4.1.3 Urban Change in HICs - Birmingham, UK - Case Study

• Upland Regions:
• 📝 Example: Northern Scotland.
• Sparsely populated due to difficult farming and lack of resources.
• Coastal Areas:
• 📝 Example: Liverpool.
• Attractive for human settlement due to harbours and ports for trading goods.
• Rivers:
• 📝 Example: London/Thames.
• Useful as a water source and for trading.
• Mineral Wealth:
• 📝 Example: Newcastle.
• Coal and iron ore led to rapid population growth and industrial development.
• Lowland Areas:
• 📝 Example: Birmingham.
• Easy to build on and have a milder climate.

Different Zones in UK Cities:

🔗 Most UK cities have distinct areas called zones. These are the four main zones:

• The Suburbs:

• Located towards the edge of the city.

• Mainly residential with semi-detached houses.

• Look for short, curved streets or cul-de-sacs on a map.

• The Central Business District (CBD):

• Usually in the middle of a city.

• Includes public buildings, train and bus stations, hotels, major shops, offices, and restaurants.

• Often surrounded by the inner city.

  

• The Inner City:

• Mix of land uses, mainly residential (including old terraced housing).

• Identified by lots of short parallel roads representing the terraced housing.

• The Rural-Urban Fringe:

• Mix of land uses, mainly residential (including old terraced housing).

• Identified by short parallel roads representing the terraced housing.

Urban Issues & Challenges: BIRMINGHAM

Overview

• Birmingham is the UK's second largest city.
• Only city other than London to have a population over 1 million.
• Metropolitan economy is the second largest in the UK with a GDP of $121.1bn (2014).
• Six universities make it the largest centre of higher education in the country outside London.
• Central location made it ideal for a city location.

National Importance

• Greenest City**:** Over 8,000 acres of parks and open space.
• Transportation Hub**:** More railways and motorways than any other UK city; New Street Station is the busiest station outside London.
• Cultural Diversity: Most culturally diverse city in the UK with around 300 languages spoken.

International Importance

• Jewellery Quarter: Largest jewellery making centre in Europe.
• Global Brands: Home to brands like Cadbury, HSBC, Jaguar Land Rover.
• Birmingham International Airport: Nearly 12.5 million customers in 2018; rise in 2022 due to hosting the Commonwealth Games.

Migration Impact on Birmingham

🔗 Birmingham is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK. In 2015, the city had a population of 1.1 million drawn from 187 nations. This means that Birmingham has a variety of cultural/ ethnic groups within the community

National Migration to Birmingham:

• Migrants from the UK, mainly 16-21-year-olds, contributing to local and national economy, and higher education.
• Four major universities in Birmingham.

International Migration to Birmingham:

• Migrants usually in search of work, living in inner city where housing is cheaper.
• Providing a young working population.

Advantages:

• Younger working population.
• Economic contribution (taxation, multiplier effect).
• Enriching cultural life (restaurants, festivals, arts, music, shops).
• Entrepreneurs setting up businesses.
• Improving skill levels where shortages exist.

Disadvantages:

• Increased demand on schools and services (healthcare, sanitation, utilities).
• Concentration in deprived areas, leading to overcrowding.
• Challenge of wider integration into the community.
• Provision of education for children not speaking English.

Birmingham's Opportunities and Challenges

• During the industrial revolution there was growth of manufacturing industries and rapid urbanisation.
• This was followed by industrial decline – many industries relocated overseas or to the rural-urban fringe
• Lots of people moved to the suburbs, and inner city areas and CBD's declined
• Regeneration projects have helped to make city centres more attractive again.
• These changes have created various opportunities and challenges.

Urban change has bought opportunities to Birmingham…

Birmingham suffered greatly due to industrial decline. However, due to regeneration and focusing on a service based economy, Birmingham now has the strongest economy of any UK city outside London, with an economy worth £28.1 billion in 2018.

Birmingham's Opportunities:

Social Opportunities:

1. Cultural Mix and Ethnic Diversity:

• Migration brought a range of foods, festivals, and cultural experiences.
• Attractions such as the Christmas Market, which attracts 5.6 million visitors.

2. Employment:

• Growth in tourism and service sectors.
• New jobs and business developments, especially in finance and insurance 📝 (e.g., HSBC).

Economic Opportunities:

1. Recreation and Entertainment:

• Development of the Bull Ring for shopping.
• Two football teams, NEC and NIA hosting concerts and exhibitions.
• $500 million investment in the new Grand Central Station.

2. Infrastructure:

• $100 million investment in broadband.
• Development of a Super-Connected city.

3. Regeneration:

• The BIG CITY PLAN, the largest regeneration scheme in Europe.

Economic Opportunities

Environmental Opportunities:

3. Eastside City Park:

• Increase in green space.
• Managed traffic through a park and ride scheme, reducing congestion.

4. Canal and Cycle Path Improvements:

• Cleaned canals.
• New cycle and pedestrian routes 📝 (e.g., A38 'Street Corridor' cycle path).

5. Renewable Energy:

• 30% reduction in energy use.
• 400 electric car charging points across the city.

