This week I have been exploring my urban environment – Ayr, South Ayrshire, a large town on the west coast of Scotland. South Ayrshire is ranked 19th most populated Scottish Council area, and has a population density of 92 per km²  – ranked 20th among Scotland’s council areas. This number is comparitively small when you look at the city of Glasgow, which has a population density of 3520 per km².

It is an interesting comparison for me as I grew up and lived in Glasgow until 2016, when I moved to Ayr to begin studying at UWS’ Ayr Campus, and I found there was a noticeable difference in how – for lack of a better word – crowded Glasgow is compared to Ayr. There are other noticable differences in both urban environments: Glasgow, to me, always seems to be busy, with people, traffic and multitudes of different activities, shops and experiences; while Ayr seems to feel quieter, though I believe this can at least partially be attributed to what I perceive to be its declining high street and the more spread out nature of activities and things to do within Ayrshire.

 

Buildings

Buildings in Ayr central seems to comprise of a combination of older buildings, historic buildings which have been repurposed, and newer buildings. These are reflected particularly in the high street, where older buildings fit in amongst newer, what was once a church has been repurposed into a pub/restaurant, and a modern shopping centre sits at the top of the high street.

 

Unfortunately, a large portion of the high street’s buildings lie vacant. Many of them were once shops, but there has been a decline in recent years of the lifespan of businesses in Ayr, with many of them disappearing from the high street. This is something I had personally noticed in visits to Ayr before moving here, but living here on a day to day basis has really shown how much of the high street has gone in the last few years.

Despite this apparent decline in the high street, an organisation called Ayr Renaissance (https://www.ayrren.com) has received funding in order to begin revitalising Ayr Central. This year, a number of buildings on the lower end of the high street have been demolished, with construction work beginning on what they call the “Riverside Block”. It is unclear to me at the moment what the intentions are for the new buildings, but it may be that there is a strategy set in place for their use when they are done. Personally, as one of the demolished buildings housed a community art space which offered workshops and activities for children and their families, I am hoping that at least one of the new buildings will return to being used for that purpose. The construction is due to be completed by November this year, so this still remains to be seen.

Another aspect of the regeneration  of  Ayr can be seen in the relatively recent development of the UWS Ayr Campus in 2011. This has caused Ayr to see an uptick in its student population, with local facilities and establishments reflecting this.

 

Roads

Roads within Ayr are fairly well organised, with busy portions of the high street and adjacent roads operating under a one-way system. This seems effective, as at peak times the surrounding areas can be fairly congested, which the one-way system seems to account for and work to circumvent.

 

Green Spaces and Outdoor Areas

Ayr has a multitude of green spaces and outdoor areas. The above photos are of part of the Ayr cycle trail, along past the UWS Ayr Campus and accommodation. There are also a number of parks and estates in Ayr, a little further out from the city centre. South Ayrshire Council’s list (http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/parks/parks-and-open-spaces/) includes both parks and estates, in addition to Low Green.

 

Low Green is probably the most well known green space in Ayr to tourists and visitors, as it sits right on the beach, beside the promenade and parking. It is a popular spot during good weather, and is sometimes used for large or community events, such as the recent Scottish Airshow. It has a large amount of space and stretches along the beach, and also includes a play park which has proven very popular.

There is also the beach itself, which extends along towards the River Doon and Greenan Shore, where part of Greenan Castle still stands – there is a signpost on the main promenade which talks about the history of the castle.

Having the beach so close to the city centre is a great advantage as it provides many opportunities and experiences within the local environment, particularly (in my view) for children. Having such a great natural resource practically on my doorstep has personally benefited me in terms of my ability to get out into nature easily, to explore and to improve my own personal health and wellbeing by affording me free space for cycling and walking. I believe that access to these kinds of spaces and experiences are essential for people, as they can help improve our health, our perspective and our connectedness to our local community and environment, as well as providing valuable learning experiences.

