OCR A Level Geography Revision Notes: Changing
Spaces; Making Places
hank you so much for purchasing these notes! I hope they will be of use to you.
T
For some additional context, I created these notes myself using both teacher guidance, the OCR textbook, and with a lot of
additional research. Using these notes alone, I was lucky enough to achieve an A* in the 2026 exams. I therefore hope they will
achieve the same for you.
his set includes notes that follow the OCR specification for the Changing Spaces; Making Places topic, including case study
T
knowledge as well. The case studies in this set are Byker, Lympstone, Kurdish Community, Northwood, Jembatan Besi,
Birmingham, and Barcelona. These are the only case studies you will need for this specification.
his set also includes THREE exemplary essays that achieved 16/16 marks and all of the exam techniques that I used
T
throughout the 2 year course, securing 15-16/16 in every essay that I wrote.
astly, I have also included many AO2 points that can be memorised to achieve marks for “application of knowledge” in your
L
essays. Whilst you can of course think of these spontaneously in the exam, I found it beneficial to memorise these key
limitations and simply regurgitate them into my essays so that there was less pressure under exam conditions.
I have also made several other notes available for other OCR A Level Geography topics, so make sure to check those out if you
found these useful.
Good luck!
, Changing Spaces; Making Places
Concept of Place
● 1.a Places are multi-faceted, shaped by shifting flows and connections which change over time (145-150)
Definitions
pace: an area existing between places that is withoutmeaning, often defined only by longitude and latitude. Holds a positivist
S
view (i.e. rejects the interpretive nature of “place”)
lace: an area with an attached cultural, historicalor semantic meaning due to lived experience. Places are dynamic,
P
multi-faceted and shaped by shifting flows and connectionse.g. Brick Lane, London, has developed from a havenfor
persecuted French Huguenots (18th C.) Eastern European Jews fleeing massacre (19th C.), then Muslims predominantly
from Bangladesh (20th C.)
Case Study: Two Contrasting Place Profiles
actors Affecting Place Profile
F
Natural Location: affects land usage and industrydue to topography and geology e.g. shipped trade (BYKER/LYMPSTONE) and
oil reserves (KURDISTAN).
Demography: affects demand for services, culturaland economic status due to gender (e.g. maternity services), ethnicity and
age (retirement/school).
Socio-Economic Status: affects industry and age dueto job opportunities (provided by qualifications) and architectural design
(housing density less favourable among the elderly)
Culture: affects architectural design (places of worship)and industry )e.g. Low order, independent grocers to meet unique
demands of diasporic communities).
Politics: affects industry due to government-led structuredeconomic change, and culture (migration and secularisme.g.
France’s ban on religious symbols in public spaces to protect neutrality).
Built Environment: affects age demographic due totransport connectivity, as well as gender due to perceived safety.
Historical Connections: affects architectural designand political relations due to preservation of historical aspect and historical
migrant ties (e.g. Portugal-Brazil)s.
Present Connections: affects cultural population dueto migrant flows (e.g Portugal-Brazil)
Flows of Assets (money): affects socioeconomic andage demographic due to investment into education (gvmt), industry (TNCs)
and housing (gvmt)
ndogenous
E Byker Lympstone
Factors
Natural Location - SituatedEast of the River Ouse, allowing - Situated on theEastern bank of the River Exe,
historical, quick commute to the Quayside with extensive tidal mudflats beyond the estuary,
port for shipbuilding and commercial trade. and a small pebble beach at the cliff base.
Demography - Age is reflective of the UK as a whole: - Top-heavy age structure, with theaverage at 41.
average between 24-34 years,with a fairly - Greater pension proportions than the UK average.
equalmale-female split. - Almost97% white-British(due to lack of migrant
- 70% white-British(due to migrant job opportunity) hence homogenous.
opportunity). -55% male
ocio-Economic
S - 27% hold no qualificationswhatsoever. - 45% hold Level 4+qualifications.
Status -5000 unemployed(though careers are - Over 20% in high managerial roles.
primarily classed as “elementary”).
Cultural Status - 45% atheist,followed by Christian - 50% Christian,hence the year is structured
- Evidence of inward migration with a around this calendar.
Czech-Slovak church and ethnic grocers
Political Status - BCT establishes a community attitude with - Guided by a (Christian) parish council of 11
regular activities (“Family Fun Day” and members (community values)
“Summer on the Square”). -Conservative-leadconstituency, with an
- Due to lack of power, BCT generally act electorate of 72,000
under the localLabour constituency, with
an electorate of 7000.
Built Environment - Dominated bypurpose-built flats and - Heart of the village issubject to strict
maisonettes,visibly expressing little of its permissionsto preserve the architecture.
Victorian history. - Former low-order shops atop the cliffs have since
been regenerated to large residences.
istorical
H - One of the fewViking-established - Established by the Saxons,and later passed to a
Connections settlements of Newcastle, named “village on succession of noble French (Christian) families.
the marsh”. With land also owned at Pandon - One of the few ports administered by Exeter as
Bay Chare, implying use of thelocal river part of theshipbuilding/fishing industry until
connections. 19th Century,increasing European trade-related
-Terraced housingremains across the ward - significance
Spaces; Making Places
hank you so much for purchasing these notes! I hope they will be of use to you.
