GEOGRAPHY IN EVERYDAY LIFE (1.4 To 3.4) Flashcards
What is development?
Development refers to the economic, social, political process resulting in the improvement of standard of living for population
What is standard of living?
Standard of living refers to the measure of consumption of goods and services by an individual/group
How can countries be classified according their level of development
Using Indicators; Social and Economical
Economical Indicator: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita
Social Indicator: Adult Literacy Rate and Life Expextancy
What does a higher literacy rate mean for a country?
Generates more professionals who can use their learnt skills for countries development allowing a country to advance in economical growth and improve countries conditions
What is GDP
GDP is the total value of all final goods and services produced by a country in a given year devised by population
Where can a higher GDP be found and why
It can be found in more developed and advanced countries because a higher GDP per capita is dependent on a large number of productive industries and well developed service industry
What is life expectancy and what is it affected by and what does it show?
Refers to the number of years a person on average is expected to live and a higher life expectancy rate means that the facilities affecting life expectancy like access to basic healthcare, clean water, sanitation’s, food electricity and good living conditions, are of good quality in the country and is accessible to all allowing a person to live more healthily and live longer
What does sustainable development mean?
The aims of sustainable development is positvely impact environment economy and society. Refers to development that meets the needs of the present population by achieving high standards of living for everyone and ensures that future generations can also meet their own needs easily . Sustainable development also refers to economic and environmental growth being equally considered in government plans and decisions
What happens when focus is only on one dimension?
Other dimensions can be overlooked and henceforth neglected which can negatively impact our society. To ensure high standards of living)g and sustainable development all three dimensions society environmental and economy should be taken into considerations including their affects on each other during plans and desicions
Prioritise economic growth what happens?
Environmental can be neglected resulting in biodiversity loss and destruction. Detoriation in the quality of nature areas around us causes the future generations and even present generations to not be able to easily access the benefits of nature, like social and physical well being. Hence government has to consider economic and environmental dimensions
Do we always have to equally treat each dimension?
No, the approach to sustainable development should vary from place to place and across time. All three dimensions of sustainability aren’t always balanced as sometimes more priority has to be given to one dimension that others at different places and under different circumstances however this doesn’t mean other dimensions are completely neglected.
Example of priotizing some dimensions
UN sustainable development goals were introduced to achieve the 2030 agenda for sustainable development which is a shared goal that aims to achieve high living standards and peace for current and future generations
The Singapore Green Plan to plant 1 million trees by 2030 in an effort to curb deforestation that occurs during urbanisation processes in natural areas
What are the three dimensions of sustainable development
Society Environmental Economy
How is economic sustainability achieved?
Ensuring a neighbourhood has a high enough population density which helps to support local businesses and keep transport and infrastructure costs low
How does high population density help?
Local businesses are able to sustain themselves because high population = high customer volume = increases demand for their goods and services + By taking employment in local businesses they can earn incomes and increase their standard of living
Since there are much more people using transport and infrastructure in the town or precinct areas, the cost for using these services will be lower as there are more people so they amount of money the need can be achieved with lower costs due to how many people there are so it can curb inflation and keep prices reasonable for everyone to be able to use services.
Economic Sustainability - how are transport costs low?
- Buildings and services are usually located near each other minimising travel distance keeping transportation costs low because people may prefer to walk due to convenice / not use transport
- When transport infrastructure is located near each other the cost to develop the infrastructure is low because they are connecting infrastructures which need not be built far away example: when a bus station/interchange is near train station no need additional infrastructure like bridges or roads to connect them with one another = cost of development low
Downside to lowering transportation costs?
A huge population is needed because more people using infrastructure allows costs to be lower because the volume of people has increased allowing same amount money to be made from more people at lesser cost = accesibilty + convenience. For Transport Hubs to work also big populations are required to ensure that the Hubs made at a low cost can be used by a great volume of ppl allowing profit generation
What is social sustainability
Ensuring residents feel included and have a sense of belonging and shared identity in a country
How can we foster social sustainability in an area amongst people?
