Changing Urban Areas Flashcards
Name 5 land use zones of a city
CBD (central business district)
Inner city
Inner suburbs
Outer suburbs
Rural urban fringe
What is the land used for in the CBD
Shops and offices, centre of commerce and entertainment. Convergence of roads, bus routes and railways
What are the buildings like in the CBD
Land values are very high so building up makes use of expensive space. High buildings such as sky scrapers are located here
Why is CBD located here
Usually in the centre of the city so that it is easy to cluster functions in one small space. The CBD is often pedestrianised
What is land used for in the inner city and what are buildings like
Residential purposes, in the past some factories may have been located here
It mainly has terraced buildings in a grid like structure
Why is the inner city located here
Located next to CBD as houses were originally built to house factory workers who worked in inner city factories
What is land in suburbs used for and what are the buildings typically like
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
Why are the suburbs located here
Often have commuters who need access to CBD along main roads and railways and they are also with easy reach of country side
What is land used for in industry zones and what are the buildings like?
Land used for industry. Buildings here are older and will be surrounded by housing which originally would have accommodated their workers.
Why is industrial zone located here
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.
What is land used for in rural-urban fringe
Common for this area to have a mixture of land uses such as some housing, golf courses, allotments, business parks and airports
What are buildings like in rural urban fringe
Detached houses with gardens, recycling facilities with park and ride facilities.
Why is rural urban fringe located here
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.
Name the challenges of living in an MEDC area
Housing
Traffic
Cultural issues
Define gentrification
This is the process where people with higher incomes buy properties and renovate them to live in themselves.
Define settlement
A place where people live and which provides services and places of employment and entertainment
Define settlement function
Role preformed by a settlement. A function of one part of the settlement might be to provide housing, or employment
Define urban planning scheme
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.
Define Urban regeneration
The improvement of an urban area through rebuilding, restoration or removal of pollution
Define shanty town
A characteristic of LEDC cities; an area within them of unplanned poor quality housing which lacks basic services like clean water.
What are the main problems with housing in the inner city
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
What are the advantages of gentrification
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
What are the disadvantages of gentrification
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
Why are traffic issues a problem in the inner city
Inner city areas were built before cars, therefore there is no space for cars leading to congestion in the inner city.
What does congestion in the inner city mean for the air quality
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.
What does congestion mean for journey time in and out of the city
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
Can public transport fix these problems
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
What impact does this added traffic have on parking in the inner city
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
Why are there cultural issues in the inner city
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.
What ethnic tensions are there in the inner city
A diverse population can lead to tensions between host communities and those who have arrived recently.
What religious tensions are there in the inner city
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.
How are language barriers an issue in MEDC inner cities
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.
