Population, economic activities and settlements – key elements of the human landscape

Edexcel B GCSE Geography > The UK’s Evolving Human Landscape > Population, economic activities and settlements – key elements of the human landscape


Population, economic activities and settlements

Population

The UK was once described as the most crowded country in Europe when it comes to population density. Still, if you consider the map below, you will see that not all of the UK is so crowded. Cities and towns attract large populations, mainly looking for work opportunities, so they will be more densely populated, but many rural areas are sparsely populated.

Population density in the UK based on the 2011 UK census.

Population density in the UK based on the 2011 UK census.

London has an average population density of 5500 people for every km², which is very crowded, but if you consider England’s population density, this is only 413 people per km². Wales is only 149 per km², Northern Ireland 135 per km² and Scotland only 68 per km². This shows that the UK is not crowded and that only 7% of the UK is classed as an urban area. That leaves 93% of the UK as rural.

Settlements

While only 7% of the UK is urban, these towns and cities are significant for the economy as they drive economic growth. London produces 22% of the UK’s annual GDP with just 13% of its population. These regions are called Core Regions or Urban Core. Let’s compare the core region to the rural areas.

Urban CoreRural Areas
Population densityHigh – over 200 people per km²Low – less than 100 people per km²
Age structureMostly young adults, who are singleMostly elderly people, retired pensioners, with some single people.
High amount of outward migration of young people looking for better opportunities.
Economic activities– Lots of retail, large shops.
– You will find many offices located in cities.
– MNC/TNC headquarters.
Tourism and cultural centres – lots of museums, theatres and libraries.
– Lots of jobs available in shops, offices and manufacturing industries.
– Higher wages and steady incomes.
– Mostly primary industries; farming, fishing, mining.
– Rural tourism.
– Renewable energies such as wind turbines and solar farms.
– Potential to work from home in IT industries.
– Low incomes – seasonal work, minimal wages and elderly people on pensions.
Settlement type– Property can be expensive.
– Large towns, cities, conurbations and metropolis.
– Mixture of low- and high-rise buildings, sky scrapers and apartment buildings.
– Property tends to be cheaper
– Small farms, villages and market towns.
– Mainly low-rise buildings, with open space around properties.

The UK’s main urban core regions are the major cities: London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. With a better offer of jobs, housing and services, many people migrate to larger cities to take advantage of these opportunities. This, in effect, creates more jobs, which results in a multiplier effect. This spreads beyond the city into surrounding towns, creating a conurbation. People commute to the city for work, taking home wages to spend in their area, boosting the wider region. This is called a positive multiplier effect. London is a major city with a population of 8.6 million people, and Greater London is a conurbation with a population of 11 million.

Economic activity

Many of the UK’s conurbations (Greater Manchester, Greater Birmingham, Leeds-Bradford, Glasgow) started as manufacturing cities, focusing on mining, metalwork, textiles, shipbuilding and engineering. During the Industrial Revolution, these regions were thriving, but since many of these industries moved overseas, these regions have struggled to replace the thriving economies they once had. However, these regions have retained their large populations, rivalling that of London and have developed finance and property industries. Politicians call these regions the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ due to the potential these areas have to drive the UK’s economy.

Reducing regional disparities

One of the key issues in the peripheral areas is the lack of funding received compared to core urban areas. This lack of funding or investment can reduce the quality of life for those living in rural areas, with cuts to key services such as health and education and a reduction in key transport links such as bus routes, restricting the movement of the elderly and those without a car.

The UK government and the EU have developed several incentives to encourage investment in these rural areas:

  • Enterprise zones: With superfast broadband, tax breaks on profits, and help with start-up costs, these perks encourage businesses to set up in these areas. There were 24 new Enterprise zones in 2015, but most are in urban areas and all in England.
  • Regional development grants: While benefitting more peripheral areas in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, these grants offer help and financial support in setting up businesses in these areas. However, grant amounts are small, and businesses and investors have to generate 5.5 times the amount of the government grant, meaning that many small businesses cannot benefit.
  • EU grants: targeting the poorest regions in the UK, these areas have to have a GDP below 75% of the EU average. Within the UK, only Cornwall, West Wales and North Wales qualified for these when the UK was part of the EU.
  • Improvements to transport: With most of the UK’s transport investment focused on England’s Urban Core, many rural areas such as Cornwall, north Wales and the Scottish Highlands are neglected. These areas do not even have motorways, while the government spend billions building high-speed railways (HS2) to link the key core urban areas. However, the Scottish government have pledged to build a new Forth Bridge, develop a new railway line between Edinburgh and Tweedbank and improve the A9 between Perth and Inverness. These improvements will reduce the gap between the poor periphery regions in Scotland and the economically developed urban cores.

Summary

  • Population Density Variations

    The UK’s population density varies widely, with cities like London being highly populated (5500 people/km²), while rural areas like Scotland and Northern Ireland have much lower densities (68–149 people/km²).

  • Importance of Urban Areas

    Urban areas, despite comprising only 7% of the UK’s land, are crucial to the economy, contributing significantly to GDP, with London alone producing 22% of the national output.

  • Demographic Differences

    Core urban regions like London, Manchester, and Birmingham have a young and economically active population. In contrast, rural areas typically have an older demographic and rely on primary industries such as farming and fishing.

  • Multiplier Effect of Urban Conurbations

    Urban conurbations, such as Greater London, generate jobs that stimulate local economies, creating a positive multiplier effect in surrounding areas.

  • Economic Shifts in Former Industrial Cities

    Many former industrial cities in the UK are now focusing on finance and property industries, with the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ initiative aiming to reinvigorate the economy in the north.

  • Efforts to Reduce Regional Disparities

    Regional disparities persist, with peripheral areas receiving less investment in services and infrastructure. Efforts like enterprise zones, regional development grants, and transport improvements aim to address these imbalances.

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