Changing Urban Environments Flashcards
Urbanisation?
A process where an increasing proportion of the population lives in towns and cities.
Industrialisation?
A process in which increasing proportions of the population are employed in manufacturing.
Rural-urban migration?
A process in which people move from the countryside to towns.
Where has half the world’s population lived since 2008?
In towns and cities.
Where is there a greater increase in the proportion of the population?
Living in towns in less developed regions of the world.
Causes of urbanisation? 2
- rural-urban migration
* natural increase
How does rural-urban migration cause urbanisation? 2
- result of push-pull factors
* migrants tend to be younger leading to natural increase
How does natural increase cause urbanisation? 2
- young migrants lead to an increasing birth rate
* improving healthcare leads to a lower death rate
CBD?
The focal point of the city with the highest land prices so people build up. Main roads meet up here so it is easily accessible meaning that shops locate here.
Inner City?
Contains many terraced houses and lots of flats with attempts at rejuvenation.
Suburbs?
Built up between the two World Wars and contains detached and semi-detached houses with many areas of green space.
Rural-Urban fringe?
Built after the war and contains estates with cul-de-sacs of detached and semi-detached larger houses many of which have multiple cars.
Issues for urban areas in richer countries? 5
- housing
- traffic
- multicultural mix
- CBD
- inner city
Problem with housing?
Not enough of them.
Household?
A person living alone, or two or more people sharing a house or living room.
Population increase since 1971?
7%.
Number of households increased since 1971?
30%.
Why has the number of households increased? 3
- more people living alone
- people are living longer - improved healthcare
- people are marrying later - cultural changes / affordability
Solution for the issue of housing?
Building more houses.
Brownfield site?
Land that has been built on before and is to be cleared and re-used.
Greenfield site?
Land that has not yet been built on, usually in the countryside.
How many houses does the government plan to build by 2016?
240,000.
How many of these government built houses will be on brownfield sites?
60%.
Advantages of Brownfield? 5
- easy planning permission
- utilities already provided
- roads already exist
- near to facilities in town
- cuts commuting
Advantages of Greenfield? 5
- no clearing needed
- no road restrictions
- cheaper land
- space for gardens
- pleasant countryside atmosphere
Car ownership increased dramatically recently? 3
- decreasing price of cars
- increased commuting distance
- wider spread of facilities
Problems that cars lead to? 4
- air pollution
- noise pollution
- discolouring of buildings
- uglier villages
Car usage can be decreased? 5
- park-and-ride schemes
- congestion charging
- Oyster cards
- subsidised buses and trams
- Barclay bikes
Segregation?
When people of a particular ethnic group choose to live separate from other groups.
What does segregation lead to?
Hate crimes and racism.
Why does segregation occur? 4
- segregated feel that they have the support of others of the same race
- familiar culture and language in the area
- specialist facilities such as religious buildings in the area
- people of certain ethnic backgrounds tend to do similar jobs
How can segregation be reduced? 4
- improving education to teach people about different groups and their needs
- increasing employment opportunities of different types in all areas
- organising community meetings to bring all the groups together
- providing facilities for everyone to make everyone feel welcome
Why is the CBD an issue?
In the 1960s CBDs were quite unpleasant places with poor air quality and a horrible smell of diesel.
How is the CBD an issue?
They struggled to attract businesses and the lack of businesses in the area worsened the issue.
How was the issue of the CBD reduced?
Initiatives were developed to improve vibrancy and make the CBD a generally more pleasant place.
What are the government strategies set up to improve inner city areas? 3
- UDCs
- City Challenge
- Sustainable Communities
UDCs? 3
- set up in 1980s and 90s
- use public funding and private investment to buy land
- improves inner city areas
City Challenge? 3
- local authorities partner with the local community to design a scheme
- scheme is submitted to compete against other councils to get funding
- some of the funding is from the government and some from private companies
Sustainable Communities? 3
- offer housing, employment and recreation
- stay in balance with the environment and offer a good life quality
- housing, education, healthcare and security is all high quality
Squatter settlements?
Areas of cities which are usually found on the outskirts that are built by people with any materials they can find on land that does not belong to them.
Informal sector?
The part of the economy where unofficial jobs are created by people trying to gain an income.
What leads to squatter settlements?
The speed of urbanisation in poorer countries.
Why does the speed of urbanisation lead to squatter settlements?
The pace of rural-urban migration is too fast to allow the time needed to build proper houses and for the economy to provide jobs.
Squatter settlements have? 8
- no basic infrastructure
- poor sanitation and no toilets
- unstable houses made from corrugated iron, cardboard and wood
- very little space per person
- mass overcrowding
- build up of rubbish
- high crime rates
- high death rates due to disease
Squatter inhabitants have? 5
- poorly paid unreliable jobs in the informal sector
- no money to pay for improvements
- uneducated children who will struggle to find a job
- no healthcare
- no privacy
Strategies to improve squatter settlements? 2
- self-help
* site and service
Self-help?
Local authorities help to improve homes by offering finance in the form of loans or grants. Often install water and sanitation.
What does self-help allow?
Residents to stay with their family members whilst improving their quality of life. Residents could object to interfering. Squatter settlements could expand as people want the extra help.
Site and service?
Land is divided into individual plots with water, sanitation, electricity and a basic track layout being supplied before building by residents begins.
Residents affected by site and service? 2
- improving their quality of life
* forced to relocate which could take them far from their work or family
Problems of rabid urbanisation in poorer parts of the world? 4
- industrial accidents
- electronic waste
- untreated sewage
- construction waste
How are industrial accidents problems of rapid urbanisation? 3
- no regulations
- poor planning for expanding cities
- serious industrial accidents
How is electronic waste a problem from rapid urbanisation? 3
- break down computers to get parts
- parts are melted down for the precious metal
- releases fumes which have serious health risks
How is untreated sewage a problem of rapid urbanisation?
Often flows into rivers along with disease causing microbes. People wash and drink from rivers and suffer serious health issues as a result.
How is construction waste a problem of rapid urbanisation?
Construction booms lead to lots of waste. Vast quantities of carbon dioxide and particulates are released due to construction.
How is waste disposal reduced? 3
- landfill - residents can extract rubbish from and reuse and resell it
- large companies need to take responsibility for safely disposing of electrical goods by removing dangerous chemicals
- recycling
How is air pollution reduced? 2
- new technology needs to be developed that can reduce emissions
- reducing traffic
How can water pollution be reduced?
Limits regarding water pollution need to be set and enforced.
Sustainable city?
An urban area where residents have a way of life that will last a long time. The environment is not changed and the economic and social fabric, due to local involvement, is able to stand the test of time.
How does conserving the historic and natural environment provide environmental sustainability? 3
- historic buildings designated as World Heritage Sites are preserved
- natural environment is conserved by reducing urban sprawl through green belts
- building on brown belts is encouraged to promote sustainability
How does reducing and safely disposing of wast provide environmental sustainability? 3
- government sets targets for the quantity of rubbish that must be recycled
- plastic bag use and packaging should be dramatically reduced
- some waste will always be created and should be disposed of by incineration or landfill
How does providing adequate open space provide environmental sustainability? 2
- green belts offer open spaces for recreational activity
* many cities have designated areas of open space such as parks, gardens and playing fields
How does involving local people provide environmental sustainability? 2
- people are consulted at all stages of planning through surveys and meetings to make them feel involved
- residents who have chosen local improvements are more likely to care for the area
How does providing an efficient transport system provide environmental sustainability? 2
- high volume of cars is a barrier to a city being sustainable as they cause congestion and pollution
- efficient, relieved and comfortable public transport must be provided to encourage their use
