Physical Characteristics: I live in a town in North Lanarkshire called Coatbridge, around 10 miles outside of Glasgow. It is best described as working class and is populated largely by people of Irish descent. It is split up into many distinct areas, some are council house areas, some are solely bought house areas and others are a mixture of both. There are some shops on the Main Street, mainly takeaways and charity shops now, two supermarkets, a cinema and bowling. There are a few leisure centres, the best known being the Time Capsule for swimming. There is also a country park with a loch, a playground, a forrest and a café which is nice to go for a walk, which is kind of on the outskirts of the town, away from housing areas. Lastly, Coatbridge is a largely Catholic town and has many churches and primary and secondary schools.

Transport: The types of transport used in Coatbridge vary. Many people own their own car, many make use of the bus stops, bus stations and taxi ranks. There are also four train stations in the town. One of the most popular ones, however, is currently undergoing a lot of work to install a lift and new stairwells. Causing many problems and forcing many to consider other modes of transport.


Community spaces: Within Coatbridge there are many community spaces. There are three main high schools and around six primary schools. There is one main community centre and two or three smaller ones throughout the town. There is a library on the Main Street which is very accessible for most people. In terms of allotments there is one main site which is very crowded and there is little room for expansion.
Industry and work: Traditionally, Coatbridge was a major Scottish centre for iron works and coal mining during the 19th century. The Monkland Canal was used in the 19th and 20th century to transport coal and iron to Glasgow. However, nowadays, many of the men in the town are in manual labor jobs, other jobs are in the many schools in the town, in shops or supermarkets, takeaways, charity shops, local sports centres or pharmacies etc.
Recreation spaces: In Coatbridge there is not a lot of recreation spaces. There is a cinema and bowling hall just outside of the town. There is the Time Capsule which has an ice rink and swimming baths but apart from this there is not a wide variety of recreation spaces.
Peri-urban spaces: The areas that surround Coatbridge are mainly other towns. Airdrie is the neighbouring town of Coatbridge. Around the rest, however, is mainly woodland and greenery until you reach the other towns nearby.
Population density: Coatbridge lies within North Lanarkshire, where there are 719 people per square kilometre.
Air quality: From http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk, I have found the level of air quality in Shawhead, which is the nearest area to my home on the site in Coatbridge.