 

 

Transport

Ayr is well served by links to the motorway, which connects Ayr to the surrounding, more rural areas and to other towns and cities such as Kilmarnock, Glasgow and Edinburgh. It also has good public transport links between the town and surrounding areas, with the bus station providing links to Glasgow, and other areas within Ayrshire. The train station also enables access to Glasgow and areas along the west coast of Scotland. Access to public transport enables locals to have multiple options when it comes to travelling for leisure or commuting for work. It also enables easy access to Ayrshire College and UWS’ Ayr Campus for students from other towns and cities.

Cycling is also a popular mode of transportation in Ayr, with cyclists a common sight on the roads and cycle trails within Ayr. It is also a mode of transportation that I have adopted for myself, making accessing my university and the surrounding areas easier and more enjoyable.

Community Spaces and Recreation

As a historic location, Ayr has access to a number of museums and historic buildings, such as the Robert Burns Birthplace museum, Tam O’Shanter Inn and town hall. There is also a well kept public area in Wellington Square, which offers a pleasant space to sit and enjoy the surrounding garden, with it’s World War 1 Memorial in the centre to commemorate the part Ayr locals played in the war.

There are also a number of rugby and football clubs in the area, for example Ayr Rugby football club, which hosts games in the local community as well as other events, such as the upcoming Halloween event.

The Citadel leisure centre also offers a community space for exercise and recreational activities. It is located near the beach, only a few minutes walk from the high street. In addition to active leisure facilities, Ayr has its own theatre, the Gaiety, which supports local shows as well as having strong links to the UWS campus, where many students are studying in the Creative Industries.

South Ayrshire is served by 15 primary schools and 4 secondary schools, with some pupils attending Prestwick Academy due to the catchment area they come under. Having schools be close to home seems to be an ideal, affording children and parents shorter travel times to and from school, and being able to learn within and about their own local community.

There are some community centres, such as Heathfield community centre. I think more could be done in this aspect however, to encourage community engagement with places like the community centres as I have heard little about them despite living in the area close to them. With regards to community engagement in general, there seems to be very little outwith a few local places.

My concerns are with regard to engaging children and young people in their local community, as there seems to me to be little on offer for them. There is a skate park and an ice rink close by, but between these and the Citadel, I’m not sure what there is for children and young people to do in terms of organised activities and community events. There are a few, such as Halloween and Christmas events, but outwith these, I have not personally seen much else on offer.

Industry and Work

Ayr is primarily known for its tourism industry, with the shops and amenities in the local area reflecting this. There are many small shops which take advantage of the seaside locale – ice cream parlours, chip shops and shops which sell items appropriate for the beach – but there are many more which revolve around the food and drinks industries within the town centre.

There are the shops which you would expect to find – supermarkets and convenience stores, clothes retailers, hairdressing and letting agents/estate agents  – but also, through my own search for work, I have noticed a trend in construction and renovation work. There are often jobs available for those in construction and renovation, but little else seems to be available at the moment. It would seem to me that this is a result of the declining high street, with job losses/unemployment higher that the demand for workers, but this really only applies to job roles within retail.

As part of Ayrshire’s agricultural heritage, there are good agricultural and farming links in Ayr and it’s surrounding area. Having the Scottish Rural College campus in Ayr would appear to support this, as students studying there have good access to projects in the area.

 

Peri-Urban Space

There are many parts of Ayrshire which I would class as peri-urban. Ayr itself is a large town, but the further out from the city centre you go, the more the line between urban and rural areas blurs. It’s not uncommon to be driving along a rural stretch of motorway and stumble across small pockets of urbanisation – restaurants, small suburbs or industrial parks. On the outskirts of Ayr, fields and green spaces surround housing areas and perhaps most notably, the airport in Prestwick, only a few miles form Ayr town centre.

