URBAN GEOGRAPHY
2012
Question 8: Urban
(a) For a named Developed World city you have studied, describe the changes that have
taken place in the Central Business District (CBD).
Your answer should refer to specific named locations within your chosen city. (8 Marks)
Pedestrianisation and landscaping of CBD roads eg Multree walk etc to reduce traffic flow in
and around the CBD – to increase pedestrian safety and improve air quality and environment.
Upgrading of CBD open space eg. St Andrews Square seating area, small café.
Diversification of city employment – much greater emphasis on tourist industry (German
Market at Christmas) leading to increased bed accommodation in new CBD hotels
(travelodge on Princes Street). Hotels can also tap into lucrative conference market given
Edinburgh’s improved image as a tourist and cultural centre.
Alteration of CBD road network – one-way streets for example Hill Street and Thistle Street
(sandwiched between George Street and Queen Street). Princes Street has also been blocked
off to cars and only buses, taxis and bikes can use it now.
Green bus lanes are used to discourage use of private transport and encourage use of public
transport e.g. it is quicker and easier to get a bus into the CBD of Edinburgh during rush hour
than to take a car. This has also been achieved by increased metering and increased parking
charges in and around CBD e.g. £5 an hour to park on George Street and a maximum stay of
up to 4 hours. The introduction of trams into the CBD 2014 to encourage the use of public
transport.
Renovation and redevelopment of many CBD sites to provide modern office space e.g.
Shandwick Place and Heriot Row. These areas entice business into the area as well because
to have an office within Edinburgh’s CBD is a way for big firms to show off and encourage
clients to higher them (Lawyers offices, big accountancy firms).
Younger, more affluent population continues to be attracted to central city area by longstanding concentration of up-market pubs (Grand Cru on Hanover Street), clubs (Opal
Lounge on George Street), cinemas etc (Cineworld on Leith Street/at the top of Leith Walk).
Empty shops (the old Gap on Princes Street) in the CBD due to internet shopping and out of
town shopping centres e.g. the Gyle, Fort Kinnaird where there is parking and many shops
under the one roof.
2011
Question 7: Urban Geography
a) For a named city which you have studied in the Developed World, explain the ways
in which its site and situation contributed to its growth.
Answers will vary according to the city studied but may include
reference to:
Edinburgh
Site
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Pre-urban nucleus was location on the crag (where
castle is built) and tail (along which the Royal Mile has
evolved). The only way to the Castle was either up the
Royal Mile which was surrounded by walls or up the
really steep cliffs surrounding the castle, so it was an
ideal Defensive site. Tenement housing developed on
the “tail” towards Holyrood House
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2 deep troughs to the North and South (Nor Loch –
difficult to attack the Castle)
Situation
Question 8: Urban Geography
Study Reference Photograph Q8A which shows Buchanan Galleries shopping centre in
Glasgow’s CBD and Reference Photograph Q8B which shows Braehead, an out-of-town
shopping centre situated at the south-west edge of Glasgow.
Reference Photograph Q8A
Reference Photograph Q8B
Referring to Glasgow, or any other named city you have studied in an Economically
More Developed Country (EMDC):
(i) suggest the impact that an out-of-town shopping centre may have had on
shopping in the traditional CBD;
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Loss of custom for shops in the CBD due to competition from out-of town shopping
centres like the Gyle or Fort Kinnaird with their large car parking areas.
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Consequent closure of shops, especially at the less profitable edges of the traditional
CBD due to reduced pedestrian flow, eg HMV in the St James’ Centre, game on
Princes Street.
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Revitalisation of shopping centres in central CBD – eg the Waverley centre has been
upgraded and has a relatively new Superdry store to encourage shoppers. The
Waverley escalator also encourages people in to the shopping centre.
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Shops in the CBD may be less overcrowded at peak times, eg Christmas, giving
improved shopping experience at these times. This is due to more people doing their
shopping in out of town shopping centres but also more people are doing their
shopping online for convenience, ease, speed, and flexibility in many situations. It is
said that by 2020 40% of people will do their shopping online.
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Focus on designer label/high-end shopping taking advantage of CBD status, eg
Multrees Walk (Pandora, Links, Kurt Geiger, Emporio Armani, Louis Vuitton) or on
George Street (Jack Wills). These are all high order shops because people travel long
distances to shop here.
