Changing Urban Environments Flashcards
What is an urban area?
An area that is densely populated and highly developed; often very modern and advanced
What is urbanisation?
Proportion of people living in built up environments such as towns and cities
How does population change affect urbanisation?
It fuels urbanisation, as an increase in population means that more homes are needed
How has agriculture changed to fuel urbanisation?
Technology has advanced in agriculture; less people are needed, so people migrate away from the countryside
How does industry fuel urbanisation?
Most industries (and consequently jobs) are in the cities so people migrate towards the cities- expanding the cities
How does wealth affect urbanisation?
People are becoming more wealthy so invest more in new architecture and industries- expanding the cities
How does transport affect urbanisation?
Better transportation means that cities can expand further; as people can commute from the outside of the cities
Moving from outside the city to the centre of the city, how do the buildings change?
They become more dense, and taller
Houses: Detached, semi-detached, terraced, flats
What is the CBD?
The Central Business District- the centre of the city; often does not house people, just businesses/offices and shops
Name two urban land use models?
Burgess Zone model and Hoyt Sector model
What are the different sectors of the city?
CBD, inner city (wholesale light manufacturing), inner city (low-class residential), inner suburbs (medium-class housing), outer suburbs (high class residential)
What percentage of the world is urban?
About 50%
What value is the land of the CBD?
it is very high value- so businesses are the main buyers- and they tend to build upward
What is the inner city also known as? Why?
The twilight zone; because it is typically very run down
When and where were the first two urban development corporations started?
1981, in Merseyside and Douchlands (both London)
On average, how much does traffic congestion cost to Britain’s businesses?
£4.2 billion losses to Britain’s buisinesses
How long does the average commuter spend in traffic per year?
4 days
What has London done to try to reduce traffic in the city centre?
Introduced the London congestion charge
How have the levels of pollution changed since the introduction of the London congestion charge?
Levels of sulphur dioxide have dropped by 95%