The regional balance in the United Kingdom

Résumé du document

The United Kingdom is integrated in a process of globalization characterized by competition. Innovation is an important factor for regional growth. And a lot of disparities existed between the Britain's regions, because the level of regional development is uneven. In effect, The United Kingdom is divided between regions more or less attractive.

Therefore, we can ask what is the organization of the regional balance in the UK?

For that, we will first see the areas in crisis and low-density areas, then, and second, we will discuss about the areas in redevelopment. Thirdly, we will study the attractive areas and fourth and finally, we will explain the redevelopment programs in place in the United Kingdom, which aims at developing Britain's regions and the objectives of regional policy.

Around fifty per cent of the Britain's territory appears among the low-density areas, such as Northern Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and the main part of Scotland. Because these places are geographically the most remote parts of the UK from the main centers of population, moreover, their relief is mountainous, which complicates their accessibility. All this explain why the population is spread in a low density area, rather than just concentrated in towns. All these empty places of the UK have a low GDP (Gross Domestic Product) because they are not attractive areas, they haven't got any touristic or agricultural function, and they don't accept an influence coming from a big city close to it, like the London influence that spreads in its suburbs. Moreover, the northern highlands located next to the coast are not attractive, contrary to the south coast where the sea and the climate are hotter.

Extraits

[...] These regions were attractive during the industrialized era, in the 19th century. For example, Manchester was a famous industrialized city which extends on its suburbs thanks, to the rural migrations from countryside to cities, to the medicinal progress, and thanks to the demographic transition. Manchester area was sprawling, creating some suburbs, it develops along the railroads and of the side of Docklands. This extension is due to rural exodus, to natural increase, and to the economic development of cities. However, nowadays, these cities don't arrive to found a new way to be attractive. [...]

[...] Most of the area was rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. This began with the construction of many tower blocks, the first of the city. The design of this new city was expensive, but after this rebuilt, Birmingham became again an expanding city and as house construction in the interwar period and failed to sufficiently sort the problem, a new solution was needed. Many houses had also been destroyed in the war, and the dislike of the Victorian slums which consisted of terraced and back to back houses. [...]

[...] It can be inferred that transports take a major role in the regional balance of the UK. Thus, international airports such as Heathrow in London, which is the biggest European airport, highways, railroads and the Channel Tunnel (Euro star), are very important for the regional growth. Moreover, agriculture is another way to concentrate populations. The total area of agricultural land in 2008 was 19.8 million hectares, about 77 per cent of the total land area in the United Kingdom. Farming in Britain has changed a great deal in the last thirty years. [...]

[...] And finally, it also has an influence on its region, on its country, and on the world. First, London possesses a lot of functions. The political function represented by the public buildings such as Buckingham, Westminster, and 10th Downing Street, and also the new London city hall, which symbolizes the renewal of this area especially on the economic form. London has an economic function by the two CBDs (Central Business Districts); the City and Canary Wharf, because there are stock exchange, banks, and TNCs headquarters. [...]

[...] The need to redevelop these was important. Birmingham designated five redevelopment areas in need of regeneration and postwar construction was focused up on these areas which had been slums or heavily bombed. The rebuilt of the city of Birmingham, and more precisely, the construction of office buildings, made the city skyline an enormous density. Other territories are making progress for redevelopment; it's the case for Cardiff, a city located in the South East or Wales. Cardiff is a city in rebirth, because it has redeveloped itself since the last ten years. [...]