282:, are proposed to be developed on Bede Island reflects the economic motives of the city council. Noel Castree identified a reason for nature's importance in society - it shows how capitalist production lets nothing get in the way in the search for profitability (Cloke 2005). The river Soar is being marketed as a
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were established, in part, due to the advantage of the canal being able to provide a steady and reliable transportation of coal to fuel the gas production facility. Although the use of the canal to transport raw materials has declined it is, apparently, still used to transport coal around the UK.
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onwards, parts of the hard concrete and tarmac edges on the far side of the canal and riverside are being replaced by rolls of coconut matting - Not only do these look less harsh, but they are filled with seeds of native flowers, and encourage algae, plants, insects, birds and wildlife.
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The redevelopment of Bede Island is part of the changing relationship where potential buyers are encourages to 'live the dream'; of living and enjoying the benefits the river has to offer. The River Soar is in a sense becoming the most valuable
746:. Since then the river is constantly being redeveloped, moving away from its industrial background, offering modern housing and leisure facilities. Industry, on the other hand, has gone into
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in contrast is a 'large urban settlement' (Johnston 2005), therefore it is very important to understand the inter-relations between the two and the presence of nature in a city, such as the
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of industry in the UK. Industry on the river grew drastically during the industrial revolution to meet growing demands. For example, the gas works established to the west of the
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Grahem J, Keil R (1998) Reasserting Nature - Constructing Urban
Environments After Fordism in: Braun B (ed) Remaking Reality: Nature at the millenium, London Routledge.
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However returning to
Castree's previous aspects of commodification, it must be noted that the turning of nature into a commodity can not fully occur in the way that
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environment of
Leicester, as the River Soar has become of more value it is no surprise to see maintenance of rural character and the regeneration of the riverside.
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plan for the future development of the riverside it is clear that they are intending to develop any industry along the river in the future. They are instead
716:- look on the sandstone blocks on the edge of the canal. These only live where the air is clean enough: a good sign of a healthy local environment.
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will benefit the environment. This is a falsehood as by selling nature as a commodity is just becoming an excuse for further development to occur.
675:
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Bryant, Russwurm, Mclellan, C,L, A (1982) The City's
Countryside Land and it's Management in the Rural-Urban Fringe, Longman Inc, New York.
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as giving the buyer the opportunity of 'living the dream'. In this respect the houses are selling the image of living in a fresh riverside
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Leicester has. One reason for this is because the river is readily accessible to the majority of the city's residents (Bryant 1982). The
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items become commodities. It is impossible to remove nature from its supporting environment and nature can never be completely owned.
807:
94:
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Cloke, Crang, Goodwin, P, P, M (2005) Introducing Human
Geographies (second Edition), Brookpoint Ltd, Oxon (Oxfordshire).
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is a word which embraces the physical world in its entirety, perhaps including humans, as a species, are a part'. The
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This process of nature becoming a commodity is being witnessed in many other cities. For example, Grahem and Keil (
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Johnston RJ, Gregory D, Pratt G, Watts M (2005) The
Dictionary of Human Geography, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
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South along the River Soar to include 440 units of which 131 will be private rented houses and 240 will be
112:. They grew up on opposite banks of the river and the former (on the east bank) relied on the river as a
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of
Leicester by a jeering mob, and eventually hurled into the River Soar near Bow Bridge in the early
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Examples of this commodification process can be witnessed across the River Soar, for example, a new
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The River Soar has been integral part of city life since the cities industrial beginnings, in the
618:(with yellow blooms) flower in the summer and produce 'brandy bottle' seeds in the winter, water
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modernity allowed for societies to conquer nature and now to a society wanting to rediscover the
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continues to flourish along the river, evident in the vast number of different plant and animal
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Since the decline of industry on the river and canal, some of the old, disused industrial
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/aroundleicester/history/leicester_rutland/part_one.shtml
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416:. Nature has become an image which can be purchased and resold in a variety of forms.
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that was dumped there during the period of industrial growth. Larger species such as
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Castree N (2003) Commodifying What Nature? Progress in Human
Geography 27 3 273-297
302:, yet at the same time both have sought benefit from the river in terms of profit.
