BA15-16 – Page 13 – UWS BA ePDPs

Learning Log- Urban Environment

Key Learning- After this weeks input on the Urban Environment, I feel I have a much better appreciation for the environment around me. Before the lecture on the urban environment I had always just related environment to nature and wildlife, I had not thought if it as being much more about you’re interaction with where … Continue reading Learning Log- Urban Environment →

Key Learning-

After this weeks input on the Urban Environment, I feel I have a much better appreciation for the environment around me. Before the lecture on the urban environment I had always just related environment to nature and wildlife, I had not thought if it as being much more about you’re interaction with where you are, rather than just the location.

I learned a lot about the harm Urban environments are creating, such as being responsible for 70% of carbon emissions, overcrowding, traffic and social inequality. However these big cities also have advantages such as consuming less energy, as many of the high rise flats and multi-family houses use up less heating and less ground space.

Impact on my views/lifestyle/practice:

I enjoyed the workshops we did outdoors, it made me so much more aware of what is around me everyday that I would normally overlook; such as the different species of wildlife and plants surrounding the campus. It also gave me a better appreciation of outdoor learning and made me realise the benefits of letting children explore what is around them.

There are many activities to do with the environment topic which simply could not be taught as effectively in a classroom as they could outdoors, such as the identifying different animals, trees etc activities that we did. This gives children an opportunity to be independent learners and gives them a more hands on experience. This often helps them to engage better in the topic if they get a hands on activity, rather than textbook work.

Areas of interest to explore further/develop:

After learning about the effects urban environments are creating, such as being responsible for many environmental pressures, made me want to look into ways in which we can reduce these environmental pressures in more depth and how to be more eco friendly, such as using more public transport, not overusing central heating etc. After enjoying the outdoor workshops we took part in, I’d also like to look into more ways and which types of lessons could be adapted to be taught outdoors.

Learning Log: The Environment

Theme: The Environment Key Learning: After the input on the environment, I have became much more aware of how important it is. I have always been somewhat aware that the environment is an important issue that we need to address … Continue reading →

Theme: The Environment

Key Learning:

After the input on the environment, I have became much more aware of how important it is. I have always been somewhat aware that the environment is an important issue that we need to address more, but this input has helped to put into perspective that we can not continue to rely on fossil fuels to sustain us. It is important to find other, more environmentally friendly ways of sustaining ourselves before we damage the world beyond repair.

Previously, when I thought of the environment I thought of nature, and of mountains and greenery. I now understand that it encompasses so much more than that-that everywhere around us-towns and cities-are also part of the environment.

When previously thinking of the impact cities can have on the environment, I always assumed they were all negative and that it was the people who lived rurally that were acting in favour of the environment. However, after reading the EEA Extract on Urban Environment, I have learned that cities also have positive connotations. While factors such as over-crowding and social inequality are still rife in cities, ‘the proximity of people, businesses and services provides opportunities to build a more resource-efficient Europe’. As people in cities live closer to everything, they often consume less energy than people who live rurally.

Impact on my views/ lifestyle/ practice:

I’ve always spent a lot of time outdoors and have never been bothered with the cold or poor weather stopping me from doing something. To get the chance to have classes outside and to physically interact with the environment rather than sit inside and imagine it has helped to change my views regarding the way topics on the environment should be taught.

In terms of my lifestyle, as I live in a fairly rural town, I will try to decrease my carbon footprint by walking more instead of just driving out of ease.

In practise within a classroom, the outdoor classes have made an immense difference to the way I would want to teach topics regarding the environment. It would be a topic I would enjoy teaching and would aim to make it as interactive as possible.

The Urban Environment

Introduction My urban environment is a town in North Ayrshire called Kilwinning. It is situated on the River Garnock about 21 miles South of Glasgow in the West of Scotland. Physical characteristics There is a great deal of diversity to be found in the different buildings within my hometown. Some of the buildings include- Houses … Continue reading The Urban Environment →

Introduction

My urban environment is a town in North Ayrshire called Kilwinning. It is situated on the River Garnock about 21 miles South of Glasgow in the West of Scotland.

aerialview

Physical characteristics

There is a great deal of diversity to be found in the different buildings within my hometown. Some of the buildings include-

Houses (mainly different estates, some quite old while others are brand new)
Seven primary schools and Kilwinning Academy
Shops, pubs and restaurants
A fire station
Community Centres
Churches
Care homes
Nurseries