Birmingham's Challenges:

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

1. Industrial decline in the 20th Century left much of Birmingham's inner city very deprived, 📝 e.g. Ladywood is in the top 10% deprived area in the country.
2. Birmingham's unemployment rate in Birmingham is more than twice the national average predominantly caused by this decline in manufacturing jobs.
3. Urban growth in parts of the city has left to increased inequality- people in wealthier areas have better access to housing, education, employment and healthcare, 📝 e.g. Sutton Coldfield.
4. Students in Ladywood, an inner city suburb only half as likely to gain 5 GCSEs as those in the wealthy suburb of Sutton Coldfield.
5. Urban sprawl to the north east of the city has been caused by a high demand for housing from a growing population and led to an increase in house prices.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

1. Growing population meant high rates of landfill and little recycling- 65% of Birmingham's waste still goes to landfill
2. Heavy vehicle use led to high volumes air pollution caused by emissions.
3. The growth of the city and movement of people to the suburbs means there is pressure to build on greenfield sites. This has destroyed natural habitats. Building on brownfield sites is better for the environment but lands needs clearing and decontaminating first which is expensive.
4. As people left inner city areas, buildings were left derelict becoming a target for graffiti and vandalism

Brindley Place Regeneration

Brindley Place was one of the largest regeneration projects in Birmingham, It is a large mixed-use canal side development built on an old brownfield site of disused factories.

• Social: • The development provided 143 houses for city workers • Operate a same day doctor scheme

• Economic: • The overall cost was £350 million. • Attracted new business such as RBS HQ which created 10,000 new jobs and 95% of those living in the redeveloped area have high level qualifications.

  

• Environmental: • They recycle 100% of the waste. • They operate a car share scheme for workers. • 16 people are employed to keep area clean.

Urban sprawl puts pressure on the rural-urban fringe

🔗 Urban sprawl is the unplanned growth of urban areas into the surrounding countryside, it is a transition area where there's a mix of urban and rural land use.

5. Birmingham has sprawled outwards, especially to the North and South where Solihull & Sutton Coldfield has developed.
6. Commuter settlements- places in the rural-urban fringe where the majority of the population leaves town each day to travel to work elsewhere. This can cause challenges such as demand on housing leading to increased house prices and new development and businesses closing as many choose to do their shopping whilst in town. There is also the increase in air pollution from high vehicle use.
7. Out of town shopping developments, 📝 eg Merry Hill and The Fort, take advantage of cheaper land on the outskirts of the city. However, large areas of rural land are lost when they are built and they can lead to air and noise pollution and traffic congestion as people tend to travel to them via car.

Urban growth in Birmingham puts pressure on waste

As the population and number of businesses in Birmingham increase, the amount of waste generated also increases. Waste disposal is an environmental challenge.

The United Kingdom produces in the region of 30 million tonnes of household rubbish each year. As recently as the 1990s, more than 80% of this waste used to go direct to landfill. The government has recognised that this must change as landfill sites become scarce and demand for recycling gathers pace.

Through various legislative initiatives, recycling is becoming an accepted way of dealing with some of our domestic waste and currently approximately 25% of domestic waste is recycled. 65% still goes to landfill sites for burial, with about 6% having energy or value recovered from it in some way.

Birmingham's waste strategy reflects the national policy of viewing waste as a resource rather than rubbish. In partnership with Birmingham City Council we are working towards achieving a 40% recycling rate by 2026.

How is Birmingham managing its waste problem?

• Household Waste recycling centres: These are collection points for recyclable waste to be taken. Birmingham has 5 and it currently recycles 52,000 tonnes of rubbish
• Energy Recovery: Birmingham operates a state-of-the-art Energy Recovery Facility which takes 350,000 tonnes of rubbish per year and turns it into electricity.
• Education: Birmingham waste management company (Veolia) work in partnership with local schools to provide education and facts about recycling and how to reduce your waste. Birmingham also runs a promotional campaign called 'reduce, reuse and recycle'
• Re-users Shops: The first re-user shop opening in 2016 and sells items no longer wanted by Birmingham citizens.

Birmingham's Traffic Management

🔗 Cities have so many people and so many cars that traffic congestion is a massive problem. Fortunately there are some solutions….

📌 Why is traffic a problem?

• Environmental Problems – 🔗 lots of traffic increases air pollution and the release of greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.
• Economic Problems – 🔗 congestion can make people late for work and delay deliveries by lorries, which causes companies to lose money
• Social Problems – 🔗 congestion can lead to more air pollution which affects people with breathing difficulties such as

How can HS2 reduce traffic?

• One strategy to improve Birmingham's growth is to make large-scale transport improvements.
• HS2 is a High Speed Rail link currently being built between London and Birmingham.
• Its overall objective is to improve 'Connectivity'. HS2 aims to create better transport links between our cities and regions is bringing more investment to the Midlands and North, helping to level up the country – reducing the 'North-South' divide.
• Birmingham stands to benefit from an additional $50,000 jobs, an average salary increase of $£680 per year and an extra $4 billion in the economy…..
• However, not all are pleased to see the building begin!

How else can traffic be managed in UK cities?

• Self-service bicycles are available to hire for as little as 30 minutes a time in many UK Cities, including Birmingham and London. Cycle lanes can improve safety!
• Many cities have park and ride facilities on the outskirts of the city which allow people to drive to a car park and then get a train/bus into the city centre (Coleshill Parkway is an example in B'ham.
• Metro Railways have been built in many UK cities, including Birmingham. These can connect the city to the suburbs and reduce commuter traffic.
• Electronic Payment Cards - 📝 (eg Oyster) allow people to automatically pay for journeys, making public transport quicker and easier to use