Counter Urbanization
This report aims to proof and confirm that counter- urbanization takes place between the cities in the west - midlands and the County of Powys. The main cities concerned are, Coventry, Worcester, Hereford and the largest being Birmingham.
This report will be examining the following points:
> The ages of the individuals moving from the urban areas to the rural areas.
> The reasons why people moving
> Where these people are moving from and where they are moving to
These three points will help to proof my previous statement.
Counter Urbanization - Definition
The definition of counter - urbanization in the simplest form means the movement of people from urban areas into rural areas. An example of this is the movement of people in the urban areas of Birmingham into the rural areas of Powys.
During the past 30 years, urban growth in the industrialized countries has begun to give way to the process of counter-urbanization, which has reduced the size of conurbations. Counter-urbanization in the United Kingdom was strongest in the 1970s when the conurbations lost about 7 per cent of their population, followed by a further 2 per cent loss in the 1980s. Several factors account for this change, including rising costs in the urban centers, subsidies encouraging commercial relocation into more rural districts, improvements in transport and technology, and changes in people's residential preferences.
See diagram over leaf for more details
Reason For Choosing The West Midlands And Powys
I chose to investigate counter urbanization in the west midlands and Powys because it is so distinctive in this area. It is so distinctive because Birmingham has a large depleting population whereas Powys has a small but an increasing population. Also Powys is a very accessible area and therefore makes it easy to commute to a large city in the west midland from there.
Why Powys?
Powys is a county that could have been predicted to have an increase in population due to the decrease in population in the city of Birmingham. To start with Powys is very close to the large conurbation Birmingham and is therefore very accessible for commuters who live in Powys and work in Birmingham. Powys is very popular with commuters because of its accessibility and its environment. Powys is a very rural area offering fresh air (less pollution than Birmingham) and a healthier life. Parents prefer to bring their children up in this sort of environment because they think it is healthier and safer due to the few cars on the roads. Also Powys is popular due to its picturesque environment, its beautiful houses and the price of the houses. The price of houses in Powys are considerably cheaper than those in Birmingham, also they tend to be bigger and in better condition, also the crime rate in Powys is very low to that of Birmingham.
Increased public transport such as buses and trains, and the improvements of road networks all make it easier and less time consuming for commuters. All these factors highlight the reasons why people are moving and why the population of Powys is increasing.
This report will highlight the factors, which make Powys such, and an important area for counter urbanisation to take part in. These factors are:
> The population trends within Powys
> The age of the individuals migrating
Map showing Population Distribution
The map above shows that the most densely populated areas ...
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Increased public transport such as buses and trains, and the improvements of road networks all make it easier and less time consuming for commuters. All these factors highlight the reasons why people are moving and why the population of Powys is increasing.
This report will highlight the factors, which make Powys such, and an important area for counter urbanisation to take part in. These factors are:
> The population trends within Powys
> The age of the individuals migrating
Map showing Population Distribution
The map above shows that the most densely populated areas of Powys are around the towns. It also shows that the majority of Powys is sparsely populated in most other areas. In my opinion Powys is more densely populated around the small towns because these areas are very picturesque as the majority of these town have a river flowing through them and Brecon has its mountains. These factors would help attract people to this area. Also these areas aren't too rural. What I mean by this is that there is a school in each one of these towns as well as other leisure amenities and shops. These factors would also attract people to the area, as they would not have to travel so far for them. Just because these areas are small towns it does not mean they are highly polluted, compared with Birmingham this area is very healthy.
Powys is sparsely populated in the very remote areas, as these are the areas that do not have much to offer other than healthy air, picturesque views and peace and quiet. However having said that there are many people living in these very rural areas but the area is so large, making the population look small as they are all spread out.
Table showing Net - Migration patterns In Powys
This table clearly shows that migration plays a massive part in the growth of population in Powys. This table shows that between 1981 and 1991 the population rises from 108125 to 114715, this is an increase of 6.1%. This is a massive incline but this is not due to births of new babies. There is a decrease of -1.3% by births and deaths in Powys this means that the reason why the population is growing is due to people migrating into the area. The population increases by 7.4% due to migration during this 10-year period.
What this table doesn't show is where the people are migrating from.