 

Air Quality

Air pollution in Ayr has been termed as Low according to Scottish Air Quality (http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/latest/site-info?site_id=HARB)

This is good, that despite having the harbour close by and relatively new building such as the college and university campuses, the steps being taken in the local area to maintain air quality are working. This may have something to do with the more rural, less industrialised aspects of Ayrshire life, but across Scotland on the Air Quality page, Low seems to be the trend.

 

Investigating Urban Environments With A Primary 5 Class

Having read through the Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes in Social Science, I have pulled out a few which I feel relate to urban environments and would enable me to facilitate an exploration of them. For my proposed ideas, I am working under the assumption of a class from a school in Ayr so as to relate them more closely to the work I have done today.

 

I can investigate a Scottish historical theme to discover how past events or the actions of individuals or groups have shaped Scottish society. SOC 2-03a

 

For this outcome, Ayr is an ideal town. There is a large amount of information readily available about Ayr’s history, both in literature and in industry. To explore this with a class, we could investigate the foundation of Ayr as a town and royal burgh, exploring the reasons why people might settle in Ayr (trade links via boat, access to water and available farmland), how things have changed in the town (i.e. population growth, development of agriculture and industry, changes in the urban environment and the impact of the local community on the area).

 

 

I can discuss the environmental impact of human activity and suggest ways in which we can live in a more environmentally-responsible way. SOC 2-08a

 

For this outcome, exploring the air quality, population density and potential ways that this could impact on not only the urban environment, but the surrounding areas could be an interesting approach. Looking at ways in which local businesses and institutions (supermarkets, small businesses and the university) act to combat the environmental effect of their activities, perhaps through a visit or through small research projects could be beneficial in reaching this outcome. As small groups, they could create posters or large mind maps illustrating the different areas in which people impact on the environment, and potential or current actions which could enable us to live in a more environmentally-responsible way.

 

 

I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of a proposed land use development and discuss the impact this may have on the community. SOC 2-08b

 

 

A good example of a proposed land use development would be finding out what the intentions for the buildings belonging to Ayr Renaissance will be used for, and considering the pros and cons of this. Active class discussion about what is good about the proposed plans, and what the land could be used for instead would encourage children to think about what is going on in their local community, and how proposed changes in their urban environment will affect them and their environment.

 

 

Having explored the ways journeys can be made, I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of transport, discussing their impact on the environment. SOC 2-09a

 

Investigating the different forms of transport in their local area – whether by car, bus, train, cycling and walking – could promote some class discussion about the types of transport they use on a regular basis, and how accessible they are. A walk around the local area to survey the forms of transport around their school and its local community could encourage the class to be more aware of the forms of transport around them and how they are used. This could also promote an awareness of the benefits of certain types of transport or methods for using them, and how it is possible to improve the impact we have on our environment.

 

For example, a discussion around the impact of everyone using their own cars vs carpooling or public transport, walking or cycling shorter distances rather than using the car, and walking to school where possible could encourage children to take note and begin to understand their own impact on their local environment, and how small changes can drastically change our collective impact on the environment.

 

 

Having explored my local area, I can present information on different places to live, work and relax and interesting places to visit. SOC 2-10a

 

A trip around the local area to survey the types of housing, workplaces and attractions in the local area would be ideal. Children would be encouraged to note down things that interest them in their local environment, with some prompt questions to encourage them to think a little more about their local area. Prompts could include:

 

What kind of places to live are there? Are there lots of one type? (i.e. there might be a lot of flats compared to houses) Why do you think that might be?

 

What kind of places are there to work? What kind of work do you think they do? (Can be followed up with research) Why do you think these places are here? (e.g. in Ayr there are a lot of tourist shops because of the proximity to the beach and the number of visitors that come).

 

What interesting/fun things are there to do? (Could include parks, museums, beach, clubs etc.)

 

Actually presenting the information could be done in a number of ways. Small group presentations where each member takes a turn to speak would work, as could a follow up piece focusing on making a pamphlet or mock webpage for their local area.