T
For some additional context, I created these notes myself using both teacher guidance, the OCR textbook, and with a lot of
additional research. Using these notes alone, I was lucky enough to achieve an A* in the 2026 exams. I therefore hope they will
achieve the same for you.
his set includes notes that follow the OCR specification for the Changing Spaces; Making Places topic, including case study
T
knowledge as well. The case studies in this set are Byker, Lympstone, Kurdish Community, Northwood, Jembatan Besi,
Birmingham, and Barcelona. These are the only case studies you will need for this specification.
his set also includes THREE exemplary essays that achieved 16/16 marks and all of the exam techniques that I used
T
throughout the 2 year course, securing 15-16/16 in every essay that I wrote.
astly, I have also included many AO2 points that can be memorised to achieve marks for “application of knowledge” in your
L
essays. Whilst you can of course think of these spontaneously in the exam, I found it beneficial to memorise these key
limitations and simply regurgitate them into my essays so that there was less pressure under exam conditions.
I have also made several other notes available for other OCR A Level Geography topics, so make sure to check those out if you
found these useful.
Good luck!
, Changing Spaces; Making Places
Concept of Place
● 1.a Places are multi-faceted, shaped by shifting flows and connections which change over time (145-150)
Definitions
pace: an area existing between places that is withoutmeaning, often defined only by longitude and latitude. Holds a positivist
S
view (i.e. rejects the interpretive nature of “place”)
lace: an area with an attached cultural, historicalor semantic meaning due to lived experience. Places are dynamic,
P
multi-faceted and shaped by shifting flows and connectionse.g. Brick Lane, London, has developed from a havenfor
persecuted French Huguenots (18th C.) Eastern European Jews fleeing massacre (19th C.), then Muslims predominantly
from Bangladesh (20th C.)
Case Study: Two Contrasting Place Profiles
actors Affecting Place Profile
F
Natural Location: affects land usage and industrydue to topography and geology e.g. shipped trade (BYKER/LYMPSTONE) and
oil reserves (KURDISTAN).
Demography: affects demand for services, culturaland economic status due to gender (e.g. maternity services), ethnicity and
age (retirement/school).
Socio-Economic Status: affects industry and age dueto job opportunities (provided by qualifications) and architectural design
(housing density less favourable among the elderly)
Culture: affects architectural design (places of worship)and industry )e.g. Low order, independent grocers to meet unique
demands of diasporic communities).
Politics: affects industry due to government-led structuredeconomic change, and culture (migration and secularisme.g.
France’s ban on religious symbols in public spaces to protect neutrality).
Built Environment: affects age demographic due totransport connectivity, as well as gender due to perceived safety.
Historical Connections: affects architectural designand political relations due to preservation of historical aspect and historical
migrant ties (e.g. Portugal-Brazil)s.
Present Connections: affects cultural population dueto migrant flows (e.g Portugal-Brazil)
Flows of Assets (money): affects socioeconomic andage demographic due to investment into education (gvmt), industry (TNCs)
and housing (gvmt)
ndogenous
E Byker Lympstone
Factors
Natural Location - SituatedEast of the River Ouse, allowing - Situated on theEastern bank of the River Exe,
historical, quick commute to the Quayside with extensive tidal mudflats beyond the estuary,
port for shipbuilding and commercial trade. and a small pebble beach at the cliff base.
Demography - Age is reflective of the UK as a whole: - Top-heavy age structure, with theaverage at 41.
average between 24-34 years,with a fairly - Greater pension proportions than the UK average.
equalmale-female split. - Almost97% white-British(due to lack of migrant
- 70% white-British(due to migrant job opportunity) hence homogenous.
opportunity). -55% male
ocio-Economic
S - 27% hold no qualificationswhatsoever. - 45% hold Level 4+qualifications.
Status -5000 unemployed(though careers are - Over 20% in high managerial roles.
primarily classed as “elementary”).
Cultural Status - 45% atheist,followed by Christian - 50% Christian,hence the year is structured
- Evidence of inward migration with a around this calendar.
Czech-Slovak church and ethnic grocers
Political Status - BCT establishes a community attitude with - Guided by a (Christian) parish council of 11
regular activities (“Family Fun Day” and members (community values)
“Summer on the Square”). -Conservative-leadconstituency, with an
- Due to lack of power, BCT generally act electorate of 72,000
under the localLabour constituency, with
an electorate of 7000.
Built Environment - Dominated bypurpose-built flats and - Heart of the village issubject to strict
maisonettes,visibly expressing little of its permissionsto preserve the architecture.
Victorian history. - Former low-order shops atop the cliffs have since
been regenerated to large residences.
istorical
H - One of the fewViking-established - Established by the Saxons,and later passed to a
Connections settlements of Newcastle, named “village on succession of noble French (Christian) families.
the marsh”. With land also owned at Pandon - One of the few ports administered by Exeter as
Bay Chare, implying use of thelocal river part of theshipbuilding/fishing industry until
connections. 19th Century,increasing European trade-related
-Terraced housingremains across the ward - significance
