Changing Places, Changing Economies
How places and their economies change: urbanisation and settlement change, deindustrialisation and regeneration, newly industrialised countries, and the global links that connect places.
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Free interactive practice at using the material, which is what the marks are for.
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Places that change
Places are never fixed. Their populations, their jobs and their buildings all change over time, and geographers study how and why. Two big drivers of change are urbanisation, meaning the growing share of people who live in towns and cities, and economic change, meaning the way the jobs a place depends on shift over time. In the United Kingdom many old industrial cities lost their factories, a process called deindustrialisation, and later saw run-down areas renewed through regeneration. In fast-developing countries such as India, cities are growing quickly as people move in for work. Places are also linked to one another through trade, migration and large companies that operate across borders. This module looks at how places and economies change, why they change, and what those changes mean for the people who live there.
Words for changing places
Learn what each of these means before you use it.
Cities growing and emptying
People move both into and out of cities, and the direction of that movement tells a story about a place.
How to explain a change
When a question asks about a changing place or economy, there is a habit that turns a bare statement into a strong answer. Name the change that is happening. Give the cause, meaning why it is happening. Anchor it to a real place, because a named example is worth far more than a vague claim. Then explain the impact, meaning what the change means for the people or the area. A weak answer stops at naming the change. A strong answer always links change to cause, to a real place and to its effect, and never invents numbers to sound precise. Practise moving straight from what is changing to why it matters.
Match the change to its description
- urbanisation
- deindustrialisation
- regeneration
- counter-urbanisation
- the growing share of people living in towns and cities
- the decline of manufacturing and factory work in a region
- investment that renews a run-down urban area
- the movement of people out of cities to rural areas
The newly industrialised country
A country such as India is shifting rapidly from farming towards manufacturing and services, and many people are moving to fast-growing cities for work. Which term best describes a country at this stage?
- a newly industrialised country
- a low-income country with little change
- a fully deindustrialised country
- a purely rural economy
When the factories close
Select the TWO likely impacts when factories and heavy industry close down in a UK city.
- A rise in local unemployment
- Run-down, empty industrial sites
- A sudden growth of coal mining
- More farming in the city centre
How many sectors of the economy?
The economy is often split into 4 sectors: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. A report studies just 1 of them in detail. Subtract to find how many of the sectors the report does not study in detail.
Order the change in a place
Put these stages of change in an old industrial area in a sensible order.
- The factories and heavy industry close down
- Many local people lose their jobs
- The area becomes run-down with empty land
- Regeneration brings new housing, offices and leisure
Complete the changing places facts
The growth in the share of people living in towns and cities is called _____. The decline of factory work and heavy industry in a region is called _____. Investment that renews a run-down urban area is called _____. A large company that operates across several countries is called a _____.
Match the economic change to its impact
- factories closing in an industrial city
- growth of service and digital jobs
- counter-urbanisation
- a transnational company opening a plant in a newly industrialised country
- rising unemployment and empty industrial land
- new office work concentrated in city centres
- busier commuter villages and pressure on rural services
- new factory jobs and faster urban growth in that country
Spot the true changing places facts
Tap the TWO statements that are true.
- Deindustrialisation means the decline of manufacturing and factory work
- A newly industrialised country is shifting towards manufacturing and services
- Regeneration means closing down a city centre for good
- Counter-urbanisation is people moving from the countryside into big cities
Decide about the place
Read each case and choose the best response, then think about why.
- A UK city has lost its factories and has empty, run-down industrial land beside the river. The council wants to bring the area back to life. Which approach fits?
- A fast-growing city in a newly industrialised country is attracting many rural migrants looking for work. What is a realistic impact the city must plan for?
- A student must explain why two UK regions have very different economies. What makes the strongest answer?
Explain how places change
A friend is revising Geography and does not understand how and why places and their economies change over time. Explain how places change through urbanisation and economic change, using real examples.
- Explain what urbanisation is and where it is happening quickly today
- Explain what deindustrialisation is and one impact it has on a UK city
- Explain how regeneration can help a run-down area
- Explain what a newly industrialised country is, naming a real example
- Finish by explaining how global links such as trade or transnational companies connect places