At it’s heart, Kilwinning is a very historic town. There are a lot of old buildings, including the Abbey. Kilwinning Abbey was founded between 1140 and 1191 by the De Morville Family. Beside it is a clock tower. This was restored during the early 90s and it is actually now a heritage centre. It is open to the public and you are able to climb to the top of the tower on certain days.

kilwinning_abbey_-_geograph_org_uk_-_1140309 -Kilwinning Abbey

Kilwinning is also home to the Freemasons Mother lodge number 0. This was built at around the same time as Kilwinning Abbey and is located in the town centre. It is an ancient building with a unique history. Another historic building is Eglinton Castle which was built back in the 18th century by Hugh Montgomery the 12th Earl of Eglinton. The castle is particularly famous for the grand Eglinton tournament back in 1839. Sadly today most of the caste is in ruins. (See more about Eglinton Castle in the below link)

http://www.kilwinning.org/eglintoncastle/default.htm

In contrast to these historic buildings the estate where I live is relatively brand new. It mainly consists of red brick, new build houses which are ideal for families. As a result most of my neighbours are families with young children. This creates quite a pleasant, safe environment to live.

There are numerous green spaces throughout Kilwinning-

Eglinton Country Park
McGavin Park
Various small parks and playgrounds
Kilwinning Sports club
Football pitches

i_0810 -Eglinton Country Park eglintoncastle

I am also very fortunate that I only live a couple of minutes away from the countryside which is really ideal for walkers, runners, cyclists and dog walkers which there are a lot of in my estate.

Transport

Like most other places, there are a lot of cars in Kilwinning. A number of cars travel through Kilwinning commuting to Glasgow. Even though it is a relatively small town the roads can be extremely busy, especially at peak travel times.

Personally, I do not drive and mainly travel by train. Kilwinning is actually very convenient for train travel. There are frequent trains to Glasgow, Ayr and Largs. However, there are a number of issues that can arise. Trains can often be running late especially in bad weather. Last year many trains were cancelled all together and sometimes there was not always a replacement bus service. Also travelling on a Sunday can be difficult as a result of engineering works. Furthermore, travelling at peak times is often quite stressful as the trains are very busy and you often can not get a seat.

maxresdefault -Kilwinning train station

There are also a number of bus services that run from Kilwinning. The number eleven bus between Ardrossan and Kilmarnock leaves every few minutes which is extremely convenient for a lot of people. However, I personally do not enjoy travelling by bus. They are often overcrowded and can be quite rowdy. They are also sometime very slow especially during the school run and frequently late.

Community Spaces

Community spaces found in Kilwinning include-

Primary schools
Kilwinning Academy
Several community centres
Church halls
Kilwinning Library
Allotments

3693293_67f02c46 -Kilwinning allotments

Industry and Work

There are quite a lot of job opportunities in retail throughout Kilwinning. There are a number of shops located in the town centre. There are several pubs, restaurants, cafes, and takeaways throughout the town that provide jobs in food and catering business. Kilwinning Medical Practice, the local pharmacy, and several nursing homes mean there are jobs available in the NHS. In Kilwinning there are seven primary schools and one secondary school that provide a lot of teaching jobs.

Whitehirst Park, the estate where I live, is relatively new and constantly expanding. There a number of brand new homes and ones still being built which means there is work available in the construction industry.

zzz579_n35_webview -Kilwinning town centre

2cea6e3c-1222-4ec9-974a-a1ede29b8fd0 -Taylor’s restaurant

Recreation Spaces

Unfortunately there are not many recreation spaces in Kilwinning. There are no leisure centres, cinemas, swimming pools, theatres or ice rinks. While attending secondary school I did find growing up here quite dull. It meant I had to spend money travelling in order to reach recreation spaces in other towns.

On the other hand there is Kilwinning sports club which has a gym, playing fields, a golfing range, an astro turf pitch and a playground.