Table showing the percentage of residence age
This table clearly shows that the majority of people living in Powys are between the age of 18 and a pensionable age. The main reason for this is that Powys is an ideal place to live if you work in a large city in the midlands for example Birmingham. It is such an ideal place as it has superb access to the city. There are fewer 18 to 29 year olds living in Powys than 45 year olds as they have not yet been able to establish a job with a high enough wage to support a family in Powys, whereas the 45 year olds have had an experience in work and are earning a high wage. There is also a fairly high amount of people in the pensionable age living in Powys. This would be due to its attractiveness people enjoy retiring into a beautiful, quiet area. There are very few people aged 85 and older living in Powys. This is due to the lack of care they would be able to receive, as Powys is such a rural area. This table also shows that there is a low amount of young adults between the age of 16 and 17 living in this area. I think this suggests that the area does not have many collages or universities.
Why Birmingham?
Most people live in urban places and the urban pattern, which was established by the industrial revolution in the late eighteenth century, is dominated by major cities such as Birmingham, which traditionally were centres of dynamism and growth. However by today things are changing. People are finding it unfashionable and unhealthy to live the city. They find it much easier to live in the rural areas such as Powys and then commute into the city. Birmingham is an ideal place to do this with, as it has superb accessibility by road and other forms of public transport such as trains and buses.
Birmingham is a city that suffered from offer crowding during the early 1900's due to the industrial revolution, however by today Birmingham is not a very industrial city anymore and therefore unskilled manual jobs are no more needed, instead highly skilled jobs are available, these jobs are highly paid, and therefore the people who work in them can afford to live in a rural area and commute to work.
Map To Show Population Density In Birmingham
Key:
3,200 to 7,200
7,200 to 10,000
0,000 to 11,600
1,600 to 15,100
5,100 to 21,600
Persons per square mile
The map above shows that the more densely populated areas are central and in the west of Birmingham. I think that these areas are more densely populated as these areas are the most accessible. Also I think these areas are the most densely populated as I think the people in the west of Birmingham have moved into Powys whereas the people living in more central and eastern areas would have to travel further if they where to move to Powys. The less densely areas are therefore situated in the north and west. These areas have easy accessibility to rural areas and therefore people move into the rural areas, as they prefer a quieter and less polluted atmosphere.
The Table Below Shows The Net Migration Figures Of Birmingham
As you can see from the table there was a massive decrease in population between 1971 and 1991. Altogether the population decreased from 1097837 to 937763 this is a massive decrease. For the first decade (from 1971 to 1981) the process of counter urbanisation was a lot quicker than in the second decade. In the first decade we saw a decrease of 0.54% and in the second a decrease of 0.52%. What this table does not show is where these people moved.
Table showing the percentage of residence age
Conclusion
The figures analyzed in this report support the trends that I predicted that would take place due to counter urbanisation. Evidence of this is the fact that the population of Powys has increased and the fact that the population of Birmingham has decreased.
The people involved in counter-urbanisation are mainly commuters. This was due to the fact that they liked to live and bring up they're children in a healthy environment but also had to rely on they're job in the city. This way they could do both.
The population age groups within the county of Powys are young families with small children and retired people, which are on the increase. This trend of migrants in those age groups is consistent with the data provided. The reasons for these people migrating are many but a few selected ones are:
Greater Mobility (within families)
The greater mobility within more families means that people are able to commute to work everyday. This enables families to move to more rural areas, which they think have better lifestyles for their children. However there is a disadvantage to commuting. It can lead to a lapse in community spirit, because during the day the town/village that the commuters live in during the day will be empty. At night when the commuters return home they will want to spend time with they're families and not with the other people of the village/town. This can lead to more disadvantages. Also because the majority of people moving into the area will be English this could lead to a decrease and possibly a loss of the welsh language in this area.
Greater mobility also means that retired people can move away from the hustle and bustle of the city to more rural, relaxed and peaceful areas. This may lead to communities becoming elderly. A good example of this is not only the county of Powys but also areas in the southwest such as Cornwall. This area is well know for its retired population
Improved Network System
Road improvements enable more people to commute, which results in them being able to live up to a 100 miles away or more from where they work. Improved rail and bus services, with cheaper fares not only are more appealing and cost effective than by traveling by road but they also enable more people to commute.
The ages of people involved in counter-urbanisation are also important. Many of the people within the age of 16-19 may move away to urbanized to attend universities and colleges, with young families with young children and the retired moving in to more rural areas. Similarly it can be seen that those groups just mentioned are decreasing in population within cities, and are increasing in population within rural areas.
Overall, it can be concluded that counter-urbanisation is a continuing process. If counter-urbanisation continues it may lead to the sub urbanisation of all rural areas with cities becoming more and more ghost like as more people move away to live in rural areas. And also the increase in the population in rural areas could lead to the damaging of the countryside and the wildlife within it.
