1.1.4 Urban Processes

Question 1

What are the main urban processes?

Answer 1

• Urbanisation
• Suburbanisation
• Counter urbanisation
• Urban resurgence

Question 2

Suburbanisation

Answer 2

Suburbanisation is the process of population movement from the central areas of cities towards the suburbs in the outskirts (or the rural to urban fringe).

Question 3

Timeline of Suburbanisation in the UK

Answer 3

1) Early suburbanisation started in the 1930s due to road and rail improvements. It was largely uncontrolled and happened naturally.

2) By the 1940s, this growth continued. “Ribbon” developments started to become more common, this is where housing started to form along main roads. A greenbelt was introduced to control development and to avoid “infilling” between ribbons.

3) Since the 1950s, suburban expansions have been better planned.

4) In the 1950s and 1960s, large scale council housing estates were constructed. These were semi-detached with guardians and off-street parking.

5) In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a move towards home ownership so large private housing estates were built. Thatcher introduced “right to buy” where the councils sold council houses below their value. Private housing estates had larger driveways and gardens, making them more desirable.

6) In the late 1980s, suburbs became preferred locations for offices, factories and shopping centres. – e.g. Kingstown

Question 4

Causes of suburbanisation

Answer 4

Primarily, improvements in transport facilitated the move to suburbs:
- Car ownership
- Arterial roads into and out of city centres
- Public transport improvements; suburban railways, London Underground and bus routes

Question 5

Push factors for suburbanisation

Answer 5

• A desire to move away from industry
• Increasing traffic congestion and air pollution
• A perception that there is a lower quality of life because of unemployment, crime and pollution

Question 6

Pull factors for suburbanisation

Answer 6

• Proximity to open space and leisure facilities (woodland, golf clubs, parks etc.)
• A wider range of employment opportunities
• Perception of better educational opportunities

Question 7

Consequences of suburbanisation for the inner city

Answer 7

• Suburbanisation of jobs leads to decreased employment opportunities, leading to increase unemployment, increasing poverty.
• Increased vacant and derelict buildings may be dangerous and/or unsightly and may deter new inward investment.
• Decreasing need for high-rise, high-density housing leading to clearance and replacement by low-rise, low-density housing
• Increased industrial and residential clearance for improved communication networks e.g. Bus and train terminals
• Increased opportunity for environmental improvement of derelict land to create recreational open space.

Question 8

Consequences of suburbanisation for suburbs

Answer 8

• Increasing price of land
• Increasing pressure on Green Belt
• Increase in number of suburb to suburb and suburb to city commuters, causing increased congestion and air pollution.
• Increased demand for recreational facilities. E.g. Golf courses
• Increasing demand for retailing. E.g. Retail parks, DIY
• Increasing employment opportunities in offices and shops.

Question 9

Consequences of suburbanisation for the city as a whole

Answer 9

• Greater polarisation between the suburbs and the inner city in terms of class, ethnic group, affluence, education, employment and mobility.
• Increasing employment decentralisation.
• Increase in outer city traffic.
• Increase in air pollution
• Increase in size of city as demand for low density housing increases.

Question 10

Suburbanisation: London Case Studies

Answer 10

Suburbs can vary significantly within just a single city:
* Subiton, Kingston-upon-Thames – Affluent and car based
* Becontree, Barking and Dagenham – Public sector estates
* Collier’s Wood, Merton – Victorian railway suburb

Question 11

Counter urbanisation

Answer 11

Where people move from urban areas into rural areas. It is the opposite of urbanisation and happens in HICs more commonly than in LICs and NEEs.

Question 12

Causes of counter urbanisation

Answer 12

• High population density
• Online shopping
• Gentrification
• Increase in house prices
• Working from home

Question 13

Impacts and management of counter urbanisation

Answer 13

• Decrease in population
• Increased traffic congestion
• New shops and services will have to be built
• Urbanised areas can shrink in size

Question 14

How can counter urbanisation be slowed?

Answer 14

• Building more affordable housing in the centre of urban areas.
• Restricting the number of houses that can be bought by foreign investments.
• Improve public transport
• Offer more high paying jobs in the cities
• Improve shopping experience so that people do not shop online as often.

Question 15

Positive impacts of counter urbanisation on rural communities

Answer 15

• Some shops see an increase in business – newer residents/retired people have more disposable income.
• Older housing and building are restored by housing developers. Farmers are able to make money by selling land.
• As newer residents (with families) move into smaller towns and villages the local services, such as schools are able to stay open. They may have had to close due to a lack of students.

Question 16

Negative impacts of counter urbanisation on rural communities

Answer 16

• The newer developments might affect the local character of the area.
• Due to more residents having the ability to travel to cities and shop online the local shops and services may close.
• Rural roads and infrastructure will struggle to cope with traffic. This causes congestion and air pollution.
• Schools may have to close if all the new residents are older people with no children.
• House prices are going to increase, this might mean only older people can afford the housing, and it may push the local people out of the area.

Question 17

Counter Urbanisation in Carlisle

Answer 17

Along Warwick Road and Kingstown, traffic congestion is causing a big problem during rush hour.

The average house price in Wetheral rose from £70,000 to £294,544 between 1995 and 2015. Commuters can afford these high prices, whilst locals cannot.

To cope with the demand of housing, new developments are being built on the flood plains.

The population structure of the area has changed, the population was ageing, however now there are younger people and families. This is putting a strain on schools.

Irthington Village School has doubled in size in the last decade – there are plans to expand Irthington School and provide a new classroom.

In 2018, plans were approved to build 10,000 new homes in a Garden Village south of the city of Carlisle (St Cuthberts) .

Question 18

Economic processes associated with urbanisation

Answer 18

• Cities attract people from rural areas because they offer more job opportunities, and jobs are often better paid.
• As the urban population increases, businesses such as factories and shops grow in size and become more profitable. This leads to more jobs and wage rises.
• As countries develop, commercial farming overtakes subsistence farming as the primary method of food production. The decline in agricultural jobs drives even more people into towns and cities.

Question 19

Social processes associated with urbanisation

Answer 19

• Cities tend to have higher living standards than rural areas, e.g. better access to healthcare and education, which attracts people. As more people move to a city and the economy grows, it can become a centre for cultural expression, e.g. museums and art galleries open.
• The migration of people into urban areas increases the mix of people from different social backgrounds. This can make people more tolerant of others, creating a welcoming environment that attracts more migrants. However, segregation of people from different social backgrounds is also common.

Question 20

Technological processes associated with urbanisation

Answer 20

• With the emergency of factories in cities, urban areas become hotspots for technological advancement. For example, in the 19th century, Manchester became the first industrialised city in the world and specialised in cotton processing.
• More recently, areas with a large number of high-tech industries have emerged, e.g. Silicon Valley in California. These areas attract people because they offer specialised and highly paid jobs.

Question 21

Political processes associated with urbanisation

Answer 21

• Urban growth may lead to increased inequalities between rich and poor people. A new ‘working class’ emerges, often made up of people who work in manufacturing industries.
• New political movements emerge to represent the ‘working class’ population. Political reform focuses on issues that affect urban life, e.g. poor sanitation, quality of housing, working conditions in factories.

Question 22

Demographic processes associated with urbanisation

Answer 22

• As cities become larger and wealthier, they attract migrants from all over the world. Urban areas become more culturally and ethnically diverse and new areas emerge, e.g. Chinatown in New York City.
• Many young people are attracted by jobs and entertainment (e.g. bars and clubs). They often choose to stay and raise families in the city, so cities tend to have a younger population.