Changing Urban Areas

Question 1

CBD Location

Answer 1

Centre of an urban area

Question 2

CBD Characterisitcs

Answer 2

High rise buildings due to limited space.
Expensive land
Good access to transport (bus, train, car)

Question 3

Inner city Location

Answer 3

Outside the CBD.e.g. Holy lands belfast

Question 4

Inner city Characteristics

Answer 4

No gardens/off-street parking
Poor quality housing - damp, cold , single pain glass, leaks so renovation needed.
Originally made for factory workers.

Question 5

Kolkata Case Study

Answer 5

Kolkata is an example of a LEDC city in India with many shanty towns (Bustees). A shanty town is an unplanned settlement which lacks basic services.

Many shanty towns are located on the steep banks of the Hooghly River because this land is unwanted due to it being difficult to build on. They are also located on the Eastern outskirts of the city near the Salt Lakes where it is far from the wealthy residents in the CBD. Some are also located close to railway lines like the Ballygunge Train Station because it allows access to transport to work.

Shanty towns grew by 32% from 1981-1990 because of the mechanism of farming and higher instances of crop failure in rural areas means less labour needed so people move to the city in search for jobs. Also rural migrants are attracted to the city because there is a better quality of life, more healthcare and education opportunities. This is why 4 million people live there.

The shanty towns are often unhygienic and dirty because 85% of them do not have sewage systems. This can cause the spread of illnesses quickly as they’re overcrowded. The housing has little toilets (30 people share one), no running water or no electricity. This is because these settlements are illegal and they can be removed anytime so there is no point of investing in them. Many people work in the informal sector and have low income (£7-£24 a month). This is because they lack the right qualifications, have a low literacy rate of 28% and have to work in jobs such as shoe shining. This means they struggle to progress and remain in these low skilled jobs.

Overall, shanty towns in Kolkata are expected to continue to grow.

Question 6

Location of surburbs

Answer 6

Outside the innercity

Question 7

Suburbs characteristics

Answer 7

Suitable for families as better quality housing.
Detached and semi-detached houses.
Contains off-street parking and gardens.

Question 8

Rural/urban fringe location

Answer 8

Area outside the suburbs with a mix of rural and urban land use

Question 9

Rural urban fringe characteristics

Answer 9

More greenery
Less congestion
Golf courses, hospitals, airports, waste recycling houses

Question 10

Industrial zones location

Answer 10

Outskirts of city

Question 11

Industrial zones characteristics

Answer 11

Industrial parks, motorways for transport of goods

Question 12

Urban sprawl def

Answer 12

The spreading of urban developements

Question 13

Urban renewal def

Answer 13

When the government spend money to improve an area to create jobs and businesses.

Question 14

Gentrification

Answer 14

People with higher income buy properties and renovate them to live in them themselves.e.g. Holy Lands, Belfast.

Question 15

Urban renewal/gentrification advantages

Answer 15

House price increases
Higher wages
Lower crime rates
Poverty rate decrease

Question 16

Congestion in MEDC cities

Answer 16

Traffic congestion can lead to more CO2 and greenhouse gases produced.This can cause bad health problems for the residents such as asthma or lung cancer.E.g. In inner city London the life expectancy is shorter than 5 years because of pollution.Low emission. zones were crated to reduce amount of cars in Central London.

Question 17

Public Transport in MEDC cities

Answer 17

Public transport is very efficient ad it can reduce the number of cars needed so less congestion.E.g. Glider Bus service in Belfast or London Underground metro in London.However it can be expensive and unreliable especially for low income people or students.

Question 18

Parking in MEDC cities

Answer 18

The inner city has little space for parking so its expensive.E.g. £10 per working day.Cities like San Francisco or LA have smart parking apps which allow people to find cheap and empty parking spaces quickly.

Question 19

Ethic tensions in MEDC cities

Answer 19

In Belfast, 100 Roma family’s homes were attacked by people throwing bricks at them.This forced them to leave their homes and it created fear and anger among them.

In London, there is an increase in hate crimes against Muslims.Especially Muslim women in particular as they are easily identified by wearing the hijab.This creates fear and anger among lots of Muslims.

Question 20

Shanty town def

Answer 20

An unplanned and illegal area of a LEDC city which often lacks basic services.

Question 21

Titanic Quarters Belfast case study

Answer 21

The Titanic Quarter in Belfast has been regenerated to improve the inner city area.

Public transport links have been developed with a dedicated Gilder bus service running every 12 minutes to the CBD, this reduces the need for a car and helps to decrease the amount of traffic. This is sustainable as less greenhouse gases are produced. Cycle and walking routes have been developed to improve recreational opportunities allowing residents to take leisurely walks and improve their quality of life.

Housing has been improved. 474 apartments in the ARC1 are now completed.These have 1-3 bedrooms which is suitable for young professionals or small families.Future plans include the ‘Loft Lines’ which includes 800 new apartments, 20% will be high quality social and affordable housing.Although, the delay in housing projects may result in the shortage of homes for Belfast residents as the demand is higher than the supply, challenging the sustainability of the project in the future.

The Titanic Quarter includes large office spaces for quaternary services and international companies.E.g. Google, Microsoft.These companies are attracted because of good IT and communication networks such as the fast fibre-optic linkThis creates high-skilled office jobs for Belfast residents.Also, The Titanic Quarter creates lots of tourism and leisure jobs because of famous attractions such as the SSE complex,Titanic Belfast Museum.The Titanic Belfast Museum alone got over 3 million visitors since 2012 and contributes £105 million to the NI economy.Employment in the Titanic Quarter is very successful as 25,000 new jobs created over the next 15 years,ensuring the future employment for Belfast residents.

Lots of jobs located in the city centre reduce traffic congestion and pollution.All new constructed buildings are built carefully to reduce CO2 emissions.The new buildings are also built with efficient lighting and solar heating.Cycle lanes have been created including a Lagan Footbridge for both bikes and pedestrians.All these measures taken ensure the development is environmentally sustainable.

Overall, the development is sustainable as it provides jobs, accommodation and opportunities for Belfast residents now and in the future.