The chosen UK city is being changed by movements of people, employment and services — Edexcel GCSE Geography A
Verified courseTeaching note checked against the official specification.
The chosen UK city is being changed by movements of people, employment and services explained
The chosen UK city is being changed by movements of people, employment and services covers 2 specification points, including A.
Read the full explanation
The sequence of urbanisation,… and B. Causes of national and international…. Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
a. The sequence of urbanisation, suburbanisation, counter-urbanisation and re-urbanisation processes and their distinctive characteristics for the chosen UK city.
This statement asks you to set out four processes in sequence for your chosen UK city and their distinctive features. Urbanisation is growth of the urban population, often from rural migrants moving into the city. Suburbanisation follows as households, firms and services move from the centre to outer estates and business parks. Counter-urbanisation is the movement of people from urban areas into smaller towns and villages, often still commuting to the city. Re-urbanisation is renewed growth in the centre, shown through apartment conversions, brownfield redevelopment and new leisure or office investment. Use evidence from your own city, such as census or planning data, and give one named example for each process.
b. Causes of national and international migration and the impact on different parts of the chosen UK city (age structure, ethnicity, housing, services).
This statement asks you to explain the causes of national migration (movement within the UK) and international migration (movement across national borders), and to show how these movements affect different parts of your chosen city. National migration might be rural-to-urban movement for work or study. International migration is often driven by jobs, family reunion, education or conflict. Push factors drive people away from an area; pull factors attract them. Link each movement to impacts on four named areas: age structure (for example, a young adult population near universities), ethnicity, housing (demand, tenure and rents) and services (schools, healthcare, transport). Compare at least two named neighbourhoods, such as the inner city and the outer suburbs.
Your focus
- Place the four processes in sequence for a chosen UK city.
- Describe one distinctive characteristic of each process using named evidence from the city.
- Explain how movements of people, jobs and services change the city's structure.
Show all 6 objectives
- Distinguish between national and international migration using accurate examples.
- Explain at least three causes of migration into or out of a UK city.
- Link named causes to impacts on age structure, ethnicity, housing or services in two parts of the chosen city.
The chosen UK city is being changed by movements of people, employment and services exam tips
Marking Points
- Places urbanisation, suburbanisation, counter-urbanisation and re-urbanisation in a logical order and explains the links between them.
- Explains urbanisation in the chosen city using evidence of rural-to-urban migration and population growth.
- Describes suburbanisation with named outer estates or business parks and the role of car ownership.
- Explains counter-urbanisation in the chosen city, identifying destinations and the commuting or lifestyle reasons for moving.
- Describes re-urbanisation using named regeneration schemes, apartment conversions or brownfield sites in the city centre.
- Makes clear that the sequence is a model, and that the chosen city's evidence may show a different order or timing.
- Distinguishes national migration (movement within the UK) from international migration (movement across national borders).
- Gives specific causes for each type, such as employment, education, family reunion or conflict, rather than generic reasons.
- Applies push and pull factors to explain why people move into or out of a named area of the city.
- Links each cause to a named impact on age structure, ethnicity, housing or services in the chosen city.
- Compares at least two named parts of the city, showing how the impact differs between them.
- Uses accurate local evidence, such as named neighbourhoods or sources of data, to support each link.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Draw a timeline of the four processes and add one characteristic and one named example to each step.
- 💡Describe each process by stating who moves, where they move to, and the effect on the city.
- 💡Check that every answer names a place or dataset from your chosen city rather than general examples.
- 💡Read every option and eliminate those that mix up national and international migration before choosing an answer.
- 💡Check whether the stem asks for a cause, an impact or a link between them, and answer that exact request.
- 💡Recall at least two named examples from your chosen city so you can recognise the option that matches your case study.
Common Mistakes
- Treats counter-urbanisation as the same as suburbanisation; correct this by stating that counter-urbanisation moves people beyond the urban area to rural settlements, while suburbanisation stays within the city's built-up area.
- Presents the four processes as a fixed timeline for every UK city; correct this by letting the chosen city's evidence determine the order and timing.
- Lists characteristics without naming the chosen city; correct this by adding a named place or dataset for each process.
- Confuses re-urbanisation with urbanisation because both involve population growth; correct this by stating that re-urbanisation is growth in the city centre, while urbanisation is growth of the urban population overall.
- Lists causes of migration without linking them to any effect on the city; links each cause to a named impact on age structure, ethnicity, housing or services.
- Treats national and international migration as the same process; separates movement within the UK from movement across national borders.
- Describes the city's ethnic or age make-up in general terms without saying which parts are affected; names each neighbourhood and states how it differs.
- Confuses push and pull factors by describing attractions of the destination as reasons for leaving; checks whether each factor drives people away from or draws them towards the area.