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Regenerating Leicester -Edecxel B January Synoptic Feb 2007

This is to start the thread on this exam for Feb 1st. I shall post quite a chunk of hints and tips shortly.
The idea of this thread is to help each other in terms of questions/ ideas / suggested questions for the exams / hints and ideas from your staff as well.
Please post useful comments and don't use it for chat if you can help it :biggrin:

http://www.edexcel.org.uk/quals/gce/geography/adv/9215/ri/unit6-issues/
This is the edexcel page where you can download the Resources Booklet and the Insert with pictures

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Reply 1

Elements

I'm told the synoptic is like an advanced DME but unlike in GCSE DME's where there are a choice of several choices to be implemented and you know that there's going to be some sort of question weighing up the pro's and cons of this, I'm not sure here where the DME lies as they say that they're going to create all those places. :confused:

Where's the DME part?

Reply 2

mangoesandarsenal

Hiya! Thanks for all your info, kinda helps when you're thrust into the christmas holidays with just a resource booklet and not much info on what to actually look at and do. I'm gonna give it all a proper look when it isn't half 11pm so I'll probably be on here again soon with some sort of question :biggrin:

Reply 3

Wilko_777

It's a shame for myself that this topic appears in this paper. Would have been to my benefit if this were to come up in the June exam, oh well.

Reply 4

mrs_bellamy

Hey everyone. How's it going? Thanks Geogger!!

Reply 5

Elements

Geogger

Well there could be issues about the destruction of ethnic communities (haven't looked into this in detail yet), there are archeological issues about development on top of an important Roman site, there are also issues about finance. I suspect thus you may need to decide on priority order, you might need to decide which the best sequence is to develop all the strategies, there might be alternaive ideas brought up in the brief. I'll have a look.

So are there any alternative ideas brought up by the brief then? I didn't receive a brief- was I supposed to? :confused:

Reply 6

Elements

Marvi

Hey everyone. How's it going? Thanks Geogger!!

What have you done on the synoptic so far then? I've done 0. :frown:

Reply 7

Geogger

Analysis of resources - this will be a series of posts on each resource. Hope it helps

Fig 1a) Clearly Leicester (pop 280,000) is not only multi-cultural but very distinctly bi-cultural with a very significant Indian British population of approx 25% (about 70,000) compared with 60% White (160,000). This suggests that any Masterplan needs to accommodate the social and cultural needs of all its residents both Indian and White.

Some wards have a significant concentration above/below the 25%/60% ratio which is Leicester’s average. For example Belgrave is almost exactly the reverse – this ward is on the east side of the river opposite the National Space Centre. Spinney Hills is 1 km or so to the East of the Ring Road. The other two are evidently in Central Leicester but it does indicate that 3 of the 4 central wards are predominantly Indian.

The median age is also quite interesting esp compared with the bottom figure in 1b) as the median age for the wards seems much lower than the mean for Leicester (37) – remembering of course that means and medians are not quite the same thing. What does this tell you? Family size perhaps – with larger numbers of children the average age of the population will be reduced. It could also mean emigration of elderly or influx of young workers.

Reply 8

Elements

If you were here now, you'd get a great big hug from me so a virtual one will have to do! :hugs:

Reply 9

MFT

Hi, cheers for all that Geogger. With my students I've gone over a few details of what happened in Oldham in 2001 and suggested that the lessons learned may be useful to consider in the regeneration of Leicester, particularly the community development and the schools etc. These are decent links but remember not to dwell on the details of this case too much, just as a quick comparison to show you are aware of it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1702799.stm

http://society.guardian.co.uk/regeneration/story/0,,617433,00.html

Reply 10

vanillawick

Dig out any Curitiba, Brazil (sustainable city by Jamie Lerner) work for synopticity. Also Plymouth in Devon 2020 Macky vision is an examlpe of a city going through a comprehensive redevlopment. All this information can be found in geography revision guides (Dulcie Kniffton) and plymouth.gov.uk

xxx

Reply 11

dai

hey...is there anything on the websites given that people think are specifically important? ive been on them all and looked at the information provided, but not too sure what im meant to find.

thanks :smile:

