Changes in Functions & Demographic Characteristics
- As places develop, the characteristics change:
- Accessibility, connections and government policies can change the place’s function. It can change between administration, commercial, retail or industry
- Gentrification, age structures and ethnic compositions alter the demographics
Function
- The different functions of a location affect the employment opportunities, businesses and industries, and the built environment:
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- Administrative
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- These are places that make decisions about how to organise infrastructure and economic activity for the surrounding areas e.g. council offices
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- Administrative
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- Tend to be urban areas that influence the region surrounding them, e.g. Manchester’s influence in the North West
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- Commercial
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- A location with strong business influence. Transnational Corporations (TNCs) may have bases there
- There is a large volume of small and large-scale businesses e.g. legal services, accountants
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- Retail
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- An urban area with attractive retail facilities - markets, shopping centres, unique shops
- The retail industry is the main source of income and employment for locals
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- Retail
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- Industrial
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- A location whose economy and reputation is predominantly based on its industrial capacity
- E.g. Sheffield is known as the Steel City for its large industries of steelworks
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- Industrial
- One of these functions may dominate a place, but there is more likely to be a combination of them all
- A place’s dominant function is also likely to change over time as the economic needs change:
- The increased use of online banking and shopping, and click-and-collect (exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic) has led to some places losing their retail function, resulting in economic decline
- Industrial land in Middlesbrough has declined over the last 50 years due to factory closures in the iron and steel industry
- In Reading, the commercial function has grown and several large TNCs have bases there e.g. Microsoft and Intel
Demographics
- As the function of a place changes so might the characteristics of its population e.g. age, ethnicity
- New functions will attract different types of people e.g. older/younger, more skilled, higher education qualifications
- Places that are experiencing economic growth will likely attract more young people and become more ethnically diverse
- The ethnic composition of a place is likely to change over time with the movement of people from different countries e.g. migrants to fill labour shortages
- Reading has experienced economic growth due to its developing commercial function, resulting in younger, more economically active people moving there
- 30% of its population are aged 26-45
- Middlesbrough, which has experienced economic decline, has more older and retired people living there
- 38% of its population is over 46
- The ethnic composition of the two towns also differs:
- 65.4% of Reading’s population were white British, compared to 84% in Middlesbrough
- This greater diversity suggests that Reading is more economically successful and attracts economic migrants
Gentrification
- Gentrification is a change in the social structure of a place when affluent people move into a location
- E.g. the movement of middle-class people into a rundown inner suburb. This improves the area’s image and houses e.g. Salford Quays in Greater Manchester
- Gentrification leads to an increase in property values. This often results in the displacement of the original, usually poorer residents
- E.g. Portland Road in Notting Hill, was one of London’s most run-down and deprived areas; now houses sell for £2 million
Exam Tip
The changing distribution of population age groups and ethnic composition is important to understanding places, so make sure you learn some data for both of your case studies