Changing Urban Environment

Question 1

Urbanisation

Answer 1

A process where an increasing proportion of the population lives in towns and cities (and there is a reduction in urban living)

Question 2

Rural-urban migration

Answer 2

A process in which people move from countryside to towns

Question 3

Push-pull factors

Answer 3

Factors that push people away from or draw people to an area

Question 4

Natural increase

Answer 4

When birth rate is higher than death rate, so the population increases.

Question 5

Land use

Answer 5

The type of buildings or other features that are found in the area e.g. terraced housing, banks, industrial estates, roads and parks.

Question 6

CBD

Answer 6

Central business district is the main shopping and service area in a city. The CBD is usually found within the centre of the city so that it is easily accessible.

Question 7

Function

Answer 7

The purpose of a particular area, e.g. residential, business, commercial, industry

Question 8

Inner city

Answer 8

The area around the CBD – usually built before 1918 in the UK

Question 9

Suburbs

Answer 9

The area on the edge of the city. Many suburbs were built after 1945 and get newer as they reach the edge of the city

Question 10

Rural-urban fringe

Answer 10

The area where the suburbs merge into the countryside e.g. Abbotts Leigh, near Bristol

Question 11

Household

Answer 11

A person living alone, or two or more people living at the same address, sharing a living room.

Question 12

Brownfield site

Answer 12

Land that has been built on before and is to be cleared and reused. These sites are often in the inner city.

Question 13

Greenfield site

Answer 13

Land that has never been built on before, usually in the countryside on the edge of the built up area.

Question 14

Urban decay

Answer 14

When an urban area goes into decline – this has happened in the UK’s inner city areas over the last 50 years.

Question 15

Regeneration

Answer 15

Improving an area – many schemes have been put in place to regenerate the UK’s inner city areas

Question 16

Urban Development Corporations (UDC’s)

Answer 16

Set up in the 1980s and 1990s using public funding to buy land and improve inner areas of cities, partly by attracting private investment e.g. London Docklands Development Corporation.

Question 17

City Challenge

Answer 17

A strategy in which local authorities had to design a scheme and submit a bid for funding, competing against other councils. They also had to become part of a partnership involving the local community and private companies who would fund part of the development e.g. City Challenge Hulme, Manchester

Question 18

Sustainable communities

Answer 18

A community offering housing, employment and recreation & leisure facilities all the same local area. The community is in balance with the environment and offers people a good quality of life e.g. New Islington Millennium Village, Manchester

Question 19

Quality of life

Answer 19

How good a person’s life is as measured by factors like quality of housing, environmental quality, access to education, health care, security and social wellbeing.

Question 20

Congestion

Answer 20

When traffic becomes too great for transport networks leading to air pollution, noise pollution, health problems and discolouration of buildings.

Question 21

Park and ride schemes

Answer 21

A bus service that runs from car parks in the suburbs to key places in the inner city and CBD. Reduces congestion. Costs are kept low to encourage people to use the scheme e.g. York

Question 22

Congestion charge

Answer 22

When a charge is paid to enter the CBD of a major city e.g. London congestion charge zone

Question 23

Multiculturalism

Answer 23

The rich, diverse range of religions, cultures and ethnicities in a single area

Question 24

Segregation

Answer 24

Occurs when people of a particular ethnic group choose to live with others from the same ethnic group, separate from other groups. Often occurs because gathering together offers support and safety. Often an ethnic group will gather near a place of worship and to be close to specialist facilities e.g. Halal food suppliers.

Question 25

Multicultural mix

Answer 25

When ethnic groups are encouraged to mix, through mixed schools, active community projects and improving literacy/English speaking skills of ethnic groups e.g. Leeds

Question 26

CBD regeneration

Answer 26

Regenerating the CBD to attract business and economic wealth back into the heart of the city e.g. Broadmead BID and Cabot’s Circus, Bristol

Question 27

Squatter settlements

Answer 27

Areas of cities (usually on the outskirts) that are built by people of any materials they can find on land that does not belong to them. Such settlements have different names in different parts of the world (e.g. favela in Brazil) and are often known as shanty towns e.g. Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya

Question 28

Informal sector

Answer 28

That part of the economy where jobs are created by people to try to get an income (e.g. tackling in washing, mending bicycles) and which are not recognised in official figures.

Question 29

Assisted Self Help (ASH)

Answer 29

This is where local authorities help squatter settlement residents to improve their homes by offering finance in the form of loans or grants and often installing water, sanitation etc

Question 30

Site and service

Answer 30

Occurs where land is divided into individual plots and water, sanitation, electricity and basic track layout are supplied before any building by residents begins.