- Shared community spaces when regular social interactions amongst people can be promoted and a good thing is that when urban neighbourhoods have a small population it allows regular social interaction between people and allows much more deeper social bonds to be formed as they will be familiar with each other as population is small
Example of how we can foster social sustainability?
Residents may come together to discuss issues affecting the neighbourhood and find solution to various challenges allowing resilient and positive relationships to be cultivated. Further more each resident being able to express their thoughts and concerns openly and be transparent, communication between residents remains open with mutual respect and understanding = reducing misunderstandings and conflicts
How to solve problems faced by residents daily? + eg.
Can be resolved locally with adequate neighbourhood strcture allowing interactions between residents to occur. In Singapore the Residents Network was set up to promote neighbourliness and community cohesiveness amongst residents. This was carried out dividing neighbourhoods into smaller designated zones and residents encouraged to join = small population in there allowing deep bonds to form and a sense of familiarity to be heightened. Regular activities occured in those smaller zones allowing residents to express their concerns and opinions and participate in designs making processes regarding neighbourhood. ( residential participation in neighbourhood plans )
How to achieve environmental sustainability in an urban neighbourhood?
AFE
1. Ample protection for environment
2. Facilities supporting waste minimization and recycling
3. Energy and water efficient designs for buildings and landscapes
Why do we need ample protection for nature?
So that wildlife can thrive in our urban spaces and human wildlife coexisting can be fostered which allows both sides to maximise benefits from each other in harmony. Concerted efforts should be made to reestablish endangered or extinct species to ensure that natural environment quality doesn’t detoriate
Maximising biodiversity? Example
Having a wide range of habitats like trees do different species and varieties, pocket parks, roof gardens spread out in a neighbourhoods instead of having 1 huge patch of grass improving accessibility and coverage. This allows adequate food shelter and habitable environment for a range of wildlife = maximise biodiversity = wildlife + nature <3 humans
The existing 44 ways of nature in Singapore connects areas of high biodiversity across Singapore
Why is it helpful to have these gardens and pocket parks?
Apart from maximising biodiversity to improve environmental sustainability in a neighbourhood, these parks allow humans to connect with nature and appreciate nature at a deep level increasing their chances of enjoying nature without causing irreversible damage and educating people about how to do so too, playing a part in conservation and eco friendly habits
How to encourage resigns to recycle?
Ensuring recycling facilities and infrastructures are found easily spread around in a neighbourhood improving accesibilty and coverage of these facilities to people around estates and neighbourhood.
Recycling activities organsized by towns or individuals; eg. Town councils can hold talks to hang up posters on the importance of recycle to educate people and encourage them to recycle properly
High population; how does it affect environmental sustainability
High population that is well educated on recycling + have huge access to recycling facilities increase the recyabilty of waste materials and improve environmental conservation efforts due to high volume of people recycling high volumes of waste
Negative is when they’re uninformed so they may end up polluting the are more and cause recyabilty efforts to be decreasing in impact
How are building and neighbourhoods designed in urban neighbourhoods? Examples
To be energy and water efficient to minimise use of natural resources required to fuel these processes
- Vertical gardens allows surrounding temperature to be reduced and air is clean, free from pollutants
- Cool paint allowing temp to decrease by 2 degrees and hence reducing electrical consumption from AC or fans to be environmentally sustainable
- Rainwater used for cleaning of common areas
- Solar panels promotes clean energy usage as fossil fuels aren’t used ( using renewable resources instead of non renewable natural resources ) + curbing air pollution from fossil fuels + sustain lay handing natural resources
How do conservation efforts link social sustainability
When neighbourhood residents take part in environmental conservation efforts like recycling efforts to also promotes social sustainability as they all can bond over the common action of helping the environment by contributing to recycling efforts to take care of the environment
What are spatial scales and how do they help us?
