4.3 - Influences Shaping Places
Regional and national influences on places
Physical characteristics
Physical characteristics refer to natural features, such as proximity to water sources or strategic positions. These characteristics influence a place's location and development.
Examples of physical characteristics influencing places:
- Being near fresh water sources provides essential resources for living and industry.
- Strategic trade locations, such as deep water coastlines, enable the building of ports and docks.
- In Liverpool, the River Mersey offered easy access to Ireland and suitable conditions for docks, supporting its historical role as a trading hub.
Transport connections
Transport connections involve networks of roads, railways, buses, ferries, and airports that link places to surrounding areas. Places with fewer links may experience isolation.
Examples of transport connections influencing places:
- Cities often serve as hubs where multiple routes intersect, facilitating regional travel.
- Smaller towns might lack rail links and rely on ferries or planes, creating physical isolation.
- Liverpool Lime Street station connects with bus routes, enhancing its role as a regional transport centre.
- In Lerwick, limited road connections and reliance on ferries to mainland Scotland contribute to relative independence but also isolation.
Institutional connections
Institutional connections are links between organisations, such as universities or research groups, that promote collaboration across regions.
Examples of institutional connections influencing places:
- Universities in nearby cities may form partnerships for research.
- Liverpool, located around 40 miles from Manchester, participates in the N8 Research Partnership, enabling collaborative teams across the region.
Industry
Industry involves the main economic activities associated with a place, often rooted in history and local resources.
Examples of industry influencing places:
- Places may maintain associations with specific sectors over centuries.
- Lerwick's primary industry is fishing, which has remained dominant since the 17th century when trade with the Dutch began.
National policies
National policies are government decisions that affect migration, economy, and development.
Examples of national policies influencing places:
- Migration policies allow groups to settle, bringing cultural influences.
- In 2015, 5% of Lerwick's population were migrants from Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004.
- Initiatives like the Northern Powerhouse aim to boost economic growth in northern cities through targeted investments.
Local enterprise organisations
Local enterprise organisations are groups that support community projects, tourism, or specific needs.
Examples of local enterprise organisations influencing places:
- Charitable trusts fund community projects, such as support for disabilities.
- Tourism boards promote visitor attractions, while community groups start developments.
- The Shetland Charitable Trust supports initiatives in Lerwick, including Ability Shetland.
International and global influences on places
Transnational corporations (TNCs)
Transnational corporations (TNCs) are large companies operating in multiple countries. They can dominate local markets or establish operations that create employment.
Examples of TNCs influencing places:
- Global brands can take over retail spaces.
- TNCs may locate headquarters or factories, adding jobs.
- The Princes Group, which produces tinned and bottled foods, has its headquarters in Liverpool, contributing to the local economy.
Deindustrialisation
Deindustrialisation is the decline of manufacturing industries, often due to global shifts in production. This can result from factories closing or moving abroad, leading to job losses and economic restructuring.
Examples of deindustrialisation influencing places:
- TNCs relocating operations contribute to industrial decline.
- Liverpool's docks declined after World War Two bombings damaged northern textile factories, reducing the need for raw material imports.
- Full deindustrialisation occurred in the 1960s when textile TNCs moved to South East Asia.
Conflict and competition
Conflict and competition involve rivalries over resources or markets, often at an international level.
Examples of conflict and competition influencing places:
- Increased quotas for competitors can reduce market share.
- Lerwick's mackerel fishing industry faced competition from Iceland in 2012, when Iceland's quota was raised, allowing higher catches.
Tourism
Tourism involves attracting visitors from abroad by highlighting unique features.
Examples of tourism influencing places:
- Promoting distinctive attractions draws global tourists.
- Liverpool's The Beatles Story exhibition attracts 350,000 visitors annually, with 55% from overseas.
Political groupings
Political groupings are alliances like the EU that provide funding and access to markets.
Examples of political groupings influencing places:
- Access to development funds supports economic projects.
- As part of the EU, the UK used funds for growth; Shetland invested over £20 million in fish processing plants.
Connections
Connections refer to transport and digital links that tie places to the wider world.
Examples of connections influencing places:
- Airports and broadband networks facilitate international links.
- Liverpool's John Lennon Airport connects to 30 countries and handled over 5.5 million passengers in 2022.
- In Lerwick, 12% of residents lacked superfast broadband in 2021, reducing connectivity compared to better-equipped places.