a) Outline the recent changes in the a) Outline the recent changes in the character of rural areas in MEDCscharacter of rural areas in MEDCs

• How recent is recent? How recent is recent? • How rural is rural?How rural is rural?• What does character mean?What does character mean?• Do you need to mention what it was Do you need to mention what it was

like and how it is now?like and how it is now?• Have you thought about both the Have you thought about both the

positive and the negative changes?positive and the negative changes?Use case studies!Use case studies!

How recent is recent?How recent is recent?

• Define a time scale – last 40/50 Define a time scale – last 40/50 years.years.

How rural is rural?How rural is rural?• Have all rural areas Have all rural areas undergone undergone the same the same transitions/changes?transitions/changes?

• How does East Lothian How does East Lothian compare compare to the southern to the southern Borders? Borders?

What does character mean?What does character mean?

• Land use – are we only talking about Land use – are we only talking about housing? housing? (Industry/agriculture/commerce)(Industry/agriculture/commerce)

• Social make-up.Social make-up.

• Economic make up.Economic make up.

• Quality of the environment.Quality of the environment.

Think East Lothian and Fife!Think East Lothian and Fife!

b) Examine the factors influencing land use in b) Examine the factors influencing land use in the rural/urban fringe.the rural/urban fringe.

•MEDC?MEDC?

•LEDC?LEDC?

•Past?Past?

•Current?Current?

•Future?Future?

Don’t forget Don’t forget also that you also that you have to put have to put all of this into all of this into an located an located context – use context – use case studies!case studies!

IntroductionIntroduction

• Lots of different competing land Lots of different competing land uses.uses.

• Demands on any individual plot may Demands on any individual plot may be wide and varied.be wide and varied.

• So the resulting land use depends on So the resulting land use depends on the inter-play of a wide number of the inter-play of a wide number of factors.factors.

Factors influencing land use in Factors influencing land use in MEDCs.MEDCs.

• Existing land usesExisting land uses

• Demands on land uses in the rural/urban fringe Demands on land uses in the rural/urban fringe (landfill, recreation, shopping)(landfill, recreation, shopping)

• Planning controls – what does the Structure Plan Planning controls – what does the Structure Plan state?state?

• Cost of the landCost of the land

• Proximity to other land usesProximity to other land uses

• Access to any given area – roads/junctionsAccess to any given area – roads/junctions

• Quality of the land for agriculture.Quality of the land for agriculture.

Factors influencing land use in Factors influencing land use in LEDCs.LEDCs.

• Immigration of rural poor to urban Immigration of rural poor to urban areas – peripheral shanty townsareas – peripheral shanty towns

• Requirement of peri-urban zone to Requirement of peri-urban zone to provide food for urban areasprovide food for urban areas

• Provision of wood fuel for city – leads Provision of wood fuel for city – leads to difficulties for agriculture and to difficulties for agriculture and possibility of desert formationpossibility of desert formation

What does the future hold for the What does the future hold for the rural/urban fringe?rural/urban fringe?

• Largely dependent upon the nature Largely dependent upon the nature of any given urban area.of any given urban area.

• In declining urban areas there is far In declining urban areas there is far less pressure on rurban zones less pressure on rurban zones because land is available within the because land is available within the city.city.

• In growing urban areas all vacant city In growing urban areas all vacant city sites are spoken for within the sites are spoken for within the confines of the existing boundary.confines of the existing boundary.