It’s a term to show at what level a phenomenon occured; global regional local level and lets us look at one phenomenon from different perspectives and details understanding how one phenon,non affects people or services at global regional or local level. Plus each scale gives us a different level of detail about the selected study. At global level study may be vague but in a local level it can be very detailed
What are spatial scales (definition)?
Refer to the extent of an area in which a phenomenon or process takes place and scales can be at different hierarchies including global regional and local
Example of spatial scales?
global areas consist of many regions such as countries which has even smaller spatial scales; local level, the country has provinces or districts in them
Why do we need spatial scales?
Knowing spatial scales help us understand how events and processes at one spatial scale may affect people and nature/surrounding environment at other spatial scales
Helps us examine phenomenons at different scales to provide different perspective and different details based on spatial patterns and trends observed
What are nested areas
Smaller erases located with larger areas
How are spatial scales evident in Singapore?
There are more than 20 towns in Singapore that are spread across the island and in each town there is a town centre with a concentration of activities which may serve as a residential or social hub for residents living in its neighbourhoods
how are towns convenient?
Some town centres may have integrated transport hubs where bus interchanges and train stations are near shopping malls for accessibility
Why is it important for towns to be convenient
The convenience of such town centres may attract visitors for other towns to visit making it viable for large shopping malls to be located there = economic growth + residents have a place of entertainment ( meeting needs ) + area is attractive to future residents a
It may also attract businesses to locate their offices in these town centres as they can take advantage of lower costs and reduce travelling time for their workers = economic growth
Example of spatial scales in Singapore?
The bishan bus interchange and train stations make it very convenient for visitors from other towns to visit junction8 because it is easily accessible and the travel method is convenient
Large gathering squares like in OTH where community activities take place often
What does town centres design in Singapore tell us? + example
understand Singapore’s larger and longer term goals. Example; The roads in the proposed Tengah’s town centre will run underground to encourage walking and cycling at the ground level. This contributes to our goal of reducing carbon emissions and enhancing air quality benefiting humans and nature .
What are spatial hierarchies?
Organization of spaces/area based on their importance/sizes
What spatial hierarchies can we spot in Singapore?
In singapore there are nested areas of different sizes each beginning with a single residential unit
Each of these residential units are part of a precinct which is part of a neighbourrhood located in a town and few neighbourhoods make up a town.
Residential units -> precinct -> neighbourhood -> town
How does sphere of influence come into play in towns?
As area from precincts to neighbourhoods to town grows bigger so does the sphere of influence as there are more people to cater too.
Characteristics of a precinct?
400 to 800 residential units form a precinct
Facilities are found in close proximity to serve residents daily needs and ensure that residents are able to confidently access facilities and amenities
Sometimes facilities can be found at close proximity or at a spaced out length in precinct in order for more coverage and people to find it convenient to access facilities
Precint has a smaller amount of people = smaller sphere of influence = infrastructure not very advanced or extreme
Example of precincts facilities?
children’s playgrounds covered walkways community gardens are located near each other to enhance convenience and accessibility as residents can use the walkway as a shelter from harsh weather, and cater to various needs of residents
Bus stops are spread out in regular intervals at a further length, so that there is bus transport at every block ensuring most residents are able to easily access the bus stops and can easily enter the transport network
Tell me about singaporean towns facilities?
each town has a wide range of facilities and amenities to enhance the residents’ convenience and ensure their needs are met easily. Facilities usually complement each other in order to enhance convenience and accessibility for a resident of a town
Example of town facilities which benefit the residents in Singapore?
extensive roads cycling and pedestrian network ( basically improve accesibilty of town facilities to a resident and convenience also ) in each town to enable residents to travel easily from one precinct into to another or from one neighbourhood to the town centre easily ( basically can travel easily )
Grocery and goods shops found under HDB blocks and near transport nodes to ensure convenience and accessibility so that people can access basic needs easily ( easy access to basic services )
Why do we have town planning in Singapore?
Serves residents and provides for nature at distinct levels of the precinct, neighbourhood and town.
Creates connections and synergies across neighbourhoods, precincts and towns.