Question 31

Local authority schemes

Answer 31

When the local authority puts schemes in place to improve the quality of life in squatter settlements (e.g. in Kibera, Nairobi the local authority work with UN-HABITAT and the World Bank to support residents and provide water and electricity.

Question 32

Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya

Answer 32

The largest squatter settlement in Kenya home to 1 million people, each with 1 metre square of floor space. HIV/AIDS is a problem. ASH and local authority schemes (supported by UN-HABITAT and the World Bank) are slowly improving the area. Comic Relief in 2011 brought major publicity and charity to the slums across the world. Gap Year students go there.

Question 33

Rapid urbanisation

Answer 33

In poorer parts of the world rapid growth of urban areas and industrialisation has led to major social and environmental impacts (e.g. waste disposal, air pollution, water pollution)

Question 34

Industrialisation

Answer 34

A process in which an increasing proportion of the population are employed in the manufacturing sector of the economy

Question 35

Disposal of waste

Answer 35

Safely getting rid of unwanted items such as solid waste. Waste disposal can lead to major environmental and social problems e.g. ewaste disposal in Bangalore, India

Question 36

Landfill

Answer 36

A means of disposing of waste by digging a large hole in the ground and lining it before filling it with rubbish

Question 37

Incineration

Answer 37

An incinerator is used to burn waste on a large scale. E.g. Ardley incinerator in Oxfordshire Mr Cotton’s parents are NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard protestors)

Question 38

Recycling

Answer 38

Collection and subsequent reprocessing of products such as paper, aluminium cans, plastic containers and mobile phones instead of throwing them away.

Question 39

Air pollution

Answer 39

Putting harmful substances into the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide or even toxic chemicals (e.g. Union Carbide released poisonous gases in 1984 in Bhopal, India – killed 3000)

Question 40

Transnational corporations (TNC’s)

Answer 40

A company that spreads its operations all over the country in an attempt to reduce costs (e.g. Union Carbide)

Question 41

Water pollution

Answer 41

Putting poisonous substances into water courses such as sewage, industrial waste and chemicals (e.g. Ganges River, India)

Question 42

Shangai, China - an industrial city

Answer 42

Construction industry creates 30,000 tonnes of waste a day. 73% of city’s electricity from coal-fired power stations. CO2 emissions cause visibility, health and environmental problems. Shanghai death toll: 400,000 annually. 4 million cubic metres of human waste enter Shanghai’s Huangpu River each day!

Question 43

Sustainable city

Answer 43

An urban area where residents have a way of life that will last a long time. The city’s environment, social and economic resources are able to last the test of time. Heavy community involvement.

Question 44

Greenbelt

Answer 44

Land on the edge of the built up area where restrictions are placed on buildings to prevent the city spreading into the countryside. Greenbelt is there for city residents to have quick and easy access to open green spaces. E.g. Ashton Court is in Bristol’s greenbelt and conserves the city’s natural environment and stops urban sprawl.

Question 45

Urban sprawl

Answer 45

The uncontrolled outward spread of a town or city into the surrounding countryside.

Question 46

Conserving the city’s historic environment

Answer 46

When a sustainable city looks to preserve its history and cultural heritage (e.g. Bristol’s Harbourside and Cathedral Quarter - Café Gusto’s roof does not obscure the city’s cathedral). Gentrification of buildings preserves the fabric of the building buts changes the function – e.g. Arnolfini, Bristol.

Question 47

Use of Brownfield sites

Answer 47

When development of brownfield is encouraged – this is like recycling land, instead of using new Greenfield sites e.g. Bristol Harbourside, Cathedral Quarter. This is another way of a city becoming sustainable.

Question 48

Reducing and safely disposing of waste

Answer 48

Reducing waste is a major priority for sustainable cities – Bristol’s council only picks up landfill waste every 2 weeks, but picks up recyclable waste every week. Bristol’s Better Food Company does not supply plastic bags.

Question 49

Providing open spaces

Answer 49

Sustainable cities ensure people have access to open green spaces – Bristol’s Open Spaces Consultation in 2010 ensured the Downs and other parks were protected.

Question 50

Involving local people

Answer 50

Sustainable cities involve local communities - Bristol’s Open Spaces Consultation in 2010 consulted the public and all meetings were held in town halls. It ensured the public was heard and listened to.

Question 51

Efficient public transport

Answer 51

Public transport must be encouraged if a city is sustainable – Bristol’s is the UK’s only Cycling City, Curitiba in Brazil is the world’s most sustainable city – its Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) is efficient, cheap bus travel.