Unit 6 Exam Questions Flashcards
(c) Explain the issues for the provision of services in rural areas.
Sparsely populated areas make infrastructure development challenging and costly.
Low population density results in fewer customers, leading to closures or amalgamations of services.
Accessibility issues, especially for vulnerable groups, arise due to limited public transport.
Increased reliance on personal transport raises pollution concerns.
Developed points can include examples like limited healthcare access or educational facilities
(a) With the aid of one or more examples, describe three characteristics of cities at a high position within the hierarchy of world cities.
Characteristics include:
Economic Influence: Cities like New York or London serve as hubs for global finance, hosting major stock exchanges and financial institutions.
Cultural Impact: These cities often house world-renowned cultural institutions, such as museums and theaters (e.g., Paris with the Louvre).
Connectivity: High-quality transport systems like airports and mass transit connect them internationally and domestically.
(b) With reference to your case study of one shanty town (squatter settlement) in an LIC or MIC, explain the challenges of its management.
Challenges include:
Social Issues: High crime rates and inadequate access to education or healthcare.
Economic Challenges: High unemployment and difficulty in securing affordable housing.
Environmental Problems: Poor sanitation, waste disposal issues, and vulnerability to diseases.
Political Barriers: Lack of effective governance and support from local authorities.
(c) Explain two planning issues in urban areas in LICs/MICs.
Housing Challenges: Rapid urbanisation leads to the development of informal settlements or shanty towns, often without adequate housing standards.
Infrastructure and Utilities: Limited resources hinder the provision of water, sanitation, electricity, and waste management, exacerbating living conditions.
(a) Compare the process of counterurbanisation with the process of re-urbanisation.
Counterurbanisation: Movement of people and economic activities from urban to rural areas (centrifugal).
Re-urbanisation: Movement of people back to urban areas, especially city centres (centripetal).
Comparisons:
Direction: Counterurbanisation is outward; re-urbanisation is inward.
Causes: Counterurbanisation driven by lifestyle preferences; re-urbanisation linked to urban renewal.
Impacts: Counterurbanisation affects rural housing prices; re-urbanisation revitalises city centres
(b) Explain the impacts of counterurbanisation on the competition for land in urban and nearby rural areas in HICs.
Urban Areas:
Declining population reduces competition for land, lowering property values.
Vacant or derelict buildings may increase, leading to urban decay.
Rural Areas:
Increased demand raises land prices, making housing less affordable for locals.
Conversion of green spaces to residential or commercial use impacts the rural landscape.
Examples: Rising land prices in commuter belts of cities like London or New York
(c) Explain how social factors can lead to residential segregation in urban areas
Discrimination: Groups may be excluded from certain areas based on ethnicity, religion, or social class.
Cultural Support: Migrants often cluster in areas offering familiar services and cultural connections.
Safety in Numbers: Certain communities choose to live close together for mutual support and protection.
(a) Describe three ways in which urban areas in LICs/MICs are changing as a result of rural-urban migration.
Overcrowding and Housing Shortages: Increased migration leads to the creation of informal settlements or shanty towns.
Pressure on Infrastructure: Urban services like water, electricity, and waste management become overburdened.
Environmental Degradation: Pollution and congestion escalate due to rapid urban expansion.
(b) Explain the consequences of urban growth for rural settlements in LICs/MICs.
Loss of Population: Rural areas experience depopulation, leading to an imbalanced age structure.
Economic Decline: The departure of the working-age population impacts agriculture and local economies.
Pressure on Land Use: Urban sprawl encroaches on rural land, increasing housing costs and reducing agricultural space.
(c) Explain the issues for urban areas resulting from the development of out-of-town retail parks.
Impact on CBD: Retail parks divert customers from the central business district (CBD), leading to economic decline and store closures.
Traffic Congestion: Increased vehicle traffic to retail parks can overwhelm roads in surrounding areas.
Environmental Concerns: The development consumes rural land and may lead to habitat destruction and urban sprawl
(a)(i) Define the terms counterurbanisation and re-urbanisation.
Counterurbanisation: The movement of people from urban areas to rural areas or the countryside.
Re-urbanisation: The movement of people back to urban areas, often driven by government policies or urban renewal projects
(a)(ii) Briefly explain two consequences for urban areas of re-urbanisation.
Population Gain: Urban areas experience an influx of wealthier, often skilled residents.
Economic Growth: Increased population supports local businesses and enhances the tax base but may also lead to higher property prices and gentrification
(b) With the aid of examples, suggest why the location of retailing and other services in many urban settlements is challenging.
Economic Constraints: High costs for land and rent in central urban areas can deter retail development.
Social Demands: The need to cater to diverse populations with varying preferences complicates planning.
Environmental Challenges: Limited space and concerns about pollution or congestion in dense urban areas.
Examples: Central business districts in cities like London or New York face these challenges
(c) Explain the challenges caused by the changing central business district (CBD).
High Costs: Expensive land and property in CBDs hinder redevelopment.
Traffic and Accessibility Issues: Managing transportation and parking for customers and deliveries becomes challenging.
Preservation Conflicts: Balancing modernization with heritage conservation.
Business Disruption: Economic activities in the CBD may be disrupted during redevelopment efforts
(a) Explain why the population of some rural settlements in HICs is decreasing.
Lack of Employment: Limited job opportunities, especially for younger people, drive outmigration.
High Costs and Second Homes: Rising property prices due to second-home buyers make housing unaffordable for locals.
Aging Population: Younger generations leaving leads to an aging demographic in rural areas
