Field Activities Page 1 of 3 Urban and Industrial Change Aim To investigate the relationship between industrial change and urban form. Skills To develop geographical observation skills. To practice skills in identification and interpretation of the built form. Task To record evidence of processes of change along a transect from the periphery of a town to it's centre. Task Location - Dolgellau Located on slopes, not on flood plain - try to protect themselves against flooding Most industry on flood plain Write 250 words summarising the urban processes in operation in the town and how far they are related to economic change. It is quite clear that the town has expanded and grown in recent years. Previously this was an industrial area producing wool, ores, minerals etc. However as these industries declined and died out the town has turned to different ways of making money such as the tourist industry. Obviously, to cater for the tourists there has been a number of developments. There has been a modern car park built on the flood plain so that people can visit for the day and are able to leave their cars in a safe place. There are also a number of cafes and traditional pubs, some of which are also hotels. The road system was greatly improved approximately 18 months ago and the town centre looks attractive with benches, bins, bollards etc. On the edge of town and industrial park has been developed in the last 10-20 years. This has been a great boost to the local economy and will have provided a number of good, stable jobs for locals. The town has diversified it's economy as tourism is only seasonal and does not provide a stable income all year round. The industrial park will have boosted the local economy by providing extra money coming in from companies setting up there. Further observations Outside, making them attractive places to stop and have a drink. These may be aimed at attracting tourists to an area. There are also a number of small gift shops that are obviously aimed at tourists. There are a number of parking bays throughout the town centre which are most probably fairly recent. The new industry in the town is obviously the tourist industry. This is good for the local economy as new shops, cafes, and other tourist attractions provide jobs for the local people. There have been obvoius new developments such as opening high street chain stores such as Boots in the town. Industrial Park is near to the roads, easy to transport good to and from the area. There are a number of units to let. Also, unusual to have a food provider on an industrial estate. Suzy Farry | 1 | 2 | 3 | Page 1 of 3