Unit 1 As Geography - Megacities - London

Front 1

Population growth

Back 1

- population increase of 1.2% to 8.3 million in 2012
-twice as fast as rest of UK
-driven by higher incomes: £613 a week compared with a UK average of £506
-disproportionate youthful population 44% = 25-44 years
- immigration dominates growth, 40% = from ethnic minority

Front 2

Reasons for growth

Back 2

-London generates 22% of the UK's total economic output and 14% of UK taxes
-transport: 3 airports carry 75% of air passengers
-transport: London Gateway, at Thurrock Essex is 20 miles down the Thames and will handle 3.5million containers pa
- Finance and business services, with a growth of 550,000 jobs since 1993 alone. E.G. Barclays Bank employs 14000 people and is headquartered in London
-London's global role makes it a focal point for dynamic sectors such as the creative industries in which 400,000 Londoners now work E.G BBC

Front 3

Traffic congestion problems

Back 3

-London commuter zone in 2012, drivers wasted 66 hours in traffic
- Only 3 EU cities have worse congestion

Front 4

Pollution problems

Back 4

-Sewer system built in 1800's. population has increased 4x and now sewers overflow on a weekly basis, flushing 39 million tonnes of raw sewage into the Thames pa
-In east london, concentrations of toxic exhaust pipe gas nitrogen dioxide exceeded EU levels by over 50% in some areas, and was over the safety limits in 15 out of 32 places tested.

Front 5

Growing polarisation between rich and poor

Back 5

-The duke of Westminster is the richest man in Britain ($11.4bn) the basis of his wealth is London real estate
-43% of London's children live in households bellow the poverty line

Front 6

House prices/availability solutions

Back 6

- The average in June 2013 was £425000 compared with £242000 for the UK
- Right To Buy have lessened council housing available

Front 7

Traffic congestion solutions

Back 7

- Congestion Charge Zoning introduced 2003, so successful extended in 2007- cut vehicles and hence emissions
- Crossrail is the new high frequency, convenient and accessible railway to link Heathrow Airport, the West End, The City of London and Canary Wharf. opens in 2018

Front 8

Pollution solutions

Back 8

-Thames clean up - salmon re-established - plans for super sewer - 200ft deep tunnel cost £4.2bn
- London worst for recycling in 2000 nationality - great improvements since injection of funds for Kerbside recovery although some boroughs better than others - Enfield = 30%, Tower Hamlets = 12%
- environmentally friendly bus fleet from 2012 - current 8000 already lowest carbon emitters in UK
- Congestion charge also helping reduce carbon footprint

Front 9

Growing polarisation between rich and poor solutions

Back 9

-Vision London- plan to be sustainable world city of the 21st century 6 objectives: less use of open space, healthier city, more prosperous, less deprivation, improved accessibility, greener and more carbon neutral
-opportunity areas - Euston, Waterloo, Wembley - jobs and/or homes and new services of hospitals, schools
-Areas for intensification - Canada water in the Docklands - more intensive and varied uses promoted
-areas for regeneration - Southwark currently suffering social exclusion and deprivation. Money spent on better health care, education, employment, housing.

Front 10

house prices/availability solutions

Back 10

-Planned extension to the West as Thames Gateway
- Over 120,000 new homes by 2016of which at least 35% will be affordable for rent or for purchase by first-time buyers including key workers.
- 2013 7000 new-build properties were sold in london, 5000 sold to foreigners