3422061_b7e5a09c -Kilwinning Sports Club footy-photo

Population Density

The population density in North Ayrshire is 155 people per square kilometre. This is very low compared to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, which has a population density of 1,852 people per square kilometre. When compared to the largest city in Scotland the population density appears even lower in my local area. Glasgow has a population density of 3,415 people per square kilometre.

screenshot_2016-09-23-14-40-33

Air Quality

As you can see levels of air pollution in my local urban environment are low. This not only applies to Kilwinning but throughout Ayrshire.

screenshot_2016-09-26-20-57-16 screenshot_2016-09-26-20-58-20

Direct Study Task: The Urban Environment

My Local Urban Environment: Beith, North Ayrshire The name ‘Beith’ is Gaelic for Birch, it is believed that at one time the town was colonised with birch trees and the whole district itself was mainly forrest before it became a town. Physical Characteristics: Beith is a very small town situated in the top of … Continue reading Direct Study Task: The Urban Environment →

My Local Urban Environment: Beith, North Ayrshire

The name ‘Beith’ is Gaelic for Birch, it is believed that at one time the town was colonised with birch trees and the whole district itself was mainly forrest before it became a town.

beith-birch-tree

Physical Characteristics:

Beith is a very small town situated in the top of North Ayrshire, in the Garnock Valley. As it is in the Valley it is surrounded by hills, fields and trees. It also has great views of the local lochs in the neighbouring towns of Kilbirnie and Lochwinnoch. It has little traffic and noise pollution as there are no busy main roads which go through the town. Before the A737 was built in the 1930s which now bypasses Beith itself, Beith used to serve as the main traffic route going from Ayrshire to Glasgow.

screen-shot-2016-09-28-at-20-18-54 (View of Beith from Kilbirnie)

It is an old town with lots of new buildings, however we do still have some of our original buildings that we would consider our landmarks, such as the town house (1800s), the Auld Kirk (1500s) and the high church.

beithparishchurch beithtownhousevert

The buildings are all mainly houses rather than flats. This is because the majority of Beith’s population are families, rather than a big city which would have much more variety in the population, such as students, business men etc, who would be more likely to live in a flat.

Our town is full of small shops and businesses run by locals, such as a florist, bakers, butchers etc. Many of these shops have been very old family businesses that have been there for years and been handed down the generations. A lot of the buildings in our main street have date back to the 1800s.

eglintonstreet-450

Transport:

screen-shot-2016-09-28-at-20-47-45

Beith is only 20 miles south west from Glasgow however we do not have a great selection when it comes to transport. We no longer have our own train station. The town used to have 2 railway stations however they closed in the 1950/60s. Now the nearest train station I just over 2 miles away in the town of Glengarnock, which requires a bus or a car journey to get there. This results in longer journeys to uni & work etc for many people who live in Beith.

We do have bus services, but they are not always the most frequent. Due to the lack of good public transport, most people in Beith drive.

However within the town itself it is easy to walk to wherever you need to get to, as it is such a small town and is also very pedestrianised.

Community Spaces:

Beith has one primary school, but no secondary school. Once children leave primary school they go to high school in kilbrinie called Garnock Academy, which serves as the local high school for all of the towns in the Garnock Valley. Children from Beith have to be bussed to secondary school, as there is no safe walking route to Kilbirnie.

008beithprimary

Industry and work:

Beith used to be well known for producing furniture from 1845 until the 1980s, there were many carpenters from Beith. Unfortunately furniture is no longer being produces in Beith due to the closure of many manufacturing firms and due being unable to compete with the rise in popularity of self-assemble furniture companys.

Beith has a whiskey distillery which distils a lot of Chivas Regal products. This employs lots of locals which helps boost our economy.

There is also a local large Defence Munitions centre is located just outside of Beith which employs a lot of locals. The site was originally developed in 1943 as an Armaments Depot munitions store, for the Royal Navy.

We also have many shops and small local businesses in the town, such as our bakers, butchers, pubs etc. We just recently opened our first restaurant this summer which is doing very well so far and has been well used by the community.

Recreation Spaces:

Beith itself has a community centre which holds a lot of sports and fitness clubs, we also have an astroturf which is used by our local football team the Beith Juniors. We also have a local swimming pool in Kilbirnie and sports centres such as the Magnum in Irvine. Beith also has a local library which often hosts events for young children.

beithlibrary

beith-community-centre

Peri-Urban Space:

As Beith is a rural town we are not periurban.

Population Density:

Beith has a small population of 6,300 approx.

