settlement Flashcards
What does the term urban mean
An area that has a large number of people residing in it and has been significantly developed
What does the term rural mean
An area of little development, sparsely populated and outside the limits of a cit or town
What does the term rural urban fringe mean
The zone where urban and rural meet
A landzone in the edge of an urban area where rural and recreational land is increasingly urbanised through suburbanisation
What is suburbanisation
a process that refers to the decentralisation of people, services and industry to the edge of the existing urban area
Urban areas increase in size through urban sprawl or suburbanisation
What is counterurbanisation
A movement of urban workers to rural towns and villages within commenting distance of the city
Factor which define area as urban and rural
Settlement size - in Uk a settlement with less than a 1,000 people defined as rural. Different criteria for countries
Population density - area with more than 100 people per km2 described as urban. Less than 100 equals rural.
Settlement function/land use/employment - function of area can indicate a rural or urban population
Perception and service provision - rural areas more likely to have a disperse population. More agriculture or other extensive land use. Further away from urban centres
Define greenfield developments
Greenfield development refers to an area of land surrounding a city or town that has not been developed or built up
What is urban sprawl
Growth of suburbs. Developments and housing estates built at the edge of city to reduce pressure on the inner city
Land use planning
Around the edge of an urban area is critical to ensure that urban sprawl is contained and that land is used in most effective way
Problems with greenfield development
Major issue building shopping centres and housing in rural urban fringe.
Eg spruce field close to Lisburn, abbey centre close to Belfast.
Criticism from local residents for increased traffic, loss of income for retailers. New retailer centres attract retails
Belfast greenfield development
Planners formulate policies to deal with increased demands for housing in rural urban fringe
BMAP has outlined future strategies and demands in the commuting hinterland of Belfast, including rural urban fringe.
9,000 out of 51,000 homes to be built on greenfield sites including Moira.
Issue for planners - how to meet demands and needs of the housing whilst retaining urban character
How can green belt policies prevent urban sprawl
Prevents urban development into an area
Slows down urban sprawl
Side effects of green belt policies
Can force development to take place further into the countryside.
Inner cities become densely packed
Competition for land increases within cities, prices go up.
Longer commuting distance into city, congestion traffic etc
Features of suburbanisation
As city grows outwards it changes characteristic of urban landscape
Most of subsequent suburbanisation began as improvements to public transport newt work and infrastructure.
Suburbanisation depends on the ability for sub urban dwellers being able to access work with ease
Suburbanisation occurred in Belfast as early as 1920s and 1930s
Counter urbanisation
C.u is the movement of people from the inner city and suburbs to places beyond the city limits. Usually rural towns and villages
Within commuting distance of the city
Eg Moira Bangor Newtonards
Can afford bigger and expensive houses with more land
What are the challenges for rural towns due to count urbanisation
- increase population, traffic, character of town changed significantly
New urban migrants have little connection to rural environment - work, shop and leisure in city
House prices rise in rural areas as demands increase
What impacts have developments had in rural urban fringe
Traffic congestion
Competition for land rising house prices
Need to build and develop similar services within inner cities
Continued sprawl into countries removing free space and reducing wildlife habitats
Definition of remote rural environment
Refers to an area sufficiently distant from major urban areas so as not to be affected by suburbanisation or counter urbanisation eg perioheral regions
Issues of remote rural environments : out migration
Outmigration/ ageing populations -
Outmigration of people into more urban areas due to development of transport and communications EG HIGHLANDS
Perception of rural areas as old fashioned, dull, lack of economic or social opportunities unlike modern young vibrant urban areas
Young people within reproductive age groups move to urban area
Sometimes peripheral areas experience immigration of second home owners or retired. Increase house prices and characteristics
Median age rural areas England 45
Remote rural eg east Devon 62
Issues in r dote rural environments
Inaccessibility/lack of economic activity
Limited range economic activity
Wage levels significantly lower than national average eg remote areas of Wales, GDP per capita is almost 20% lower than European average.
Remote rural areas suffer inaccessibility
Could be due to physical isolation eg HIGHLANDS AND CORNWALL
Inaccessibility makes areas unattractive to modern industry - want to be near large urban markets to keep transport costs low
Raised unemployment levels
What is an Area of Natural beauty
An area that is considered to have landscape of significant value
Conserves and enhances natural beauty of the area
Usually have series of planning controls to help manage area whilst allowing people to enjoy it
33 AONB in England 9 in NI egg causeway
SSSI (site of special scientific interest)
Is a conservation designed to protect some form of geological or biological significance
Protection offered
Controlled by NIEA in NI. support rare plants and animals hat find it difficult to survive in wider countryside
National park
Managed carefully for conservation purposes.
Seen to have two central purposes - conserve and enhance natural and cultural heritage of an area and to promote understanding and enjoyment of special qualities of park by public
Issues of rapid urbanisation in LEDCS
1970s and 1980s LEDCS rapid expansion
Poor left patches of land in countryside to migrate to urban areas
Cities had to grow to cope with people
Falls in death rate due to medical advances but continued high birth rate. Increasing population.
Recent UN report - natural increase accounts for 60% urban growth in LEDCS
