Geography Teaching Today

Key questions:

• Why brand London 2012?
• Why is London attractive to multinational companies?
• Can London be a sustainable World City?

Key Concepts:
Interdependence
Human processes
Space

Tony Blair 

"The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are not only a showcase of sporting excellence but also a celebration of different cultures. So what better place to host the competition than in one of the most multicultural cities in the world?

In London there are more than 50 ethnic communities of 10,000 or more people. More than 70 different national cuisines are available and an incredible 300 different languages are spoken - every nation competing in the Olympic Games would find a warm welcome in their mother tongue."

Mayor of London

Why is London attractive to multinational companies?
London is the most populous city in the European Union with 7.5 million people as of mid-2006. This population is extremely diverse, speaking over 300 different languages. It is an international transport hub serving the world through its busy airports. London is currently the world’s largest financial centre. London’s main success is as a service industry and business centre. Helping it in business over and above many other world cities is the English language and close and historical relationships with the USA and Asia. Its multi-cultural infrastructure and relatively low taxation are attractive to overseas workers and good transport links and a deregulated economy all contribute to a business friendly environment that is attractive to multinational companies

Can London be a sustainable World City?
According to the mayor, London's population by 2016 is projected to reach 8.1 million, an increase of 700,000 - equal to a city the size of Leeds. The driver of this unprecedented new social development is London's role as a world city, comparable only with New York and Tokyo in the scale of its involvement in world capital markets. London's growth, unique in the UK, is the root cause of many of its chronic problems - congestion, high prices, pollution, and a deep and growing polarisation between rich and poor. London is one of the world's wealthiest and most vibrant economies, but includes some of the country's poorest communities - 43 per cent of London's children live in households below the poverty line. The mayor's strategies seek to secure the large-scale infrastructure investment in transport, housing and services which can sustain the growth, but redress the shortages, spiralling prices, threats to the environment and social inequality which this growth has produced or exacerbated. Perhaps the Olympics is just what he has been looking for.  

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Starter
Main activity 1
Main activity 2
Main activity 3
Plenary

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