What drives change in towns and villages? (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Geography B): Revision Note

Specification links

The notes on this page cover part 1.2.3 of the WJEC Eduqas B specification

1.2.3 - What factors help drive urban and rural change across the UK?

• The factors that drive urban renewal include economic, social, and environmental aspects and the brownfield/greenfield debate.

• A number of factors contribute to the depopulation of certain rural areas in the UK.

Drivers of urban renewal in the UK

• Urban renewal in the UK is driven by economic change, social trends, and environmental goals

• Many older industrial cities have had to reinvent themselves following deindustrialisation

Economic factors

• Deindustrialisation:

  • Manufacturing decline in the 1970s–80s left many inner-city areas with high unemployment

  • Cities like Sheffield, Glasgow, and Liverpool lost traditional industries (steel, shipbuilding, textiles)

• Regeneration and investment:

  • Urban renewal projects attract new businesses and investment

  • Government and private sector partnerships redevelop brownfield land (e.g. Salford Quays, Cardiff Bay)

• Tertiary and quaternary growth:

  • Shift to service and technology industries encourages city-centre redevelopment

  • Bristol’s Temple Quarter and Manchester’s MediaCityUK are examples of digital and creative hubs

• Globalisation and connectivity:

  • Improved transport links, airports, and broadband attract international firms

• Evaluation:

  • Regeneration creates jobs and new opportunities

  • Economic benefits can bypass lower-income communities, increasing inequality

Social factors

• Population growth and migration:

  • Young professionals and students move back to city centres (re-urbanisation)

  • Internal and international migration increases diversity and demand for housing

• Lifestyle change:

  • Growing interest in city-centre living and leisure opportunities

  • Redevelopment of waterfronts, canals, and old warehouses into flats and restaurants

• Housing demand:

  • Rising population pushes housing prices up, creating affordability challenges

  • Demand drives both brownfield and greenfield developments

• Evaluation:

  • Increases vibrancy and diversity

  • Risk of displacement (gentrification) and reduced affordability

Environmental factors

• Derelict land and pollution:

  • Brownfield sites in old industrial areas are often contaminated

  • Regeneration cleans up land and improves urban image

• Sustainability goals:

  • Green transport, renewable energy, and urban greening reduce emissions

  • Example: London’s Docklands redevelopment included parkland and riverside walkways

• Climate adaptation:

  • Urban design now includes flood defences, tree planting, and sustainable drainage

• Evaluation:

  • Improves air quality, health, and attractiveness of cities

  • Environmental goals can increase costs and delay redevelopment

Greenfield vs brownfield

• Urban growth involves building on land, which is in short supply in the urban centres

• This makes the open land around the urban fringe desirable for:

  • housing

  • industry

  • shopping

  • recreation

  • public utilities such as reservoirs and sewerage works

• However, some people feel that too much countryside is being lost through the outward growth of towns and cities

• Some urban areas have a planned and protected greenbelt on which no development is allowed, but urban areas still need to grow 

• This means there are two choices: either build on a greenfield or a brownfield site

• The brownfield vs greenfield debate shapes how cities expand and regenerate

Brownfield development

• Advantages:

  • Reuses existing land, reducing pressure on the countryside

  • Often close to city centres, with transport and utilities already in place

  • Can revitalise derelict or polluted areas

  • Reduces the risk of informal settlements developing

• Disadvantages:

  • High cost of cleaning up contaminated sites

  • Limited space and potential for high-density housing

  • May increase inner-city congestion

  • Often surrounded by rundown areas, so does not appeal to wealthy people

• Example: Bristol Harbourside and London Docklands

Greenfield development

• Advantages:

  • Cheaper and quicker to build on

  • Land is easier to prepare, and allows modern housing layouts

  • Expansion is not restricted by the existing layout

  • Attractive rural environment appeals to buyers

  • Healthier environment

  • Access and infrastructure are easier to build

• Disadvantages:

  • Destroys habitats and green space

  • Valuable farmland lost

  • Increases car dependency and urban sprawl

  • May face opposition from local communities (‘NIMBYism’)

  • Lacks access to public transport

  • Development causes noise and light pollution in the surrounding countryside

  • Cost of installing services such as water, electricity, sewage, etc.

• Example: Milton Keynes expansion and Cambridge Science Park

Evaluation

• There are no clear winners in this debate

• It depends on the particular land use:

  • Housing is flexible in terms of where it could be built

    • However, shops and offices need more space and specific locations 

  • Depends on the needs of the town or city

    • What value does the greenspace really have for the town or city?

  • The issues and costs in reusing the brownfield site (asbestos, etc.) need to be considered

• The UK's planning policy now encourages 'brownfield first' to protect the countryside

• However, housing shortages mean some controlled greenfield development is still necessary

• Sustainable planning aims to blend both, ensuring infrastructure and green space are provided

Rural depopulation

• Rural areas are defined as areas with a population of less than 10,000

• Not all parts of the UK are growing—some remote rural areas are losing population, especially in upland or coastal regions

• In the UK, 19% of people live in rural areas

• Rural depopulation results from limited job opportunities, ageing populations, and poor connectivity

Economic factors

• There has been a decline in farming due to mechanisation

• There are now fewer local job opportunities in traditional rural industries, manufacturing or services

• Younger workers migrate to towns and cities for employment

• Example: The Scottish Highlands and parts of rural Wales have experienced long-term population loss

Social factors

• As young people move out, it leaves behind an ageing population that requires higher amounts of social care, which will have social and economic impacts

• There are now fewer schools, shops, and healthcare services, reducing community appeal

• Outmigration causes a negative multiplier effect or ‘spiral of decline’—fewer people mean fewer services, which drives more people away

Environmental factors

• Harsh climate and limited transport in upland areas discourage investment

• Isolation and poor broadband reduce access to modern work opportunities

• Some coastal villages are affected by erosion or flood risk

Consequences of rural depopulation

Government and community responses

• Diversification: Encouraging tourism, renewable energy, and digital industries in rural areas

• Infrastructure investment: Broadband, transport, and healthcare improvements to retain residents

• Affordable Housing Schemes: Supporting young families to stay in rural communities

• Protected landscapes: Using National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) to attract sustainable tourism

  • Example: Snowdonia National Park promotes eco-tourism and digital connectivity projects to slow depopulation

• Management, therefore, requires a balanced, sustainable planning that supports growth while protecting communities and the countryside