Settlement Change Flashcards
What is a settlement?
a place where people live
What does ‘site’ mean?
the actual land upon which a settlement is built. physical factors where most important in the initial choice of a site
What does ‘situation’ mean?
the location of a settlement relative to its surroundings, described in relation to other settlements, rivers, relief features, transport lines etc.
What are the different functions of a settlement?
residential administrative industrial market towns strategic tourism other function- religious/cultural or ports
What is a residential settlement?
the main function is to provide a place for people to live, few services often commuter towns
What is an administrative settlement?
focus on running/governing the local area, often a capital city or county town
What is an industrial settlement?
goods are manufactured in factories, a large proportion of people work in the same industry
What is a market town settlement?
centres for trading goods and services, need to be accessible eg. river crossings or cross roads
What is a strategic settlement?
historically provided protection from attack, often on hill tops or insider meander bends. sometimes defensive sites
What is a tourism settlement?
some settlements have facilities that attract other people to visit the area. many coastal settlements change from fishing villages to holiday resorts. rely on people to visit
What are the three settlement shapes?
nucleated, linear and dispersed
An example of a settlement changing over time
Benidorm-Spain
- developed as defensive function on a hill
- then a fishing port as it was on coast
- agriculture became important when water was transported from inland (for citrus fruits and olives)
- became an tourist destination after roads were built in the area (road to Alicante-19th century)
What is counter-urbanisation?
the movement of people beyond the city area to rural locations or smaller towns
What are some push factors?
traffic congestion
pollution
fear of crime
What are some pull factors?
rural dream (pleasant surroundings, quiet, etc.)
housing developers encouraging outwards movement
better schools/education
What factors help counter-urbanisation?
- road/travel improvements (easier commuting)
- telephone/skype growth (still feel connected)
- decline of industry and loss of jobs in urban areas
- technological change (‘electronic commuting’ working from home whilst living in rural areas)
Negative consequences of counter-urbanisation
- house prices increase
- local resentment
- lack of appreciation for tradition/customs (community spirit)
- dormitory villages (quiet in daytime)
- increase in pollution, accidents and congestion
Positive consequences of counter-urbanisation
- improvement in services -gas mains, TV cables, schools
- supports local facilities eg. pubs, shops
- houses and buildings improved
Explain an example of counter-urbanisation
Flintshire (county in northeast wales. it borders Cheshire)
- easy access to Chester, Liverpool and Manchester
- access to work in large cities
- live in rural areas but quick easy access to major towns
- house prices have increased
- young people cannot afford houses anymore
- less public transport(problem for those without cars)
- video conferencing means people are not tied to urban areas
An example of depopulation
western isles
- sense of remoteness
- harsh physical conditions
- limited jobs and wages
- often young adults leave for university and do not return as there are few good jobs
- services close down and the cost of public utilities increases
What island does not follow the depopulation trend?
Skye
Why is the population on Skye not decreasing?
- lies close to the mainland
- bridge built in 1995 connected mainland and good ferry links
- no tolls on the bridge
- some islanders don’t like new arrivals as they are taking jobs and housing
Why is land use changing in urban areas?
increased demand for housing
deindustrialisation
Why is there an increased demand for housing?
population is growing
more people migrating to the UK
people are living on their own for longer
longer life expectancy
Explain the effect of deindustrialisation
as the manufacturing industry has moved away from the UK, there has been a major shift in employment
What is a brownfield site?
a piece of land that has been used and may have been abandoned and is awaiting some new use
What is a greenfield site?
a piece of land that has not been built on befor, frequently found in rural areas, but it is now being considered for development
What is urban sprawl?
the unplanned, uncontrolled spreading of urban development into areas adjoining the edge of a city
Why build on a greenfield site?
population growth cities provide job opportunities, easy access to cities easy to build on free from traffic congestion cheaper to build on, cheaper houses
What are the two ways of building on a brownfield site?
redevelopment - buildings knocked down new ones built
renewal - old building converted to new use
Example of brownfield development
Coed Darcy-south wales
previously an oil refinery
1000 acres of brownfield site (hard to find this much land)
a lot of houses close together were built(4000 homes)
shops within 5 minutes walk
mixture of private and social housing
advantages of greenfield sites
relatively cheaper, easier to build houses faster
healthier enviroment
disadvantages of greenfield sites
valuable farmland/scenery lost
wildlife and habitats destroyed/disturbed
causes noise and light pollution
may not have access to good/modern roads
advantages of brownfield sites
reduces loss of countryside
helps to revive old and disused urban areas
services already in place
located near to main areas
disadvantages of brownfield sites
often more expensive (old buildings cleared,etc.)
surrounded by rundown areas-not appealing
higher pollution levels
Explain suburban sprawl
wasteful use of greenfield sites vast areas of low-density housing high car dependence a uniformity of layout,architecture and class shorter journeys for workers
Explain eco towns
towns will be environmentally friendly(low carbon emissions, etc.)
largely car free
mostly brownfield sites
however, could become commuter dormitories
Explain gated communities
located in central and inner parts of towns/cities
a group of houses shut away in a high security compound
entry is restricted
a safe environment- good for families
may separate the rich from poor
can become targets for crime
Explain suburban intensification
building on vacant plots and public open spaces
‘garden grabbing’-selling off part of garden as building plot
a loophole in law classifies gardens as brownfield sites
since government prefers building on brownfield there is little to stop this process of cramming in new housing
What are rural push factors in south africa
drinking water needs to be collected
drought/crop failure could drive people into poverty
poor sanitation
agricultural life is physically demanding
few jobs
little to occupy young people
What are the urban pull factors in south africa
better job opportunities
better public transport
more likely to have better public utilities
water supply and healthcare
less likely to be affected by drought or crop failure
What contributes to rapid urban growth
rural push factors
urban pull factors
natural increase
rural-urban migration
What is natural increase?
60% of population growth
high birth rate and low death rate
CASE STUDY of rural to urban migration
Dhaka - Bangladesh
Dhaka case study
Population: 12 million
half a million new arrivals each year
Bangladesh:one of the poorest countries in the world
widespread flooding in monsoon season
lots of illegal/’squatter’ settlements have been built by
migrants
They live there because:
cannot afford anywhere else
authorities provide little housing
In overcrowded area, disease is a major problem:
water pollution,rotting piles of waste
smoke and pollution from factories/traffic congestion
diarrhoea,tuberculosis,measles and malaria very common
people are forced to make own living:sell things in the street,half a million children involved in illegal working,bad pay,long hours and exposed to constant hazards