North Ayrshire population density- 155 people per square kilometre according to http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/HTMLDocs/dvc134_c/index.html

Air Quality:

North Ayrshire has a low air pollution- Index 1, according to www.scottishairquality.co.uk

The Urban Environment

My urban environment is Prestwick, a small town on the west coast of Scotland in South Ayrshire. This is the town which I grew up in and still live in to this day. Prestwick has a population of roughly 14,900 … Continue reading →

Physical Characteristics
Prestwick is made up of all different types and styles of buildings. Sandstone buildings are very common, as are small brick bungalows. There are many different housing estates which are often made up of semi-detached houses. Prestwick has many different churches which are some of the oldest buildings in the town. There are now modern blocks of flats scattered throughout the town. Prestwick Academy was knocked down back in 2009 and a brand new modern school was build in its place. There are some historical buildings and features throughout Prestwick such as the Mercat Cross, which is now used as a war memorial, the Salt Pan Houses and Bruce’s Well.
The dual carriage way brings you in past Prestwick Airport and into Prestwick’s Main Street. The Main Street runs all the way along until it eventually leads you to Ayr. The Main Street breaks off into many other roads which then break off again. As there are lots of housing estates there are many roads, streets, avenues, crescents and cul-de-sacs.
There are many green spaces within walking distance. There is “the oval” which is a group of fields with a running track, play park and football fields. There are two different golf courses in Prestwick which provide a huge amount of green space. My favourite place is the beach which is within five minutes walking distance. It is used by many dog walkers, children playing at the two play parks, joggers and children playing on the fields in front of the promenade.

Transport
Luckily, everything in Prestwick is within walking distance from my house. However, if I was needing transport else where there are many ways of doing so. There are multiple bus stops throughout Prestwick, with many different routes and a regular timetable. The train station is also nearby and the easiest way to avoid rush hour traffic. Many people, like myself, drive to work and university and although traffic can become congested at rush hour this is nowhere near as bad as cities like Glasgow. Prestwick also has an airport. Prestwick also has a cycle path/route which runs all the way through and takes you to Troon.
Although planes, cars, buses and trains can make a lot of noise, as we are so used to hearing this all the time it just becomes a part of our daily lives and we see it as normal so don’t really notice it as much.

Community Spaces
Prestwick Main Street is full of many different businesses and places for the community to gather. It consists of food shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, clothes boutiques, hairdressers, beauticians, doctors surgeries, pharmacies, dentists, opticians, library, pet shops, veterinary practice, banks, post office, travel agents, art galleries, churches, estate agents and the police station. Further out there is the swimming pool, tennis centre, gym, community centre sailing club and golf clubs. There are three different primary schools in Prestwick and one secondary school. There are many activities and sports held in different locations, Scouts and Brownies, sailing club, soft play area are just a few of many.

Industry and Work
As mentioned previously, there are many different businesses in Prestwick town which gives opportunities for work. As well as that there is plenty of work available in retail, construction, mechanics and salesmen.

Air Quality
According to the Scottish Air Quality Website, http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/latest/site-info?site_id=HARB, Prestwick has a score of 1. This is the lowest band, showing that Prestwick has very little air pollution. This is most likely because Prestwick is just a small town, it’s right next to the beach and surrounded by a lot of fields and farms. If you compare the air quality to a built up city such as Glasgow, it has a score of 2 showing that the air quality is not as pure and unpolluted as Prestwick.

Urban Development- Study Task

I live in Girvan, a small town on the South West coast of Scotland. Girvan has a population of approximately 6,600 people. Physical Characteristics Most houses are built either detached, semi-detached or terraced. There are flats above the shops on … Continue reading →

I live in Girvan, a small town on the South West coast of Scotland. Girvan has a population of approximately 6,600 people.

Physical Characteristics

Most houses are built either detached, semi-detached or terraced. There are flats above the shops on the ‘Main Street’ and 5 blocks of flats about 4 or 5 storeys high. As the population is not dense, there is no major need for high blocks of flats. There is a street of shops, but increasingly more and more of these are shutting down, leading this part of town to look rundown.

There is a large park in the centre of the town, with a football pitch, rugby pitch, play park and a community garden. The park is situated right next to Girvan Academy, meaning in good weather the pupils can take PE outdoors and make use of the park to play sports such as rounders or football.

As well as this, all surrounding the town there are plenty of hills and greenery. On a nice day, many people enjoy walking up the nearby Byne Hill which makes for a fun day out and there is a beautiful view of the town and Ailsa Craig.

Girvan is situated on the coast, and has a beautiful beach that stretches the entire length of the town. Ailsa Craig is clearly visible and boat trips are offered from the harbour to visit Ailsa Craig.

Girvan Harbour

Transport

Most people travel within the town by either car or on foot, as it does not take long to walk from one side of the town to the other.

There is a bus service which connects Girvan to the relatively nearby larger towns of Ayr and Stranraer, and all the towns and villages in between. It runs quite frequently, making it easy for people who don’t have access to a car able to travel with ease between these towns and villages.
Girvan also has a train station and trains run to Stranraer, Ayr and Kilmarnock as a relatively frequent pace. This is another way of allowing people to travel from one area of the county to another.

