HZR: CUE Quizzing Questions Flashcards
What is Urban Form?
This is the physical character of a city, including size, shape, population density and how it is arranged e.g. land use pattern.
Outline the Characteristics of a Town - Centre Mixed Development
Areas where land use is mixed.
Luxury flats, offices shops and entertainment facilities (e.g. bars, cinemas, gyms) are all located there, so residential, commercial and leisure are combined
Outline the characteristics of an Edge City
Edge cities are new areas of offices, shops and leisure facilities that develop close to major transport links, e.g. motorway intersections outside city centres, where land is cheaper.
What are edge cities largely a result of
Urban sprawl as a result of higher car ownership, greater willingness to travel long distances for work, shopping and entertainment, and limited planning restrictions in the suburbs. Most developed since the 1950s and 1960s
An example of an edge city
They are most common in the USA.
Los Angeles has 30km wide main urban area with 4 million people surrounded by over 20 edge cities that expand to 100km in width and includes 18 million people.
Edge city in LA e.g Malibu
Outline the concept of a postmodern western city
A postmodern western city describes the changes that took place in Western Society and cultures in the late 20th century.
The art and architecture move away from uniformity and towards less uniform architecture (Shard, London).
There is a more fragmented urban form with independent settlement e.g. edge cities.
A greater emphasis on producer services and knowledge-based industries and planning prioritises the aesthetics of the city.
List the 4 differences between rural and urban areas that may affect the climate
- Less vegetation in urban areas which leads to less evapotranspiration
- Urban surfaces tend to be much less reflective than in rural areas – tarmac, bricks & concrete have a lower albedo
- Increased car use & industry leading to more air pollution
- Greater number of buildings in urban areas leading to tall buildings & narrow streets
What is the Urban Heat Island effect (UHI)?
The phenomenon of urban areas being warmer than rural areas.
5 Causes of the UHI
- Urban Surfaces: Materials like concrete, bricks, and tarmac have low albedo, absorbing and storing heat during the day and releasing it as long-wave radiation at night, warming the air.
- Reflection in Streets: Urban surfaces with many windows concentrate heat by reflecting energy downward. Rural areas retain snow longer in winter, increasing their reflective albedo (0.86–0.95).
- Air Pollution: Pollution from vehicles and industries forms a ‘pollution dome,’ which traps and reflects heat, increasing urban temperatures.
- Human Activity: Heat is generated by vehicles, industries, buildings, and large populations. Air conditioning releases warm air into the atmosphere.
- Reduced Evapotranspiration: Urban drainage systems remove water quickly, and limited vegetation means less transpiration. With less evapotranspiration, more heat stays in the atmosphere.
What impact does urban form have on wind? Wind speed
Urban areas have lower average wind speeds than rural areas due to friction from tall buildings. Some areas, especially in city centers, are completely sheltered, resulting in no wind, while suburbs tend to have higher wind speeds.
What impact does urban form have on wind? Turbulence
Turbulence is the rapid and abrupt changes in the winds direction and speed.
It occurs around buildings as wind hits their surfaces, deflecting downward, around the sides, and over the top. This creates vortices (swirling air) when winds interact with other buildings or the ground.
What impact does urban form have on wind? Canyon effect
The “canyon effect” occurs when wind is channeled between high-rise buildings, creating powerful gusts that can make buildings sway and knock pedestrians over. This highlights the need for careful building design and town planning, such as strategic placement of buildings and doorways (e.g., Bridgewater Place).
Outline why thunderstorms are more frequent in urban areas
Thunderstorms form in hot, humid air, with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning.
Urban heat increases the likelihood of thunderstorms by 25%, especially in hot humid conditons.
Convectional uplift, combined with heat, water vapor, and condensation nuclei from industries and vehicles, leads to intense precipitation.
Latent heat released during condensation fuels further uplift, and raindrops split, creating positive electrical charges that cause lightning.
Outline the urban policy of 1979-1991 with an example and a success and failure of each
Property Led Initiatives (1979-1991)
A greater emphasis on the role of the private sector to regenerate inner areas. Businesses were encouraged to spend money on buying land, building infrastructure and marketing to attract private investment.
E.g Urban Development Corporations (London Docklands Development Corporation).
Success = effective in attracting businesses to run down areas and improving the environment (160,000 trees planted).
Failure = locals had no say and were priced out.
Outline the urban policy of 1991-1997 with an example and a success and failure of each
Partnership Schemes (1991-1997) –
Greater focus on local leadership and partnership between private sector, local communities, voluntary sector and local authority. Strategies were focused on tackling social, economic and environmental problems in run down parts of the city and peripheral estates.
E.g City Challenge Hulme City Challenge Partnership, Manchester.
Success = Local authorities bid for funding and this was successful in giving equal importance to buildings, people and values.
Failure = Only 80% of objectives had been realised
Outline the urban policy of 1997-2000s with an example and a success and failure of each
Area based initiatives (1997-2000s)-
Focused on narrowing the gap in key social and economic indicators between the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of the country. They were set targets to improve levels of health, education and employment opportunities.
E.g Devonport Regeneration Company, Plymouth.
Success = Saw an improvement between 2002 and 2008 in 32 of 36 core indicators and a narrowing gap.
Failure = Took a while
SUDS
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems manage rainfall using natural processes to reduce and control flooding while providing community amenities. They mimic natural drainage, instead of relying on pipes and drains.
6 things SUDS help to do
-Slow down surface run off and reduce flood risk
-Reduce risk of sewer flooding during heavy rain
-Prevent water pollution
-Recharge groundwater to help prevent drought
-Provide valuable habitats for wildlife in urban areas
-Create green spaces for people in urban areas.
Example of SUDS
Stormwater in the Climate Innovation District in Leeds which has permeable gravel paths, flower beds, rain gardens, and water butts.
Outline how river restoration can impact urban drainage
River restoration aims to restore river systems to a more natural state. It can reduce flood risk, decrease water pollution, create new habitats and increase and support biodiversity.
It reduces flood risk by creating more wetlands and green areas that water infiltrates into, slowing down surface run off and throughflow. As it infiltrates the soil also filters out any pollutions, decreasing water pollution and increasing water quality.
Example of effective river restoration
In Enfield in London there was high rainfall in December 2013 and January 2014 that did not cause significant flooding after they restored the river in 2012.
What is liveability
Liveability refers to the factors that determine a community’s quality of life, including the built environment, accessibility, economic prosperity, social stability, education, sustainability, and opportunities for culture, entertainment, and recreation.
Liveability index
The liveability index assesses which locations around the world produce the best and worst living conditions. A high liveability would depend on a variety of job opportunities, low crime rates, high access to open space, and access to good quality education.
Liveability of London in 2019
London = 48/140
Liveability of Rio in 2019
Rio = 89/140
Name the 4 dimensions of sustainability
- Natural
- Physical
- Social
- Economic
Explain the natural dimension of sustainability
How the environment, resources and waste are managed.
This may include renewable energy cities, carbon neutral developments, and those that produce little waste and reuse and recycle.
Explain the physical dimension of sustainability
How well a city is able to support the people living there.
It must provide enough resources to support the population and let them be productive such as having jobs.
This may include high quality housing and secure supplies of nutritious food and safe water
Explain the social dimension of sustainabilty
How people live together, and their quality of life and availability of basic services e.g healthcare, schools. They are peaceful, tolerant, respect human rights and are politically stable.
Explain the economic dimension of sustainability
Maintaining economic growth without causing long term negative effects; e.g environmental damage and social inequality.
They are wealthy and have little debt. They have profitable, ethical businesses that offer plenty of well paid jobs.
