Contemporary Urban Environments - Urban Forms Flashcards
What is a world city?
Cities that have great influence on a global scale, because of their financial status and worldwide commercial power
What are the characteristics of megacities and world cities?
1) They offer opportunities to expand access to services.
2) It is less environmentally challenging to provide services to a densely settled urban population than a dispersed rural population.
3) Urban dwellers have access to larger and more diversified employment markets.
4) Better levels of education and healthcare can improve lives.
5) Megacities are centres of innovation where many solutions to global problems are being trialled.
What are the five city rankings?
1) Alpha ++ cities (London)
2) Alpha + cities (Tokyo)
3) Alpha and alpha-cities (Chicago, Mumbai)
4) Betal level cities (Copenhagen)
5) Gamma level cities (Bristol)
What is urban morphology?
Refers to the spatial structure and organisation of an urban area.
What is urban morphology influenced by?
Infuenced by physical factors such as relief and drainage and in HICs, land value
Why have there been changes to city centres?
Decline of CBD due to out-of-town retail parks, high parking prices and congestion.
What is the case study for town centre mixed developments?
Chelmsford
What are the characteristics of town centre mixed developments?
1) A wider range of leisure facilities.
2) The availability of spaces.
3) The promotion of street entertainment.
4) Developing nightlife.
5) Constructing new offices.
What is the case study for cultural and heritage quarters?
Covent Garden
What do cultural and heritage quarters focus on?
Focus on the history of the area and are based around small-scale industries. A tool for regeneration
What is the case study for gentrification?
Portland Road
What is gentrification defined as?
The buying and renovating of properties often in more run-down areas by wealthier individuals.
What are five reasons for gentrification?
1) The rent gap.
2) Commuting costs.
3) The ‘pioneer’ image.
4) The support of government and local decision makers.
5) Changing composition of households.
What are four costs of gentrification?
1) People on low income cannot afford higher property prices of rents.
2) Higher car ownership may increase congestion
3) Loss of business for local shops.
4) ‘Gentrifiers’ may be seen as a threat to the traditional community.
What are four benefits of gentrification?
1) Rise in general level of prosperity and increased services.
2) Increased local tax income for the local authority.
3) Physical environment of the area improved.
4) Greater employment opportunities created.
What is the case study for fortress landscapes?
US Embassy, Shad Thames, The Retreat
What is a fortress development?
Refers to landscapes designed around security, protection and exclusion.
What are characteristics of fortress developments?
1) Increased use of CCTV.
2) Railings and fencing.
3) Effective use of street lighting.
4) Speed bumps.
What is the case study for edge cities?
LA
What are edge cities?
Edge cities are self contained settlements which have emerged beyond the original city boundary and developed as cities is their own rights.
Where to edge cities tend to develop?
They develop close to major roads or airports and tend to be found in close proximity to shops and offices (may lack clear structure)
What are edge cities linked to?
Edge cities have been linked to extreme social segregation, where the wealthy have moved to new suburban settlements.
What is postmodernism?
Post modernsim is used to describe the changes that took place in western society and culture in the late 20th century
What are four features of a postmodern western city?
1) A more fragmented urban form.
2) Emphasis on producer services.
3) Flagship development.
4) Greater ethnic diversity
How are megacities centres of ‘innovation’?
Hubs of people with different interests and ideas; large transfers of knowledge; high interactions.
What is the influence of a world city?
Global influence on culture, the world economy and politics.
Recall two physical factors that influence urban form
1) Relief of land
2) Presence of bodies of water
Recall two human factors that influence urban form
1) Infrastructure
2) Access to transportation
How has urban form influenced the development of London?
Located on the River Thames, South East of England is of a lower relief than North West England
How does landscape influence patterns of economic inequality and social segregation?
Inequality and segregation, poorer inner city, at risk land
What is gentrification?
Gentrification is when wealthy individuals move into an area with the aim of improving its character and reputation by buying and renovating properties.
Recall three other new urban landscapes
1) Edge cities
2) Cultural and heritage quarters
3) Fortress landscapes
What is a post modern western city?
Changes that took place in western society and culture in the late 20th century. It is characterised by the mixing of different artistic styles.
How is LA a new urban landscape?
It is an edge city and contains fortress landscapes
