Contemporary urban environments

Question 1

Urban growth

Answer 1

increase in population of people living in urban area

Question 2

Urbanisation

Answer 2

increase in proportion of the world’s population that live in urban areas

Question 3

Urban expansion

Answer 3

Increase in geographical footprint of a city

Question 4

Suburbanisation definition

Answer 4

Movement of people and businesss to the suburbs

Question 5

Counterurbanisation definition

Answer 5

Movement of people and business to smaller urban settlements and surrounding rural areas.

Question 6

Urban resurgence definition

Answer 6

Movement of people back into urban areas as a result of improvement of social and economic structure

Question 7

Definition of a world city

Answer 7

Interconnected global economic centers that have a significant influence on the world city

Question 8

Characteristics of a world city

Answer 8

1) centres of media and communications for global networks
2) Headquaters of MNCs
3) Major manufacturing centre
4) Domination of trade on a local and global scale
5) High quality educational institutes
6) centres of innovation and new ideas

Question 9

Definition of base flow

Answer 9

the base flow of a river

Question 10

What is a flashy river?

Answer 10

flash floods are caused by increased runoff and a short lag time

Question 11

Swales

Answer 11

Wide shallow vegetated channels designed to store or convey runoff and remove pollutants
+ve: can be attractive community spaces, good at removing pollutants and easy to see blockages
-ve: not suitable for steep areas, risk of blockages in connnecting pipework

Question 12

Green roofs

Answer 12

Multi layered system of roofs to intercept and retain precipitation reducing runoff
+ve: good insulators, reduces UHI, no additional land take
-ve: expensive, not suitable for steep roofs and older roofs

Question 13

Rainwater harvesting

Answer 13

Rainwater from roofs /hard surfaces can be stored and used. Water butts are very common, used in gardens
+ve: reduces demand, controls stormwater runoff, cheap to maintain.
-ve: can look uglys, potential need for pumping

Question 14

Permeable surfaces

Answer 14

Allows water to drain into the ground. E.g. permeable roads
+ve: dual use of space, reduced peak flow, accepted by ppl
-ve: cannot be used when road may be covered by large sediment, cannot be used on major roads in the uk