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increases. People want to live closer to nature, as if by engaging in a 'natural'
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/campaigns/2004/08/walk_through_time_pages/03.shtml
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of
Leicester was allowed to flourish. Today the river provides a home to both
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/england/leicester/article_3.shtml
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which over a long period of time have managed to remove the majority of the
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Although the water may look unsafe, it is in fact reasonably harmless. The
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surrounding the river, the most famous of which is that at the time of the
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There have been many towns on the site of modern day
Leicester including
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have grown up on the banks of the river, relying on it to help with the
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units and more leisure facilities. It would appear that the industrial
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Cohen, Kennedy, R, P, (2000) Global Sociology, Palgrave, Basingstoke.
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which have made sets in the waste piles on the side of the canal.
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and knitwear industries. Where as Wanlip relied in the river as a
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of industry due to the growth of other methods of transporting
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societies respecting nature, to the changed western view where
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and be re-united with it as closely as possible (Cohen 2000).
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of the riverside for DMU Halls of Residence reflects the
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of the river and canal in Leicester has come to an end.
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flying low over the water in the evening are probably
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as the canal system has become less important in the
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success of the inhabitants. These villages include,
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364:, commodity can be put into a much broader grouping
26:
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818:http://www.charnwood-arts.org.uk/clickit/map.php
708:live in the rich and relatively clean waters.
674:Bats. Bats flying higher up are likely to be
147:transformed Leicester, as it did the rest of
813:http://www.localhistories.org/leicester.html
93:forms part of the boundaries of the grounds
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201:'s body was dug up and dragged through the
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556:survive on these and in turn are eaten by
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408:) witness similar changes in the city of
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355:, item can be split from its supporting
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290:with the riverside becoming part of our
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520:Physical Aspects of the River Soar
501:, among other things, a 100 berth
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638:grow in the cracks in the banks.
47:, which this article focuses on.
27:The River Soar in Leicestershire
215:The River Now and in the Future
89:(St Mary De Pratis) where the
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401:might be quite the opposite.
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235:has with nature. From
225:De Montfort University
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445:Industry on the River
309:Nature as a Commodity
219:The redevelopment of
145:industrial revolution
425:environmental issues
752:nature and the city
740:seventeenth century
339:, item can be owned
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139:. Then in the late
22:NATURE AND THE CITY
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17:Category:Geography
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349:is able to change
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357:environment
323:commodified
300:residential
257:restoration
221:Bede Island
199:Richard III
195:dissolution
181:residential
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734:Conclusion
672:Daubentons
628:Phragmites
574:as in the
454:River Soar
241:capitalist
177:industrial
79:River Soar
41:River Soar
762:present.
632:gypsywort
624:Butterbur
614:- native
542:pollution
479:buildings
429:lifestyle
397:when the
395:community
368:Valuation
284:commodity
128:transport
118:watermill
72:Victorian
45:Leicester
756:wildlife
636:buddleia
592:moorhens
588:mallards
538:bacteria
499:planning
468:and the
462:location
450:Industry
436:physical
391:marketed
276:business
261:cultural
184:property
173:industry
116:for the
102:economic
98:Villages
83:invaders
68:Medieval
60:Iron Age
760:species
748:decline
744:country
725:- from
713:Lichens
680:badgers
664:Animals
602:Insects
562:animals
546:insects
507:housing
487:leisure
458:century
452:on the
410:Toronto
399:reality
316:within
233:society
203:streets
149:Britain
124:hosiery
54:History
694:barbel
646:willow
612:Plants
576:summer
572:winter
554:snails
536:, and
511:legacy
503:marina
483:retail
421:people
414:Canada
318:cities
314:Nature
288:profit
274:, and
227:(DMU)
135:quarry
132:gravel
110:Wanlip
74:towns
33:Nature
706:chubb
702:roach
658:alder
642:Trees
596:coots
580:breed
568:Birds
558:birds
534:algae
526:canal
347:owner
268:hotel
191:myths
153:canal
91:river
64:Roman
727:2004
704:and
698:carp
686:Fish
668:bats
656:and
654:lime
634:and
594:and
560:and
552:and
550:fish
530:soil
489:and
406:1998
298:and
286:for
245:wild
179:and
169:iron
167:and
165:coal
161:1794
143:the
108:and
70:and
37:City
650:ash
43:in
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272:C1
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