than brownfield sites but contribute to urban sprawl (the outward expansion of urban areas) and problems like traffic congestion.
· Brownfield sites are sites that have built on before, such as for industry, but are no longer in use. These can be redeveloped to provide new housing and make a place nicer, however it is usually expensive as the old buildings need to be removed first. They may also be contaminated by the previous land use.
· Waste disposal is an increasing challenge as population increases. In 2015, only 30% of Birmingham’s waste was recycled. Birmingham City Council aim to increase this to 40% by 2026 with these strategies:
o Household waste recycling centres – These are collection points for recyclable materials across Birmingham. From these, waste is taken to one of five new recycling centres. Over 52,000 tonnes of rubbish was recycled or composted in 2014.
o Energy recovery – Birmingham has a new Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) that takes 350,000 tonnes of rubbish per year and converts it into electricity. The only problem is that this waste is burned, releasing a lot of carbon dioxide.
Urban Sprawl, the rural-urban fringe and commuter settlements
· Rural-urban fringe = the area on the edge of an urban area. Here, rural and urban land uses are often mixed. The area is often at risk of urban sprawl.
· Urban sprawl = the expansion of an urban area into less populated areas.
· The rural-urban fringe is often wanted for a range of reasons including new retail parks, new suburbs (residential areas on the outer part of a city), leisure facilities (such as golf courses) and industrial estates.
· For example, continued demand for new housing in Halesowen, to the west of Birmingham, has led to conflict over the use of many parts of the rural-urban fringe. In 2017, there was ongoing debate whether to build on some of this land. So far, the council have stopped the plans, but this may change as population increases.
· Commuter settlements = Towns around a larger city where people commute (travel) to the city to work. Examples around Birmingham include Dudley, Bromsgrove, Lichfield and Walsall.
· In the last 10 years, around 42,000 people have moved from the centre of Birmingham to the edge of the city. This has led to an increase in the population of commuter settlements. Challenges include increased traffic, air pollution and pressure on public transport as people are travelling further.
· In Birmingham, the number of daily commuters was between 150,000 and 200,000 in 2011.
Birmingham Regeneration
Regeneration = Improving the economic, social and environmental conditions of a previously run down area.
· Many areas in Birmingham have suffered from industrial decline.
· For example, Longbridge was a major centre for car manufacturing.
o At its peak in 1965, over 25,000 people were employed there.
o From the 1970’s, increased competition from abroad led to the decline in many industries in Birmingham, including car manufacturing.
o The manufacturing plant at Longbridge finally closed in 2005. The area became run down and many people were unemployed, therefore Longbridge was in need of regeneration.
· Recent and ongoing regeneration in Birmingham includes Longbridge, Grand Central, Paradise, and Birmingham Curzon.
· The Longbridge Regeneration Plan aims to completely regenerate the derelict Rover car plant by building over 2000 new homes and creating 1000 jobs. The plan includes:
o A technology park, including an innovation centre suited to small technology businesses.
o A £70 million new town centre with a range of major stores.
o Now hotels and leisure developments such as restaurants and cafes.
o Bourneville College, a new £66 million learning facility.
o A range of new office accommodation.
o Residential developments for a variety of age ranges.
o Large industrial and distribution centre buildings (warehouses) with easy access to the road network.
· Grand Central is another major regeneration project including:
o A new large concourse
o Better links to the surrounding area
o A nicer physical environment
o A range of new stores, including John Lewis which created 650 jobs.
MINI CASE STUDY 4
SPECIFICATION QUESTION An example of an urban regeneration project to show: • reasons why the area needed regeneration • the main features of the project.
mini CASE STUDY 5
SPECIFICATION QUESTION An example of how the growth of tourism in an LIC or NEE helps to reduce the development gap
MAJOR CASE STUDY 6
SPECIFICATION QUESTIONS A case study of one LIC or NEE to illustrate:
• the location and importance of the country, regionally and globally
• the wider political, social, cultural and environmental context within which the country is placed
• the changing industrial structure. The balance between different sectors of the economy. How manufacturing industry can stimulate economic development
• the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in relation to industrial development. Advantages and disadvantages of TNC(s) to the host country
•the changing political and trading relationships with the wider world
• international aid: types of aid, impacts of aid on the receiving country
• the environmental impacts of economic development
• the effects of economic development on quality of life for the population.
• the location and importance of the country, regionally and globally
• the wider political, social, cultural and environmental context within which the country is placed
• the changing industrial structure. The balance between different sectors of the economy. How manufacturing industry can stimulate economic development
• the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in relation to industrial development. Advantages and disadvantages of TNC(s) to the host country
•the changing political and trading relationships with the wider world
• international aid: types of aid, impacts of aid on the receiving country
• the environmental impacts of economic development
• the effects of economic development on quality of life for the population.
MINI CASE STUDY 7
SPECIFICATION QUESTION An example of how modern industrial development can be more environmentally sustainable
MAJOR CASE STUDY 8
SPECIFICATION QUESTION An example of a large scale water transfer scheme to show how its development has both advantages and disadvantages.
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Lesotho is located in Southern Africa
What is the issue?
On average South Africa has half as much rainfall as the UK, but the rainfall is not distributed evenly. The east coast receives a lot more rain than the west. This is because moist air comes in from the Indian Ocean to the east forming clouds over the highlands of eastern South Africa and Lesotho. This is due to relief rainfall. The rainfall however doesn’t match the population spread, so the most densely populated areas receive the least rainfall. For example, parts of Lesotho receive 1200mm of rain per year but not many people live there. This is a good thing for Lesotho, as it can sell its water to the South Africa where the rainfall is low but population is high (like Wales does to Birmingham). South Africa’s weather also impacts the water issue, with the country having a wet and dry season. In the dry season reservoirs and rivers run low. Therefore without management some parts of South Africa would suffer seasonal water shortages. |
What attempts are being made to resolve the issue?
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is an example of a large scale water management scheme. This involves the construction of 6 major dams in Lesotho and 200km of tunnels taking water from Lesotho to South Africa. The project was agreed in 1986. The scheme diverts 40% of the water in Lesotho’s drainage basin (Vaal Basin) to the Orange Free State in South Africa. An advantage of the project is that Lesotho is a very poor country with an unemployment rate of 50%. It has no major resources other than water. The Lesotho government is hoping the LHWP will help develop the country. The project will cost $8 billion and is funded by the world bank. Overall the percentage of people with a safe drinking water has increased from 83% to 87% in South Africa. The dams also provide power to the area, which is a cheaper renewable energy source for Lesotho. Lesotho is also benefiting from improved roads constructed to access dam sites. 20,000 new jobs were also created which improved communities and quality of life. However, there were disadvantages. Many thousands of people had to be displaced (moved) from their homes to construct the dams. The Katse Dam affected 20,000 people who were forced to move and were given little compensation. Aids also increased in the region due to lots of people moving to informal settlements. Also, the dams flooded 1000s of hectares of farming land in Lesotho, and since only 9% of Lesotho’s land can be farmed, this could have a negative effect on the food supply. |
MINI case study 9
SPECIFICATION QUESTION An example of a local scheme in an LIC or NEE to increase sustainable supplies of water
