Option G Urban environments G.1 Flashcards
Site
The actual ground the settlement is located on
Situation
The location of the settlement relative to its surroundign features
Function of a settlement
Main activities which take place there
What does the function of a settlement determine
Determines what the land will be used for
Examples of functions (5)
commercial function; religious function; transportation function; agricultural function; educational function
Examples of land use (4)
Residential function; industrial function; recreational function; transportation function
Can urban land use change over time?
It can change over time depending on the level of economic development and the availability of the factors which once determined the particular functions of that settlement
Heirachy of a settlement
the arrangement of settlement in terms of importance or significance, depends on factors
Range
the maximum distance people are willing to travel to buy a good or service
Threshold
the maximum number of people required to sustain a business providing a particular good or service.
Sphere of influence
It is the area that comes under the influence of a given settlement and is determined by the range and threshold
Megacity
A city with 10 million or more inhabitants
What drives Megacity growth
Economic growth, rural-uran migration and high rates of natural increase
Spontaneous city growth
City growth which isn’t planned such as the formation of squatter settlements in LICs due to housing shortage despite rapid rural-urban migration
Planned city growth
The government controls the way in which the land is used. They will enforce laws which state whether new buildings can be used or not much more common in HICs
Why do HICs have well planned cities
Unlike in LICs the population growth is not rapid so they do not have to account for new waves of migrants everyday; they have the time to put into planning the city.
Explain Bid rent theory
Shows how the price and demand for land changes as distance from the CBD increases
The theory assumes that the highest bidder gets the land and is expected to gain maximum profit from the land
The most expensive land is at the centre because of a range of factors; most accessible to public transport; only a small amount of land available; land prices generally decrease away from CBD
3 reasons for movement of shopping habits and retail land use outwards
Demographic change; economic change; suburbanisation and counter urbanisation
3 Characteristics of CBD
Multi storey development; vertical zoning is common; concentration of retailing
3 Factors causing the CBD to decline
Congestion;vehicular and human, increase in private car ownership, cost of development and maintenance in the CBD is expensive
Give 3 examples of where industries may be located
inner city areas close to railways, brownfeild sites close to airports, sites away from residential areas for polluting industries
What are 2 characteristics of industries found in cities
those needing skilled labour, those needing acess to the CBD;fashion, accessories, clothes.
How does access to and proximity to water sources affect residential patterns in HICs and LICs
In HICs wealthier people may want to live close to rivers and canals because of the aesthetics and pleasant views as well as potential recreational activities
In LICs, the poor will live near rivers and seas because of the risk of flooding; it is without a choice
How does relief affect residential patterns in HICs and LICs
In HICs, high gorund may be attractive for wealthier people for example Beverly Hills in the USA. In contrast, in LICs slums generally develop on slopes and steep land, because it is undesirable land to build on due to increased vulnerability to natural hazards
How do land values affect the pattern of residential areas.
In HICs the pattern coined by the bid rent theory is followed. As such the richer inhabitants live on the outskirts due to access to transport which allows them to travel into the CBD for work
in LICS the pattern is reversed from the bid rent theory’s. Wealthier residents may want to live in CBD due to poor quality infrastructure. poorer residents are forced to live in informal settlements having no money for rent.
How does ethnicity affect residential patterns and why may different ethnic groups be concentrated in specific parts
Migrants may arrive with little wealth and may therefore be drawn to areas with more affordable cheaper housing
Migrants may also choose to live in areas where there are already people of the same ethnicity. in this way they woud be likely to find people who speak the same language and other familiar cultural traits increasing the level of comfort
Migrants may want to avoid areas where there is a risk of conflict
How might urban residential planning affect residential patterns
Planning or a lack thereof could affect patterns. Governments may want to use patterns to ensure a balanced social mix by having a mixture of housing types dispersed around the city
In LICs due to rapid population growth, planning is not possible, instead the wealthy will occupy high quality land while the poor will occupy undesirable land, on the outskirts of the city and at risk of hazards.
Deprivation
The standard of living below that of the majority in a particular society that involves hardships and a lack of access to resources
What indicators make up the index of Multiple Deprivation
Physical indicators such as quality of housing and crime
social indicators such as crime and levels of health
economic indicators such as access to employment and levels of unemployment
political indicators such as opportunities to vote
UN definitiion of a Slum Household
The UN defines a slum household as one where a group of individuals living under the same roof in an urban area, lacking access to one or more of the following: durable housing, sufficient living space, access to improved water, access to improved sanitation facilities, secure tenure``
Dual economy
One which consists of both the informal and formal economy
formal economy
Types of employment which offer regular wages and hours, which carry with them employment rights and tax
informal economy
Diversified set of economic activities not regulated or protected by the state
State 3 advantages of slums
crime rates are relatively low; small communities, strong sense of kinship and family support, points of assimilation for immigrants so that they have a place to live
State 3 disadvantages of slums
Security of tenure is often lacking
levels of hygeine and santitation are low and disease is common
basic services like water and sanitation are lacking