The problem with Girvan being so small is that there are not many opportunities for jobs or things to do nearby. For example, I work in a restaurant in a village nearby called Maidens-which means I have a 10 minute drive to work. At my work, almost everyone lives in either Maybole or Girvan and drives to takes a bus to work. This means that there are more emissions given off in order for people to travel to their work, than there would be if it was in a city setting-where there are plenty more job opportunities in a much denser area.

Community Spaces

Girvan has three primary schools- Girvan Primary, Sacred Heart and Invergarven. Many pupils who attend these schools go on to Girvan Academy-although some go on to Queen Margaret Academy in Ayr.

There is a local library and community centre that both hold events frequently for people in the community to attend.

There are two community gardens in Girvan that are both beautiful in the summer when the flowers are all in bloom.

Industry and Work

There are lots of factories outside of Girvan, and this is where many of the locals work.

The biggest company and employer of locals is William Grant & Sons, making the area famous for Hendricks Gin and Grants Scotch whisky. The company offers a number of apprenticeships which helps to boost the economy and also helps a number of young people get jobs.

Another major company, Nestle, have a factory in Grangestone Industrial Estate, just outside of Girvan. This has created many jobs for the locals and continues to do so.

The Alginate used to employ lots of Girvan locals, but in 2009 is was bought over and most of the production was moved to Haugesund, Norway. It was a devastating blow as it affected the lives of lots of locals. Despite this, many people still have jobs in the factory here, but it is a substantially smaller number.

As there are a number of farms surrounding Girvan, jobs can be found involving agriculture.

Recreation Spaces

Girvan itself does not have many recreation spaces. There is a theatre in Girvan Academy, which also hosts a number of different events-for example, the local Musical Society puts on performances every year there. Girvan used to have a swimming pool, but it was closed down in 2009 due to safety concerns. There is a currently construction on a new building for a pool/leisure centre, due to open in Spring 2017.

There are also tennis courts, a golf club and clubs for children such as karate and dancing.

Peri-Urban

As Girvan is a rural town, there is a lot of farmland surrounding the town.

Population Density

Using the Neighbourhood Statistics page, I found out there are 92 people per sq km in South Ayrshire, meaning my area is not dense.

Air Quality

Scottish Air Quality page shows that South Ayrshire has an air quality of index 1.

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Urban Environment

My local urban environment is situated in the South of Glasgow with an average population density of 7,800. The town is a thriving industrial estate transformed from the latter part of the 20^th century when it was predominantly a peri-urban community. The conservation of the country park and public park keep this environment a peri-urban community. Regarding physical characteristics, types of building include several new housing estate projects that have been implemented, unfortunately this reduces green spaces in the area. There are also lots of residential buildings in my urban environment. Many green spaces are available to the public such as a country park (see 1 for management plan) and a public park which provide widely used recreation spaces. These have been maintained by the local authority and promote sustainable development as many activities and events occur throughout the year to maintain the pond and park. An example is park rangers offering group walks educating the public about conservation and holding eco events (see 2 for management plan). Installation of cross trainers and other fitness equipment throughout the park promote healthy lifestyles. Similarly, community spaces have recently increased due to a new gym facility in connection with the public park. Furthermore, the town’s community centre has long been established and can be hired for commercial, social or community uses. There is also a nearby library and theatre.

The organisation of roads allows easy links to the major M77 motorway as well as nearby towns through wide, long, straight multi-lane roads. This creates good communication links as there are frequent bus and train services, as well as an abundance of motor vehicles. Issues I have observed regarding transport is the build-up of traffic due to buses intertwining through narrow streets, busier buses on Sundays due to a lack of a Sunday train service and a build-up of motor vehicles and buses throughout streets due to traffic from the primary school having collided as no car parks are offered.

In regards to industry, my local urban environment there are a variety of retail, service, healthcare and business stores with the most significant being the extension of the town’s supermarket allowing more consumers to access it. A second storey car park was also built to accommodate more consumers which demonstrates how successful the extension was in attracting more customers.

In regards to air quality, my local urban environment ranked a low 2 in regards to the level of pollution in the area. This could be as a result of an abundance of trees and green spaces and a lack of factories and nearby plants.

http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=3225&p=0
http://www.roukenglenpark.co.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=5491&p=0

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