What is synergy?
synergies refer to the interaction and cooperation between 2 or more facilities which come together to produce a combined effect greater than their separate effects )
What is land used for in a town?
land in each town is mostly allocated for housing industrial and commercial development
Remaining land is set aside for roads schools parks and other essential facilities
Tell me about the facilities offered at precinct town neighbourhood levels?
Facilities at the precinct neighbourhood and town levels enable each town to be self-sufficient and provide employment opportunities
Often complement each other allowing more convenience and accessibility of facilities for residents and a greater impact is created by complementing each other than their individual impact.
Why are different housing types important?
different housing types are for different groups of people to allow social cohesion between different people of groups
What is urban planning motif?
it’s about balancing needs of humans and nature to ensure both parties get maximum benefits and planning for the future while meeting currents needs
Aim of Tengah forest town?
Forest town so it’s surrounded by nature and lots of greenery so that humans can learn to coexist with nature in harmony and maximise benefits of each other
Facilities at Tengah which are beneficial and why? ( town scale )
- At town level residents can cycle/walk and enjoy greenery improving overall physical and mental health
- they can also farm and sell local produce less food waste and carbon emission which are due to the packaging and transportation requirements of food. Promotes food sustainability
What is food sustainability
Food sustainability; producing food in a way that protects the environment, makes efficient use of natural resources, ensures that farmers can support themselves, and enhances the quality of life in communities that produce food, including the animals as well as the people
How to ensure land planning successful?
to ensure successful land planning the diverse needs of growing population and land use needs to be considered + cooperation of different stakeholders and organisations
Aim of land planning?
Key infrastructure to be built at areas where connectivity of facility to everyone easily can be ensured = improve convenience and accessibility
Take care of humans and nature needs and well being simultaneously while ensuring both can maximise benefits brought by each other
What is urban planning
planning of residential or commercial industrial areas for the future needs to be met sustainably and to meet current needs
Characteristic 1 of Urban Planning
Meet competing needs like human vs nature or residential vs commercial while ensuring both can complement each other and work simultaneously
Characteristic 2 of urban planning
Functional ( Practical ) to accommodate needs of everyone like different groups of people and nature and wildlife to ensure inclusivity and efficiency of the built infrastructure.
Characteristic 3 or urban planning
Self sufficient for convenience and functionality so that people do not need to exit the area to get basic necessities or use any basic facilities
Characteristic 4 of urban planning
Built in a way that current needs and long terms plans can be met without access maintenance or needs for renovation conserving resources
Other users urban planning singapore?
as a city and sovereign state Singapore also need to accommodate other users like planning for military facilities waste treatment plants power stations airports
How is urban planning confirmed/planned?
The urban redevelop authority coordinates the long term planning for Singapore involving multiple stakeholders and agencies
The long term plan maps out land uses and infrastructure needs in Singapore over 50 years ( coast homes need to be pulled back due to sea level rising ) and they are reviewed every 10 years
What is considered for urban planning
Diverse needs competing land uses and space for key infrastructure like train lines are considered
Why do we need connections and synergies
connections and synergies are created across precinct neighbourhoods and towns which help achieve sustainability and also improve the impact of services on people by improving convenience and accessibility
Long term plans and connections and synergies link?
Long term plants at the national level seek to achieve connections and synergies by optimising scarce land resources and use it to cater to diverse needs of current and future generations
Example of project of connection and synergy
The Senoko waste to energy plant is a waste treatment plant near Woodlands and Sembawang. It manages pollution concerns via waste treatments and also maximises benefits like job creation and education opportunities for students in nearby towns. Synergy because both environment and nature taken care of
What is an ecosystem
An ecosystem is a geographic area varying in size where living communities and non living environments interact with each other to form a bubble of life
People’s part in an ecosystem?
People are integral parts of ecosystem and dynamic interactions exist between people and other parts of the ecosystem. Activities carried out by the people may directly or indirectly affect the ecosystem positively or negatively