LONDON' S MARKETS THEIR GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTIONS
Abstract
In view of it 's dominant role in the government' cultural and
commercial spheres of the country's geography, many studies of London
are concerned with an examination of the city on a national level.
The nature of the conurbation itself is inherently interesting and
this thesis concentrates on the geography of distributive outlets
within the city.
Within the present city or London I have identified various genres
of distributive outlets varying in sophistication from the simplest
periodic street market to the most complex shopping centre. In
examining the nature of these service centres an historical link was
established between them and a continuum of development suggested.
described as sequential development.
Each strand of the continuum is a natural phenomenon which has
developed in response to the social and economic conditions of a
particular period. In most spheres or life when a more advanced organism
evolves its more primitive counterparts gradually disappear. In the
context of London's distributive system this is only partly the case
for residual elements exist today from many stages of development.
In a detailed examination of each stage of the process, with
reference to selected case studies I haft suggested social and economic
reasons for their survival. My studies also indicated that the system
was far from being static and that developments at the advanced retail
levels stemming from the demands of twentieth century living, were
causing tremors of change throughout the continuum. Some of these are
already apparent with the plans tor removal of the central wholesale
markets to larger less congested sites, and the building of squares to
hold markets forced off the streets by increased pressure of traffic .
From an examination of the existing situation and present plans a
projection was made of the future pattern of London' s distributive
system.
Authors
Buzzacott, Kathryn LCollections
- Theses [4209]