Geography Revision for the Mock Exam 2015-2016
Your exam will consist of a composite paper from the Unit 1 paper and the Unit 2
paper.
Unit 1: Managing places in the 21st century will examine the Urban Environment
topic. On your sheets, four Key Questions have been identified for this topic by the
AQA exam board. Each has their Key Ideas and the associated Specification
Content. You will notice that these correspond to lessons taught. Space is available
on the following sheets to check that you have revised each (ticking or
highlighting), and that you have practised them using the past paper questions.
Unit 2: the Hostile World will examine the Challenge of Extreme Environments.
Three Key Questions have been identified here, and again each has their Key Ideas
and the associated Specification Content. More space is provided for marking
those areas you have revised.
Mark schemes from the exam board have been produced for the papers, but it
would be better if the paper is tried first, then the scheme is collected.
Questions have been collated from five different past papers (being January 2012,
June 2012, and January 2013 for Unit 1, and January and June 2013, for Unit 2).
These will be given to you in class.
Unit 1: Managing places in the 21st century
The urban environment
The world is becoming increasingly urban – it is estimated that by 2020 over 70% of the world’s
population will live in urban areas. In developing countries large numbers of people are moving to
core urban-industrial areas in the hope of improving their quality of life. This rapid urbanisation
creates challenges for urban planners in relation to housing and the supply of basic services. In
developed countries many urban areas have gone through a period of economic decline; the
challenge in these areas is often about improving socio-economic conditions and addressing
environmental issues.
The global future will be an increasingly urban future and this will create a need to put in place
sustainable methods of managing urban living in existing areas and designing new urban centres that
operate in sympathy with both people and the environment.
Key Question: How can urban growth create challenges?
Key Ideas
Specification Content
• The world is increasingly urban.
• Investigate global patterns of urban population/
rates of urbanisation.
• Urban areas face increasing threats from
environmental hazards.
• Investigate one urban area to consider the
environmental hazards (pollution) linked to
urban/industrial concentrations and the
challenges these present
• The increasing need to manage the
movement of people and traffic in urban areas
• Use an example(s) to describe and explain
the different methods being used to manage.
people movement and people in urban areas.
Key Question: How are inequalities being reduced in urban areas in Question: How are inequalities being
reduced in urban areas in developed countries?
Key Question: How are inequalities being reduced in urban areas in developed countries?
.
Key Ideas
Specification Content
• Socio-economic inequalities exist in urban
areas
• Use data (census) to identify socio-economic
variations in one urban area.
• Consider ways that inequalities can be reduced
(city challenge/health, education initiatives,
housing initiatives).
. • Urban regeneration strategies are being used
in some areas to create socio-economic
opportunities and improve environments.
• Use an example of an urban regeneration project
to:
− explain why the area needed a regenerative
strategy
− describe the regeneration project
− explain how the regeneration project has
improved socio-economic conditions and
environmental quality.
Key Question: What are the opportunities and challenges created by urbanisation in developing
countries?
Key Ideas
Specification Content
• The growth of urban areas in developing
countries is a result of natural increase and
migration.
• Use examples to illustrate the way that
migration and natural increase leads to urban
growth.
• Urban growth in developing countries can
create opportunities and challenges.
• Consider the social and economic opportunities
in urban areas and how urban-industrial
core areas can be a stimulus for economic
development.
• Use examples to illustrate the challenges
created by urban growth, including: housing
the urban poor, environmental issues (air/water
pollution), increasing demands for services,
squatter development.
• Urban areas in developing countries are
responding to the challenges of growth in
different ways
• Use examples to illustrate how conditions in
urban areas are being improved by:
− social improvement schemes (housing/
health/education)
− clean water and waste water initiatives.
Key Question: How can urban living be increasingly sustainable?
Key Ideas
Specification Content
• What is meant by ‘urban sustainability’?
• Describe the elements of urban management
that need to be considered if an area is to be
increasingly sustainable.
• Sustainable planning and management ideas
are being increasingly used in urban areas.
• Use an example(s) to illustrate sustainable
urban initiatives, including:
− carbon neutral housing/renewable energy
− greening urban areas
− recycling/sustainable resource use
− sustainable urban planning initiatives.
Location: Los Angeles, a city in the USA an MEDC.
What the case study shows: The causes, consequences
and management of the earthquake hazard in Los
Angeles (it would be different in an LEDC)
Causes of the
Effects of the Earthquake
Earthquake Hazard
Hazard
Los Angeles, west coast
Short Term
USA(pop 3.8m). Plate
 Buildings
boundary, North
damaged/destroyed.
