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Characteristics and patterns in contrasting urban areas - Coggle Diagram
Characteristics and patterns in contrasting urban areas
Economic inequality
Economic groups are usually spatially distributed within an urban area, economic inequality is present in different ways in contrasting urban areas and can cause multiple problems
The inequalities can occur in: housing provision, access to services, access to open land, access to housing opportunities and education
There is a great deal of poverty within developed countries cities and LICs however the LICs may not have the resources to deal with the poorer populations making the issues they face much more severe e.g. emergence of gangs in the favelas in Brazil
Within the UK, the cities that are suffering the most are the ones facing deindustrialisation, typically in the North
Accessibility is a factor that is prevalent in income levels, there are studies showing that a higher level of accessibility directly correlates to a higher income in certain areas such as Brazil
A major issue in HICs is access to affordable housing for example in London where a public service worker may not be able to afford to live there because accomodation is simply too expensive
The wealthy areas tend to have longer life expectancy and the % of people reporting themself as in not good health was highest in areas of lower income
Despite the huge wealth in London, only the top 10% of people hold 60% of all the assets and there is a high unemployment rate compared to the rest of the UK
USE MUMBAI AS CASE STUDY FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES
Cultural diversity and social segregation
International migration is a major driving factor in creating rich cultural diversity within cities, this can bring many positives to a city such as increasing tolerance and tourism however it can create issues such as:
Some cultures may feel underrepresented within their area and may not have access to important aspects of their culture e.g. a mosque
There may not be resources available to improve the quality of life for those with different cultures such as providing info in multiple languages
Some people may not be tolerant to different cultures and some may experience prejudice or racism
Cultural diversity is the existence of a variety of ethnic and cultural groups within a society
social segregation exists whenever the proportions of population rates of two or more populations are not homogenous throughput a defined space
Can create issues such as:
Areas can be under attack from prejudice and racism
People may feel isolated if they are not within the demographic of the majority who lives in that area - social exclusion and mya develop a very different negative sense of place compared to other residents
Low paid migrant jobs means migrants are limited with housing options and have to live in cheaper, more deprived areas. these areas are often neglected by the government leading to high levels of crime, unemployment and other social issues. This can exemplify the racial inequalities within society as these socially segregated groups lack the resources that other people may have if they were to live in a less deprived rea
Strategies to manage urban issues
, the approaches taken by the government and community may differ between contrasting urban areas, especially HICs and LICs
City minimum wages
- In some cities such as London or New York city, the minimum wage is higher than the rest of the country because the cost of living is very high. Higher minimum wages reduce economic inequality as people have more money for food, rent and utilities. This may only be an option for an
HIC
because many developing countries do not have minimum wages
Fari rent and housing policies
- Legislation can be put in place in cities to ensure people have access to safe and affordable homes within cities. there are laws in place to ensure that people pay a fair price. For example the Mayor of London will ensure an average of at least 17 000 affordable homes per year in London
Recognising informal housing issues
- Especially in developing countries informal housing can exacerbate sever inequalities e.g. Brazil favela gangs. In some countries, residents can be evicted and their homes demolished to limit the growth. In order to limit inequality and social issues these settlements can be recognised as residential areas by law and can be provided with safe water, sanitation, transport and other essential needs
Urban policies and regeneration
Retraining
- a population with a skills base aligned to the needs of the primary/secondary industry needs to retrain to have the skills necessary to be successful in the new services economy - diversifying skills is necessary to reduce the negative impacts of deindustrialisation by boosting employment opportunities
Economic policies
- at a local level, governments can positively promote a place to carry out economic activity through favourable policies with regard to taxes. this is
boosterism
. At an international level FDI can be used to revitalise a deindustrialised place e.g. london docklands
Environmental policies
- the government can set out environmental standards that closing industries must abide by so to not leave unsightly derelict land strewn with toxic waste
The role of government policies
By investing in infrastructure governments can maintain and improve accessibility. Governments also facilitate regeneration projects alongside charities and developers
Government polciies control the rate and type of developments allowed through planning laws, creating house building targets, considering housing affordability and gaining permissions.
Government policies about migration and the deregulation of capital markets significantly impacts growth and investment
Local governments can create business environments with designated areas for development to attract domestic and foreign investors
Local interest groups are vital in design making and creating regeneration projects however there is often conflict between these groups as interests will differ
The European Social Fund aims to tackle poverty and social exclusion by increasing employment and helping people to access sustainable employment, as well as investing in skills and improving the diversity of the workforce and investing young people with the skills required for the quaternary industry to be successful it aims to reduce poverty, increase the skill levels and reduce the number of people with no basic skills
Re-urbanisation
The large scale, government backed movement of people into the city centre as part of regeneration with 24 hour culture, effective public transport and attracting the young professional demographic