Counter-Urbanisation

Counter-Urbanisation

1. Causes

   • Push
     • Not getting value for money in the suburbs
     • increasing pollution - air and noise
     • Congestion and parking problems
   • Pull
     • improved communications - easier to work from home
     • improved travel/most people have a car - can commute
     • bigger and more green space

2. The movement of people away from the cities/suburbs to rural areas

3. St Ives

   • Annual rail ticket to London is £4000 - cheaper than London housing
   • 25% of the population commute to London
   • Where?
     • Cambridgeshire - A1 connects to London
     • 70 miles north of London
   • Impacts
     • more parking needed to be built
     • pressure on schools/pre-schools
     • traffic congestion
     • 1000+ houses built on floodplains = £8.8 million on protection
     • Population increased from 3,800 in 1961 to 16,400 in 2010
   • Solutions
     • £116 million guided busway

4. Whalley

   • Where?
     • Ribble Valley
     • A666 connects to Blackburn
     • M66 to commute to Manchester
   • traditional pubs, historic houses, abbey
   • Positives for local businesses
     • more people = increase in business
   • Negatives for local businesses
     • business could decrease as people shop more in the city/larger centres

5. Positives of Counter-Urbanisation

   • increase in business - higher disposable income
   • improved houses - farms renovated and renewed
   • Schools can stay open due to an increase in students

6. Negatives of Counter-Urbanisation

   • increase in pollution/congestion
   • house prices increase - more demand
   • Character affected by new buildings