American and Pacific
 Loss of life/injuries.
Plates meet with
 Businesses disrupted.
pressure building up
 Airport transport links
along the San Andreas
disrupted. Power cuts.
Fault as the plates move.  Looting/crime.
 Schools closed
Cause of Wildfires
Long Term
LA is surrounded by semi  Rebuilding infrastructure,
wooded areas as the
e.g. roads, bridges.
summers are so dry it is
 Business decreases as
very easy to set alight.
investors discouraged.
This can be on purpose
 Threat to tourism
or by accident is from a
industry.
spark form a campfire or
bbq or a cigarette that is Effects of wild fires
thrown away.
•
Buildings
damaged/destroyed.
•
Loss of life/injuries.
•
Businesses disrupted.
 Wildlife habitats
destroyed
How to successfully manage the problem/solutions in
MEDC
 Earthquake proof buildings.
 Communication, T.V. internet, mobile phones, radio.
 Training and equipping emergency services.
 Improved warning systems.
 Emergency drills.
Wildfires
 Highly trained emergency services (smoke jumpers)
 Smokey the bear warning signs.
 Firebreaks in woodland.
Location: Manchester, a city in the UK, an MEDC.
What the case study shows: The causes, consequences
and management of the traffic hazard in the UK
How Manchester has
managed the problem
 Coordinated plan with
one organisation in
charge.
 Tram running every 6
mins. 2007 20m road
journeys saved. Increased
service at peak times or
for Special events.
 Guided Busway - Uses old
railway lines therefore no
new road building. Takes
cars off already busy main
roads. Hybrid buses
decrease the problems of
pollution/fuel
consumption.
 Pedestrianisation - Makes
city centre safer/less
polluted. Makes public
transport more desirable
by allowing buses/trams
access.
 System 1 Travel Card
 Cycle lanes
 Cycle parking around the
city
Social effects
 Accidents/ injuries.
 Health issues such as
Asthma from
increased pollution in
cities.
 Damage to homes.
Environmental effects
 Pollution-visual from
traffic jams, noise from
increased numbers of
cars and lorries, air
from the increases in
fumes caused by extra
traffic.
 Loss of greenbelt land
for new roads or
widening existing
roads.
Economic effects
 Cost of increased
health problems to
health service.
Damage to roads and
buildings from
vibration of passing
traffic.
 Rising fuel costs.
 Loss of earnings due to
missed time at work as
employees are stuck in
congestion.
Causes of the traffic problem MEDC`s
 More cars on roads.
 Old road systems, too small/narrow to cope with
increased numbers.
 Regeneration of CBD`s and increased number of
businesses relocating there.
Location: Rio de Janiero and the Rocinha Favela/Shanty Town
What does the case study show? How urbanisation is caused by migration and natural increase in an
LEDC, the problems of urbanisation and the solutions.
What are the problems
Why did people move from the rural area (San Jose) to the urban area?
in Rio de Janiero?
Push Factors:
 Too many people
 Natural disasters = flood = harvest wiped out = hunger.
migrating to Rio de
 Poor education = teacher died from cholera after flood = no replacement.
Janiero. However
 Poor healthcare = lower life expectancy.
there were not
 Debt = from taking out loans to buy fertiliser for land.
enough houses or
 Low wages = farming pays poor wages.
jobs so people had to Pull Factors:
set up squatter
 Promise of higher wages in manufacturing industry (e.g. Volkswagen car
settlements or
factory in Rio).
favelas to live in.
 Better social life with cinemas, restaurants and shops.
 Polluted water.
 More schools.
 Poor air quality.
 Better hospitals.
 11% population has
 More clean water.
access to sewage =
 Electricity supply.
health problems
(cholera).
 Clean water supply
does not reach the
cities favelas = people
drink dirty water =
health problems
(cholera).
 Unemployment =
crime
What was done to improve
the area?
 Self-help scheme is where
groups of people are
encouraged to build or
improve their own homes.
 Each group does the basic
work like digging
foundations, digging
ditches for pipes and
building the home.
 The government provides
the materials like bricks,
tiles and pipes.
 The money the government
saves by getting local
people to provide the
labour is used to provide
other things the local
residents want like
electricity, clean water,
schools, paved roads and
community centres.
 All wooden buildings have
been changed to brick.
 Water pipes have been
installed.
