•Urban 1 Flashcards
Where are most mega cities located?
Six of the top mega cities are located in Asia in countries like Japan and India
What is the biggest mega city?
Tokyo, Japan with a population of 35.7m
Where are there no mega cities located?
Europe, Oceania and Africa
What are reasons for the growth of mega cities?
High natural increase
Bright- lights syndrome
Push and pull factors
Jobs and money, healthcare, resources
Rural to urban migration
Immigration and inmigration
9 reasons for the growth of mega cities
1) creation of coastal cities in non-urban areas e.g Buenos Aires
2) ports and trading cities developed for certain produces e.g Shanghai for cotton, silk and textiles
3) reassignment of a city as a capital to show independence e.g Dhaka Bangladesh
4) post independence policies favoured e.g Britain
5) post war modernisation and industrialisation e.g Latin America
6) urban population begin to live longer
7) rural to urban migration e.g Buenos Aires
8) settlement laws e.g China
9) low cost workers e.g Bangkok
Why are London and New York influential cities ?
London is easily accessible due to frequent flights to inside and outside Europe- non stop flights to 89% of global cities outside of Europe at least 3 times a week
London is known as the Historic capital to draw tourists
Europe is known for technology
New York is know for Bank investments
Tourists spend lots of money in New York
What are the 8 factors that determine whether a city will have global influence?
- the amount of foreign direct investment
- the concentration of corporate headquarters
- how many particular business niches they dominate
- air connectivity
- strength of producer services
- financial services
- technology and media power
- racial diversity
What is the CBD?
Location (usually in the central, oldest part of the city) where most commercial functions are located and where non-manufacturing jobs are located
What is the PLVI?
The point in the city where land is at its most valuable which is usually occupied by a mixture of old industry, some specialised functions, some dereliction and often some areas of regeneration
What is the transition zone (twilight zone)?
Area between the CBD and the residential zones which is usually occupied by a mixture of old industry, some specialised functions, some dereliction and often some areas of regeneration
What are fortress developments?
Based on the idea that there is a tendency for developers of urban space to restrict access to that space by the general public. This can be seen in the development of gated housing communities or in commercial developments where access is controlled by private security organisations
What is the rural-urban fringe?
The edge of the built up area where the town meets the countryside. Usually occupied by high class residents and commuters
What is an edge city?
A built-up area, with a commercial district at it’s core, which has developed on the edge of an existing urban area. Commonly found on the edge of US cities e.g LA
What is a cultural/ heritage quarters?
The development and re-branding of areas of towns to focus on different cultural groups or on aspects of their history, largely as a spur to tourist development. For example, in Belfast they have designed the Titanic Quarter, Cathedral Quarter, Queens Quarter and Gaeltacht Quarter
What is a Ghetto?
A residential area (usually in the inner city) which is occupied almost exclusively by immigrant or minority groups. We usually assume these are poor areas of the city
What are brownfield sites?
Areas formerly occupied by industry (or sometimes housing) which have now become derelict and been demolished. They may need to be de-contaminated before they can be re-developed
What are greenfield sites?
Areas which have never been built upon. It is usually easy to install vital infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water supply to these locations
What is social housing?
This includes rented housing owned by councils or housing associations. This provides at low rents, usually for the less well off groups in the city
Define urbanisation
Where an increasing proportion of a country’s population lives in urban areas. It is also the physical outward expansion of cities
Define rural-urban migration
The movement of people from the countryside into cities. It is usually associated with a shift in employment from agricultural employment to manufacturing or service employment
What is life-cycle migration?
The outward movement of people from the central parts of cities as they develop different needs. E.g university students will live in inner cities; newly arrived may move out to inner suburbs; retired people may live at the urban edge
Define urban sprawl
The physical growth of urban areas into the surrounding countryside. Housing, roads, industries, commercial land used may all be involved
What is counter urbanisation?
The process of moving from an urban area to smaller urban areas or rural areas beyond the city boundary. Usually undertaken by highly mobile, wealthier groups in society
What is de-industrialisation?
The closure or reduction of jobs in manufacturing industry. This could be as a result of jobs moving abroad to lower wage economies in LEDCs
