People and the Planet- topic 3: Living Spaces 3.2 How far can growing demands for good living spaces become more sustainable? 3.2a) Current demands for living space are rising, placing pressure on the quality of different living spaces

Pressures on rural areas in HICs In HICs the rural idyll is being crowded out by demands for more living space and transport infrastructure, such pressures are reducing the quality and peacefulness of the countryside Using page 180 of textbook ‘blue diagram pressures on living spaces’ . Outline the 4 major pressures.

England’s Greenbelts A Greenbelt is an area of open land around a city, which is protected from development. Greenbelts were set up 50 years ago, and now cover 13% of England Greenbelts have 3 main functions Check the sprawl (spreading) of cities like London and Birmingham To protect the surrounding countryside from further development To prevent neighbouring cities from merging into each other.

Have Greenbelts been a success? In some respects yes, they have prevented urban sprawl around cities like Manchester, London and Birmingham Most of the designated Greenbelt has remained intact for the past 50 years. BUT Over 1100 hectares of green belt has been lost each year since 1997 Nearly 50,000 homes have been built on greenbelts Greenbelts have also caused ‘leap-frogging’ where commuter towns grow outside the greenbelt, like Chelmsford in Essex Commuter town (a town that has many people living in it that work far away).

Housing demand and supply in North Wiltshire Places like North Wiltshire need many more houses over the next 10 years to aid the growth of the local economy and attract new businesses to the region. Economic growth attracts people- these need a living space If new living spaces were not built existing costs would rise, this would discourage people from investing Local authorities DO NOT build houses but they control who can and where they can The 3 main policies applied in North Wiltshire are: Balance likely employment growth and projected growth in the working population Reduce commuting flows (whether in or out) Concentrate new housing in areas that are self contained- those that already have services and shops

Brownfield Site- area formerly used for industrial purposes In North Wiltshire population growth has increased steadily encouraged by an increase in new housing The area’s land use is 81% rural but only 19% of the population live in these areas. About 60% of the population lives in the 6 main towns- Chippenham, Wooton Bassett, Calne, Corsham, Cricklade and Malmesbury Chippenham is the biggest with 26% of the population and is the key location for growth and investment It is also within commuting distance of London (75mins) and has attracted in-migrants as a result In North Wiltshire 44% of new developments have been on Brownfield sites, however 56% was on greenbelt

The development process Takes place in 2 stages- Stage 1- Identification of ‘key settlements’ where growth is allowed because it can be SUSTAINABLE The bulk of this is to be around Chippenham. Stage 2- Choice of individual sites based on- Policy restrictions- are they close to protected areas Physical problems or limitations- looking at drainage and flood risks Potential Impacts- is there any impact on surrounding land users, like farmers? Availability of land and site desirability- can the land be purchased and will the houses sell?

Task- Housing issues in North Wiltshire Why does the area need new houses? What are the 3 main policies applied to new housing? Where is new housing being built? Why? Why is it better to build on brownfield sites rather than greenbelts? Explain the development of the new housing process

Pressures on rural areas the USA In many areas of South West USA cities have grown up in remote rural areas that previously only contained small settlements One area where this is the case is the area now known as Las Vegas, in the Mojave Desert Las Vegas is located in Clark County, at the southern tip of Nevada state. The most recent census shows a current population of 1.6 million but only a ¼ were born there ½ million live beyond the city limits, in the Mojave desert.

The area is extremely hot and dry, the city relies on water imported from Lake Mead and extra water taken from the area’s groundwater supply- this is not being renewed- risking the future supply of water The city relies on tourism- it is known as ‘sin city’ – 35 million visitors a year, it competes with its fellow American city Orlando for top global destination From a small rural community to the fastest growing area in the USA in 30 years. Las Vegas is vital to Nevada as the state has no Income tax and relies on gambling and other tourist spending for tax revenues

What pressures has this rural development caused? The main impacts have been on the environment- The city is the biggest consumer of water anywhere on Earth (consuming 1,360 litres per person per day) Groundwater levels have decreased by as much as 90metres in some areas Off road vehicles in Mojave desert have damaged plant and animals life The massive water consumption of the city is endangering sustainability of the area Due to use of air conditioners and overuse of electricity Las Vegas has mass Urban Heat Island problem- with city temps 5 degrees higher than surrounding areas The city has carbon monoxide levels that are dangerously high.

Practice Question Explain the pressures that can result from the demand for new housing in rural areas (4 marks)

Practice Question- mark scheme Explain the pressures that can result from the demand for new housing in rural areas (4 marks) Basic answer (0-1 mark) May talk more of causes and not consequences. Use terms such as ‘difficult’/ ‘hard’ but no explaining why Good answer (2 marks) Identifies one clear pressure and impact it has, such as damage to wildlife, loss of greenbelt/ protected land Excellent answer (3-4 marks) Clearly identifies and explains 2 pressures- as above and maybe increased pressure on local services such as Las Vegas and the unsustainable water supply