2.18. Other Contemporary Urban Environment Issues

Question 1

What is a brownfield site?

Answer 1

A term used in urban planning to describe land previously used for industrial purposes or some commerical uses

Question 2

What is dereliction?

Answer 2

When buildings have been abandoned and become dilapidated

Question 3

What is a greenfield site?

Answer 3

An area of undeveloped land

Question 4

What is land mediation?

Answer 4

The removal of pollution or contaminates from the ground, which enables areas of dereliction former industrial land to be brought back into commercial use

Question 5

What are the causes of air pollution?

Answer 5

• The release of particles and noxious gases into the atmosphere
• Human activity produces pollutants
• Weather -> wet or windy conditions, pollution conditions remain low; still, hot weather = pollution builds up

Question 6

What are the consequences of air pollution?

Answer 6

• Gases can have a negative effect on human health -> heart disease, stroke, cancers -> estimate 9400 Londoners died prematurely from air pollutants in 2010
• Breeding ground for mosquitoes

Question 7

What are the strategies to manage air pollution?

Answer 7

• Ensuring houses are energy efficient
• Urban development is well served by public transport routes
• Street design is appealing + safe for pedestrians
• Waste is well damaged
• AECOM has calculated that London’s 8.3 million trees provide £95 million worth of air filtration every year
• Clean Air Acts
• Pollution Reduction Policies

Question 8

What are the causes of water pollution?

Answer 8

• Pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds
• Surfaces run off from streets carrying oil, heavy metals
• Industrial waste
• Untreated or poorly treated sewage
• Rubbish dumps, toxic waste
• Intentional dumping of hazardous substances
• Acid rain

Question 9

What are the consequences of water pollution?

Answer 9

• Waterborne infections account for 80% of all infectious diseases
• Breeding ground for malaria
• Heavy metals from industry can slow development, birth defect
• Industrial waste can have toxic compounds damaging health of animals and poisonous
• Microbial pollutants = cholera, typhoid
• Organic matter = algae

Question 10

What are the strategies to manage water pollution?

Answer 10

• Remediation
• HICs -> construction of water treatment facilities + wastewater plans; regulation aimed at “point source” polluters such as industries that discharge water ; pollution into receiving waters or sewage systems that flow into treatment plants
• Low Impact Development -> Stormwater management to reduce runoff using vegetation + permeable surfaces
• Legislation, regulation + enforcement

Question 11

What are the causes of dereliction?

Answer 11

• Derelict buildings are often associated with former industrial sites or run down housing estates
• Deindustrialisation led to many people leaving the inner city and industrial buildings being abandoned
• Decentralisation

Question 12

What are the consequences of dereliction?

Answer 12

• Higher rates of crime and vandalism
• House prices fall
• Out-migration of residents
• High costs of urban renewal often discourage authorities + individuals from renovation or rebuilding
• Presence of listed buildings can increase investment needed
• Risk to human health

Question 13

What are the strategies to manage dereliction?

Answer 13

• Regeneration schemes e.g. Government led schemes like Urban Development Corporations , City Challenge + New Deal for communities
• Use brownfield sites
• Land remediation