Reply 12

dai

my teacher seems to think that a question on the opporttunities/threats will come up from looking at the data provided.
at the moment i have
Opportunities - diversity of ethnicity to provide range skills, strength small businesses, increasing unemployment meaning labour force availible to fill new jobs, room for expansion, help and support local people, john lewis flagship development, National Space Centre, transport links.
Threats - ethnicity again (providing for range skills and needs), increasing decline textile industry, threat on small businesses with increasing larger businesses (john lewis), the ratio of economically active to dependants is 1.03:1 (ideal is 2:1), 60% leicester is below decency threshold

if anyone can add to what i have it would be grateful.
many thanks

dave

Reply 13

dai

thanks, ill get stuck into the information :smile:

Reply 14

georuss

Heh, Leicester is proving very popular with my students and they seem to have mastered the likely de-industrialisation aspects, threats of gentrification and the chances of the masterplan 'sacrificing the needs of the present in order to provide for the future' - a variation on the definition of sustainability nonetheless!
Seems that global forces and the demise of Leicester's rag trade have to be overcome for the city to renew itself. The 5 point plan seems to offer hope for a new city altogether and may not meet the needs of the present day low paid population.

Reply 15

georuss

Geogger

Anyone who needs the Leicester Geofactsheet - pm me
It is hugely useful. (and all my students would agree!)
BUT you will only get one if you have contributed usefully to this thread!!!!!!!!

can I see the fact sheet please?

Reply 16

georuss

Final preparations for next week should involve a few trial questions, see these 4 for starters. I have based them all on past papers and they help to test your 'synopticity' and awareness of the content of the resource booklet.
1
Define the term ‘post-industrial city’. In what ways do the resources shown on pages 2 to 4 suggest that Leicester City falls into this category in early the 21st century? (15 marks)

2
Suggest reasons for high numbers of ethnic groups being attracted to cities like Leicester. (10marks)

3
Outline the techniques that you might use as a geography undergraduate advising Leicester City Council and the UK Government on the effectiveness of their ‘Master Plan’ (15 marks)

4
Assess the likely environmental and socio-economic impacts of the following:

a) proposals to meet the demands for diversification in the economy

b) improving the image of Leicester City

(20 marks)

Reply 17

blackstuff

Geogger

Anyone who needs the Leicester Geofactsheet - pm me
It is hugely useful. (and all my students would agree!)
BUT you will only get one if you have contributed usefully to this thread!!!!!!!!

Blackstuff :smile:

It might be useful to look at an earlier Edexcel B DME type question based on Urban Regeneration in Glasgow. From memory 4 or 5 potential sites sites were identifyed and students had to fit schemes around their preferred locations. Will look this one up to quote the year and post it later.
Anychance of getting the Leicester Geofactsheet?

Reply 18

georuss

I do not think it can be a DME style paper as all of the schemes are either started or pased by the planners in Leicester.
Most likely need to test the schemes against some sustainability criteria, rank according to effectiveness and appropriateness for a relatively poor city population with ever increasing number of unemployed textile workers. Watch out for the retail footfall figures...why is spending so high in Leicester compared to other places?

Reply 19

blackstuff

Blackstuff :smile:

The 'Glasgow' Edexcel B DME which featured urban regeneration was set in June 1999. There are some similarities between this and Leicester, so it may be worth looking at the Mark Scheme / Examiners Report.If you ask your teacher they may be able to find you a copy.
The questions set were :
1)Identify the reasons why Greater Govern (part of Glasgow) has been designated as a Priority Partneship Area (PPS) (10 marks) -with this students had to look at locational indicators, socio-economic indicators and environmental data. Some similar data for Leicester incontrasting inner city wards with the City as a whole.
2a) Analyse the location and character of each of the four sites allocated for re-development in Greater Govern (12 marks) - based on straightforward geofacts.
2b) Allocate one regeneration scheme to each of the 4 sites. Justify your choices (16 marks) - this needed a reasoned response based on evidence ie. essentially matching up a scheme with a development site. In Leicester the sites and schemes have already been planned / selected so you are more likely to be asked for their potential impact - also with reference to meeting the wider master plan objectives.
3) Prioritise and explain the order in which you would undertake the 4 re-development proposals. (12 marks) - Leicester has the potential to follow this type of question. An evaluative account would be required with a clear indication of priority;you could use a technique here but its not absolutely necessary. You must link the schemes closely to the needs of the City of Leicester.
Hope this helps. :smile:

Blackstuff