 Streets have been paved
and lit.
 Around 1000 new homes
have been built.
 Schools have been set up.
 Basic health care has been
bought to the area.
Was the scheme a success?
How the Quality of Housing has been improved:
 Walls made of brick instead of junk; Roofs made of tiles instead of junk;
Floors of concrete instead of mud; Separate living, sleeping and cooking
areas; Clean water and sewage; Electricity.
How people’s Quality of Life has been improved:
 Better living conditions can use TV and electrical items.
 More pride in the area, so more likely to look after it.
 More time to work and study as less time is spent fetching water.
 Less disease due to clean water and sewage.
How the Quality of Services has been improved
 Rocinha now has more schools with more teachers; basic health
services with doctors; a community centre with sports; electricity, clean
water and sewage; paved and lit roads; a waste collection service.
How people’s Quality of Life has been improved:
 People have a better education so are more likely to get a formal, paid
job with their qualifications.
 People are healthier so their life expectancy is longer and infant
mortality is lower.
 People are wealthier as more firms locate in the area now there are
paved roads, electricity and educated workers.
Location: Liverpool CBD and the inner city areas of Vauxhall, Kensington and Toxteth.
What does the case study show? The causes of urban decline in MEDCs and an evaluation of the
attempts to solve the problems of inner city deprivation.
Why did the area need redeveloping?
How do we know the area was socially and
 Containerisation of the boats and more economically deprived?
boats docking in the south east of the Economically:
UK led to job losses on the docks.
 Low average wages.
 Most dockers lived in the inner city of  Higher unemployment than the local and
Liverpool in Kensington, Toxteth or
national average.
Vauxhall.
 People living in rented accommodation as they
 The inner city fell into the cycle of
cannot afford to become owner occupiers.
decline as workers had less money to
spend in local shops and services and Socially:
houses fell into decay leading to people  Poor education with fewer pupils gaining 5 A*-C
living in poverty.
at GCSE or having degrees than the local and
 People in the area had lower aspirations
national average.
due to the high unemployment and so  Poor health with people having a lower life
had low educational aspirations and
expectancy than the local and national average.
poor health.
 Higher crime rates in the area.
 This then put more companies off
locating in the inner city. Led to the
Toxteth riots.
What was done to improve the area?
Was the scheme a success?
1980s Merseyside Urban Development
NO – the people of Toxteth were not consulted
Corporation – designed to improve the
about what they wanted the scheme to look like.
environment of the inner city around Toxteth
The jobs created in media, banking and insurance
so companies would locate there. The Albert
went to already well off people from the suburbs
Dock buildings were renovated as apartments
of Liverpool who did not need help. The people
and offices to create jobs in media, banking and of Toxteth did not get long term jobs in the
insurance; the Garden Festival renovated
Albert Dock. They did not have the money to use
derelict land on the River Mersey; the Liverpool the Marina. They could not afford to buy the
Marina was built.
apartments.
1989 Eldonian Village – the council wanted to
YES – as the people of Vauxhall were consulted
improve the society of Liverpool by bulldozing
they designed homes facing each other which
the poor quality houses in Vauxhall & move the reduced crime, the community centre and sports
residents to an edge of city council estate.
centre significantly reduced crime and anti social
They refused to move & persuaded the council behaviour, the houses are valuable today which
to let them be involved in regenerating the
proves that people want to live in the area.
area. A mix of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses were However the scheme did not bring jobs to the
built, a community centre and sports centre
area.
were built.
1999 – Liverpool Vision and Liverpool One –
YES – 7000 more people live in Liverpool CBD
aimed to improve the economy, society and
now than in 1999, starting a cycle of prosperity.
environment of Liverpool by bringing more
1,700,000 tourist visited Liverpool in 2008
tourists and shoppers into Liverpool CBD. The
starting a cycle of prosperity. 14,000 new jobs
Pier Head now has a cruise liner terminal and
were created in the CBD and these are jobs in
tourist attractions such as the conference
retail or tourism that the people from the
centre and Echo Arena have been built.
deprived inner city can easily gain the
Liverpool One (a mix of shops, bars, restaurants qualifications to do (unlike the Albert Dock
and apartments) was built and the Capital of
regeneration). The environment of the CBD has
Culture was held in 2008 to attract people to
been improved. Unemployment in the inner city
the city. More trees were planted to make a
of Liverpool has been reduced from 8.9% in 1999
more pleasant environment
to 5.3% in 2009.