CBD NOTES
The central business district, the CBD, is located:
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in the centre of a city
at the most accessible location such as at a crossing point of a river, like Glasgow
near the oldest part of town perhaps around a castle, as in Edinburgh
Why is the CBD located in the centre of the city? Because it is:
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a central location for road/railways to converge
the most accessible location for workers
accessible to most people for shops and businesses
often a strong geographical location, for example, around a defensive site (Edinburgh)
The CBD is easily identified from the following features (the red wording are things that can
be identified from looking at the map e.g. you can see a castle symbol by looking at a
map but you cannot tell if the land is expensive from looking at a map).
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high/multi-storey buildings
expensive land values
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high density of roads and buildings (MAP)
lack of open space (MAP)
shops are department stores (comparison shops) or specialist shops, like jewellers
modern shopping malls and pedestrian precincts
cultural/historical buildings, museums and castles (MAP)
offices, finance, banks, administration, town hall (business sector)
cinemas, theatres and clubs (entertainment) (MAP)
bus and railway stations (transport centres) (MAP)
high traffic and pedestrian flows at commuter rush-hours and Saturdays, for shopping
multi-storey car parks
grid iron street pattern (MAP)
To help you remember how to identify a CBD, think of a city you know and supply named
examples for the above features. Here are some examples of features you'd find in
Edinburgh:
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High/multi-storey buildings - Balmoral
Modern shopping mall/pedestrian precinct – St James’ Centre, Waverley Centre
Department stores – Frasers and Debenhams
High Order shops – Harvey Nicks
Expensive Clubs – Opal Lounge
Expensive Bars – Grand Cru
Cultural/historical buildings – Castle, Scottish National Gallery on Princes Street
Entertainment – VUE cinema top of Leith Walk,
Transport centres – St Andrews Sq Bus Stations, Waverley Station
Multi-storey car parks – John Lewis car park
Grid iron street pattern – Princes Street, George Street, Queen Street
Rush hour – Western Approach road
Identify the CBD of a city and describe its characteristics. However you may be asked to 'explain
the changes which have taken place in the CBD over the past few decades'.
To answer this question properly you will need to know named locations within the CBD to support
the changes you mention.
For many cities in the UK there have been similarities in the recent changes within their CBD.
These include:
1. Closed streets within the CBD and pedestrianisation (Rose Street)
- increases pedestrian safety, discourages through traffic, makes shopping more pleasant
2. Altered road network to include one-way systems/bus/taxi lanes and cycle lanes
(Charlotte Square, Queen Street, Princes Street)
- leads to smoother traffic flow and may encourage commuters to use public transport
3. Modernised city centre shops, including new shopping malls (Harvey Nichols store,
Waverley Centre)
- makes shopping more comfortable and counters the shift of shopping trends to out-oftown centres
4. New offices, apartments and hotels and conference centres (Edinburgh International
Conference Centre, Sheraton Hotel, The Scotsman newspaper offices)
- raises the status of CBD for business, generates high quality residences and encourages
tourists to remain near the city centre
5. Renovated tourist facilities and cultural attractions (National Gallery of Scotland,
Dynamic Earth exhibition)
- encourages tourists to visit and stay in the city centre, develops short city-break holidays
6. Refurbished or new civic buildings (Scottish Parliament on Holyrood Road)
- encourages changes in employment and stresses importance of the CBD
7. Multi-storey car parks adjacent to shopping malls (St James’ Centre)
- makes shopping more convenient and attractive in the city centre
INNER CITY – Leith in Edinburgh
The inner city area is located, in older cities, near the centre and surrounding the CBD.
Inner city areas are identified not only with physical features but often by negative
socio-economic features:
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High density of buildings and lack of good quality open space eg. parks
Older, nineteenth century, lower-cost housing - likely to be tenements in Scotland and
terraced housing in England
Slum housing
Derelict land
Old declining industry
A declining population with high unemployment
Large areas of re-development or urban regeneration
Limited convenience shopping facilities
High levels of air pollution from traffic, and visual pollution in the form of vandalism
and graffiti
Areas demolished and used for motorways and ring roads
Why were inner city areas built surrounding the CBD?
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Old heavy industrial factories were near the city centre market.
Low cost housing like tenements were built quickly for poorly paid workers who
needed to live close to work.
People in poor inner city areas were able to make use of city centre amenities.
Many inner city areas have now been improved through urban re-generation schemes.
Think of examples you know from your own area. Improvements in areas like Leith, in
Edinburgh, include:
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New housing, such as high rise flats
Renovation of older housing, often tenements (Macdonald Road)
Environmental improvements by landscaping, improving docklands (Leith)
Attracting a mix of inhabitants for example, by introducing luxury flats (Platinum
point in Leith)
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Increased employment opportunities by opening restaurants, leisure centres and
government offices such as the Scottish Office (Ship on the shore, Leith)
Upgrading shopping areas and improving road links (ocean terminal)