My Urban Environment… – Sustainable Development Reflections

Irvine is an ancient burgh that has moved along with the times. It is situated on the north-west of Scotland and is only 26 miles from Glasgow. Irvine is known for several things including its rich heritage of shipbuilding. The overall area of Irvine can be described as; industrial, touristy, scenic, dirty, clean and so on depending on where you are. It is a diverse town that has links in retail, sport and history, not to mention the annual festival of Marymass. Irvine is also the largest settlement in North-Ayrshire, with over 39527 inhabitants.

My house is in one of the busiest parts of Irvine. Within walking distance there are; five major supermarkets, a beach, a theatre, a sports centre, a museum, two primary schools, a busy town centre, the Rivergate shopping centre, a library, a hospital, three churches, a train station and three fast-food chains. However, if you go a bit further you will also find several golf courses and a highly credited country park (Eglington).

The buildings in Irvine vary from old buildings that were built in the early 1900’s to modern buildings that have only been standing for a few years. For example, the town centre has mostly old buildings with a few modern structures. The more modern buildings tend to be more recreational where most of the housing structures tend to be older buildings. There are also a few high-rise flats which are somewhat new in terms of how long they have been built. The street in which I stay has only old flat-style buildings (four to a block) that were built in 1946. Whereas just across the road there are 3 separate new housing estates that were built in the past decade. There are also several factories in Irvine with Ardargh Glass being the most prominent.

This year, a new sports centre (The Portal) was just opened which serves as a place for individual to get together and stay active whilst also keeping out of trouble. There are several community centres that are all the hub of their communities which each offer a range of activities for all age groups and abilities.

There are a large number of entertainment spots in Irvine, with the likes of pubs, restaurants, and a theatre along with the previously mentioned sports centre and community centres. There is also a nightclub which is popular at the weekend.

In terms of education, there are 18 schools in Irvine, 2 secondary schools, 14 primary schools and 2 special needs schools (both primary and secondary). Cunningham house, which is the headquarters for North Ayrshire council is also located in Irvine. The high number of schools adds to the increase in traffic as well as population in Irvine.

There are diverse types of transport within Irvine. There is a railway station with frequent train, several buses that take you all over Ayrshire and there is also a tonne of traffic. To combat the large amount of traffic, park and ride schemes were made available however that has not seemed to have created a noticeable dent. The times in which there is the most traffic tends to be during the standard ‘rush hours’. During these times, the roads can become jammed and the air can become thick and dirty. There are many car parks in Irvine, including a four-level multi-storey so parking is generally not an issue unless it is the busy times of the year such as Christmas and summer.

Irvine is half industrial half scenic. There is a beautiful beach with a conjoined harbour and park. This is a cause of the spike in tourism throughout the summer as people come down to relax and have a good time. The Maritime Museum also highlights Irvine’s rich heritage in shipbuilding and proves to be a great day out for the family, not to mention it is near the beach and a great ice cream shop.

However, it is also quite dull in parts. This can be seen best when traveling by train as you can see several manufacturing lots and a lot of old, grey buildings.

In terms of ‘green spaces’ in Irvine, there are several however they are very sporadic. Where I stay there are large playing fields as well as a mini nature trail which serve as an excellent way to reduce stress and get into nature without having to travel. Eglington Country Park is an amazing nature reserve that emphasises the importance of sustainability and healthy living, which proves as an intellectual experience.

The air quality in Irvine is frighteningly low. According to the website ‘Air Quality in Scotland’, the air quality in Scotland is 3/10. This is due to the high population in Irvine as well as factors such as the build-up of cars.

Irvine is an area of Scotland that is forever evolving. Overall my urban environment is a rather pleasant place to live however it could be made better with changes to the amount of traffic and air pollution. Upon researching my town, I realised that I knew nothing about the vast history of Irvine. In my ignorance, I just assumed everything was just the way it was right now. A Daily Record article posted 30/09/14 (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/gallery/pictures-facinating-images-old-irvine-4352241) helps to convey visually the changes seen in Irvine, especially compared to the photos posted down below.

Within a school situation, there are several different lessons that can be developed around the urban environment. In terms of a Primary 5 class, one lesson idea could be to have the class all write down the ways in which they get to school and how long it takes and create a table to act as a visual representation of the different types of transport used. From there you could go on to look at the website ‘Air Quality in Scotland’ and look at the air quality in the places where each individual lives. This could lead into a full lesson on the damaging effects transport can have on the environment and the strategies that can be used to combat the issues (SOC 2-09a & SOC 2-08a). This type of lesson could also link in with Health and Wellbeing as by looking at different alternatives to transport you could promote a healthier lifestyle through walking or cycling to school.