Investigate if "Portobello road is going through a period of change".

Authors Avatar

Rupal Sutar 11ZA

Geography Coursework

Introduction

My geography coursework is to investigate if “Portobello road is going through a period of change”. These changes are gentrification, meaning the way that the area has improved in a good way or bad. Portobello Road was chosen to investigate changes because the changes taking place show how this can affect other areas environmentally and what Portobello Road is heading towards in the future. Portobello road has been affected by this change Gentrification, buildings and other residential areas have been improved. This coursework will prove if the hypothesis “Portobello road is going through a period of change” is true or not.

The area of my study is located in central London in the area of Notting Hill. This is a well-known place because of Portobello Road, which is famous for its market, local shops and restaurants. It runs through the heart of Notting Hill and is visited by hundreds of people everyday. Portobello road is in the borough Kensington and Chelsea, which is in the west of London. The road is very long and goes under the West Way Bridge in Notting Hill.

Here are a few key questions regarding Portobello Road, these will help in the investigation, as they tell you what the past was like/ the future and the present time of Portobello Road.

What was Portobello Road like in the past?
What is Portobello Road like today?
What changes have occurred?

Why is Portobello Road changing?

What do people think about these changes?

These are just a few of the questions, more will be mentioned below. To answer these key questions I would have to make a survey and go up and down the road asking as many people I can these questions. The people’s attitudes at the road were mixed there were some people who were willing to answer the questions and others who didn’t want to be disturbed from what they were doing. The type of data I will be getting from this survey would be primary because I am getting the data myself from a survey. E.g. Questionnaires, The Secondary sources I will be using which I have not collected myself and have been given to me are stories from the past from the people of Portobello Road.

Background Information

“Many years ago Notting Hill was described as a massive slum, full of multi- occupied houses, crawling with rats and rubbish; and was populated by offshoots of the Soho vice and crime rackets. These insalubrious dwellings become home to a large contingent of afro- Caribbean immigrants, who had to compete for jobs and living space with the area’s similarly down trodden white residents, now the region has been gentrified with media folk having taken over large houses in the leafy crescents and trendy bars and restaurants springing up all over.”

This quote above refers to the changes, which have happened to the area known as Notting Hill which has been made famous by the film of the same name starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, Famous people who live there include Jamie Theakston and Natalie Imbrulia. However, it was not long ago that the area was known for its race riots and drugs.

While the area appears now to be a desirable place, which is prospering, concern and conflict is beginning to occur. Many smaller independent shops are beings forced to close as their rents become too high taking there place are chain stores and coffee bars such as Starbucks. In the past there was outcry as McDonalds applied for planning permission. A huge influx of tourists, especially after the film infuriates stallholders as they continue to gape and ask stupid questions. Property prices continue to rise. One-bedroom apartments can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Now, few of the local residents remain.

Join now!

 

The houses were terraced houses, which were shared with 2 – 3 families total of about 10 – 12 people living there. As in the past, the majority of the people in Portobello Road were Afro Caribbean; these people were insulted and harassed.  Landlords were allowed to charge what ever they wanted as rent.

Today the area is much better. New larger houses have been built, meaning more people living there, it has also become cleaner, and the property prices have increased greatly. The types of people living there have changed too, there are more rich and famous ...

This is a preview of the whole essay