Changing Urban Areas

Question 1

Name 5 land use zones of a city

Answer 1

CBD (central business district)
Inner city
Inner suburbs
Outer suburbs
Rural urban fringe

Question 2

What is the land used for in the CBD

Answer 2

Shops and offices, centre of commerce and entertainment. Convergence of roads, bus routes and railways

Question 3

What are the buildings like in the CBD

Answer 3

Land values are very high so building up makes use of expensive space. High buildings such as sky scrapers are located here

Question 4

Why is CBD located here

Answer 4

Usually in the centre of the city so that it is easy to cluster functions in one small space. The CBD is often pedestrianised

Question 5

What is land used for in the inner city and what are buildings like

Answer 5

Residential purposes, in the past some factories may have been located here
It mainly has terraced buildings in a grid like structure

Question 6

Why is the inner city located here

Answer 6

Located next to CBD as houses were originally built to house factory workers who worked in inner city factories

Question 7

What is land in suburbs used for and what are the buildings typically like

Answer 7

Suburbs tend to have a residential land use. Suburban houses are usually larger than terraced inner city houses and have gardens. Typically detached or semi-detached houses with roads around then arranged in cul-de-sacs and wide avenues

Question 8

Why are the suburbs located here

Answer 8

Often have commuters who need access to CBD along main roads and railways and they are also with easy reach of country side

Question 9

What is land used for in industry zones and what are the buildings like?

Answer 9

Land used for industry. Buildings here are older and will be surrounded by housing which originally would have accommodated their workers.

Question 10

Why is industrial zone located here

Answer 10

Older industries are found in the inner cities as the city has grown around them.
More modern industrial zones are found on the outskirts as they rely on motorway transport to bring in raw materials and the workers to distribute the finished products.

Question 11

What is land used for in rural-urban fringe

Answer 11

Common for this area to have a mixture of land uses such as some housing, golf courses, allotments, business parks and airports

Question 12

What are buildings like in rural urban fringe

Answer 12

Detached houses with gardens, recycling facilities with park and ride facilities.

Question 13

Why is rural urban fringe located here

Answer 13

Great competition for land. Large space available in the countryside attractive to prospective developers as well as people who are seeking a rural lifestyle. However conservationists want to protect this land from development, thus leading to conflict.

Question 14

Name the challenges of living in an MEDC area

Answer 14

Housing
Traffic
Cultural issues

Question 15

Define gentrification

Answer 15

This is the process where people with higher incomes buy properties and renovate them to live in themselves.

Question 16

Define settlement

Answer 16

A place where people live and which provides services and places of employment and entertainment

Question 17

Define settlement function

Answer 17

Role preformed by a settlement. A function of one part of the settlement might be to provide housing, or employment

Question 18

Define urban planning scheme

Answer 18

Plans, usually on a large scale, for changing parts of a settlement. Sometimes these change the use of an area from a former industrial area to housing or commercial uses.

Question 19

Define Urban regeneration

Answer 19

The improvement of an urban area through rebuilding, restoration or removal of pollution

Question 20

Define shanty town

Answer 20

A characteristic of LEDC cities; an area within them of unplanned poor quality housing which lacks basic services like clean water.

Question 21

What are the main problems with housing in the inner city

Answer 21

Often terraced hosing built over 100 years ago therefore built without the thought of cars so no space to park them.
Bathrooms not installed inside the house
Don’t have cavity walls so need renovation to prevent damp
Electrical fixtures and double glazed windows would need to be installed
Roofs made of heavy slate, and they to may need regular attention to keep them from leaking

Question 22

What are the advantages of gentrification

Answer 22

The area can be improved in appearance with more wealthy residents improving properties
Smart shops, cafes and bars often open with influx in wealth
Old buildings are preserved and maintained
The street scape can be improved with the planting of trees and new facilities
New businesses, often multinational chains move in

Question 23

What are the disadvantages of gentrification

Answer 23

The sense of community can be undermined for the original residents.
Original residents would prefer a small corner shop as opposed to a new cafe
Gentrification leads to pricing people out of the area as the price of renting or buying properties increases
Differences between wealthy new comers and relatively poor original residents may lead to resentment
Small businesses and low-income families move out

Question 24

Why are traffic issues a problem in the inner city

Answer 24

Inner city areas were built before cars, therefore there is no space for cars leading to congestion in the inner city.

Question 25

What does congestion in the inner city mean for the air quality

Answer 25

Air quality in big cities like London is so poor it’s illegal. Most of the pollution is caused by diesel engines. Main problem is nitrogen dioxide a pollutant which is invisible and has no smell Government estimates claim 23,500 premature deaths are caused in the Uk each year, and 70,000 in Europe due to this pollutant. Exposure to No2 increases the chances of getting asthma or lung cancer, it also stunts the growth of children affecting them for life.

Question 26

What does congestion mean for journey time in and out of the city

Answer 26

The high number of vehicles and congestion cause traffic jams, this in turn will create more pollution and delay people from reaching destinations. Congestion adds about 1.4 minutes for every km travelled. Congestion costs London £4 billion a year as business vehicles are delayed and working time is spent in traffic jams

Question 27

Can public transport fix these problems

Answer 27

Public transport is much better for the environment, however relying on public transport can be expensive. It can also be less efficient. For example London only started running trains all through the night in October 2016 meaning if you worked at night you would have little options for transport. London residents who earn more than £600 per month would have to 20 minutes everyday for their commute

Question 28

What impact does this added traffic have on parking in the inner city

Answer 28

Cost of parking due to lack of space and efforts to reduce curb pollution Some MEDC cities such as LA and San Francisco are moving towards smart parking solutions which combine low cost sensors that can locate an empty parking space with smart parking meters An issue with parking is the fact that drivers have to circle areas to find a parking space which causes pollution and congestion

Question 29

Why are there cultural issues in the inner city

Answer 29

Inner cities of MEDCs often comprises of a rich mix of nationalities. This is a diverse population, often made up of people who have only recently made their way to the country and who congregate in the areas where accommodation is relatively cheap, and work is as close as possible.

Question 30

What ethnic tensions are there in the inner city

Answer 30

A diverse population can lead to tensions between host communities and those who have arrived recently.

Question 31

What religious tensions are there in the inner city

Answer 31

There can sometimes be religious tensions in multinational communities. In London, hate crimes against Muslims have been on the rise despite electing their first Muslim Mayor. Women are more subject to attacks, perhaps because of their clothes and they may be seen as easier targets.

Question 32

How are language barriers an issue in MEDC inner cities

Answer 32

Access to healthcare could become a problem of the individual has little English. Those with limited English may find it difficult to get access to any state services or employment and may find it harder to fit in with the wider community.