Lesson 14-Fortress Developments and Edge Cities

Question 1

Edge cities

Answer 1

Self contained settlements which have emerged beyond the original city boundary and developed as cities in their own right
-largely result from urban sprawl

Question 2

Why are edge cities associated with North America

Answer 2

• Higher car ownership, greater willingness to travelmlong distances to work, shopping and entertainment and limited planning restrictions in the suburbs
  -LA is an example of a sprawling urban settlement

Question 3

Impacts of edge cities?

Answer 3

• Extreme social segregation as wealthier people move to these edge cities
• Leaves only poor and disadvantaged sections of society in the original city boundary

Question 4

Fortress development

Answer 4

• Refers to landscapes designed around security, protection, surveilance and exclusion
  -aims to stop; crime social exclusion and terorism

Question 5

What are strategies used to create fortress developments in the UK?

Answer 5

• CCTV
• Railways and fencing around private spaces
• Effective use of streetlighting
• Speed bumps to prevent joyriding

Question 6

Aims of fortress developments?

Answer 6

• Surveillance-close observation of areas to detect crime
• Exclusion-removing ‘undesirable’ people from an area
• Protection-so people and buisnisses are safe from crime
• Security-to make an area secure where no crime can happen

Question 7

Examples of surveillance

Answer 7

• CCTV-act as a deterrant, help investigations and also help detect crime
• Street lighting- acts as a deterrant

Question 8

Examples of exclusion

Answer 8

• Mosquito alarms emit high pitched unpleasant noise only audible to young people>prevents loitering
• Benches broken up by bars prevent homelessnes sleeping on them

Question 9

Examples of protection

Answer 9

• Shutters placed on front of shops
• Windows of shops made to be ‘shatter proof’, cant be smashed as easily

Question 10

Examples of security

Answer 10

• Fences built around private places restricting access
• Concrete barriers can be placed between roads and areas where people gather>prevent terrorism

Question 11

‘Designing out’ crime

Answer 11

• Designing architecture to reduce the chances of crime occuring within an area
  -designing road routes, front gardens and more CCTV

Question 12

How do fortress developments cause social exclusion?

Answer 12

• People who perceived as threatning or undesirable are excluded; anti-homelessnes,mosquito alarms and anti skater
• In some North American cities people are segregated from ‘others’ who are perceived as threatning or undesirable

Question 13

What is the purpose of the ‘Camden Bench’?

Answer 13

Prevents people sleeping on it and stashing drugs
-grafiti resistant,discourages litter

Question 14

Negatives of the ‘Camden Bench’?

Answer 14

Uncomfotable>more designjed for what its not than what is it
-not appealing

Question 15

How do fortress developments deal with terrorism?

Answer 15

• Installation of concrete barriers between roads and crowded places
  -prevent vehicles driving into large groups of people

Question 16

US Embassy in London strategies

Answer 16

• Thick glass and conrete walls
• Massive drops to stop vehicles
• CCTV and licence plate catchers
• 150 feet away from flats for safety and space defence

Question 17

Oscar Newmans Defensible Space Theory

Answer 17

• The theory argues that a aplace is safer when people feel a sense of owenership and responsibility for that peice of community

Question 18

3 factors that make a space defensible
-Oscar Newmans Defensible Space Theory

Answer 18

1) Terriotoriality-the idea that ones home is sacred
2) Natural surveillance-the link between an areas physical characteristics and the residents ability to see what is happening
3) Image- the capacity of the physicl design to impart a sense of security

Question 19

CASE STUFY FORTRESS DEVELOPMENTS-The Wythenshawe estate, Manchester

Answer 19

• Redeveloped housing-strategies
  -front gardens>fences,hedges
  -more windows
  -bins in gated compounds rather than open alleyways
• New York Times reffered to the estate as a “Pocket of social deprivation and alienation”-2007

Question 20

What did The Wythenshawe estate avoid when redevelop housing?

Answer 20

• Recessed doorways that people can hide in
• Projecting window sills or expanded rainwater pipes
• Dark alleyways

Question 21

Link to changing places

Answer 21

• Insiders-belong and identify with a place
  -sense of pride where they live
• Outsiders-feeling out of place
  -gender,sexuality,race and religion historically cast people as ‘outsiders’