Urban Enviroments

Question 0

What is the difference between urban growth and urbanisation?

Answer 0

Urban growth - Increase in number of people living in urban environments.
Urbanisation - Increase in percentage/proportion of people living in urban environments.

Question 1

What is a city?

Answer 1

A settlement containing a built up area with a large number of residents (often high population density). Have many business, wide variety of services, and excellent transport links. In England, settlements are classified as cities if have cathedral.

Question 2

What are push factors and pull factors in terms of urbanisation?

Answer 2

Push factors - negative things in rural area - pushes people away from rural to urban.
Pull factors - positive things in urban - attract to urban.

Question 3

What are some examples of push and pull factors for MEDCs?

Answer 3

Push - mechanisation of agriculture > farmers move to urban seeking other jobs - lack of services
Pull - movement of young people to attend tertiary education - new jobs available in factories, mines, shipyards during industrial revolution. Provision of houses - built especially for workers.

Question 4

What are some examples of push factors (from rural for LEDCs?

Answer 4

Overpopulation > pressure on land, food shortage +
Lack of services - natural disasters reduce agricultural yield > food shortage > especially hard for people who dont own much land + Overgrazing causes soil erosion +
Lack of investement from goverment.

Question 5

What are some examples of pull factors (to urban) for LEDCs?

Answer 5

Many services + improved employment opportunities - greater variety of jobs with higher wages + ‘bright lights’ - cities are modern and dynamic - comfortable houses with better amenities.

Question 6

How has the population of MEDC + LEDC cities changed over time?

Answer 6

Both increased from 1950 - 2015 - MEDC started higher but LEDC increased so rapidly is now almost 3 times population. MEDCs increased slowly.

Question 7

How goes the land change as you go out of the CBD?

Answer 7

More green space - more trees and houses start to have gardens - car ownership increases and more houses have drives - larger but fewer buildings > become more sparse - larger and nicer houses for wealthier residents - land value decreases as more space.

Question 8

What is the Hoyt model and what are the problems with using it?

Answer 8

Model of land use using wedges - states that there are sectors of similar land use concentrated in parts of the city. Problems - assumes being near to railways still important + old + doesn’t take into account other modes of transport or features that may influence growth of a city i.e rivers.

Question 9

What is the burgess model and what are the problems of using it?

Answer 9

Land use model using concentric rings growing outwards from origin. Problems - assumes distinct zones, based on Chicago so may not be relevant to other cities, developed before cars were popular, doesn’t take into account fact that lots of people now like and work in rural - urban fringe.

Question 10

What is the function of a settlement?

Answer 10

Work or purpose - relates to its economic + social development and main activities. Most settlements function has changed over time, now most setttlements are multifunctional e.g London.

Question 11

How does population density change as you move away from the CBD?

Answer 11

Increases very slightly as moves away from crater in centre of city - mainly businesses not houses - then peaks and decreases as moves out towards rural urban fringe.

Question 12

What are the factors contributing to the housing shortage in the UK?

Answer 12

Social - Increasing divorce rates + ageing population > more people living alone. Population rise and increase in second homes as well as increase in households. Economic - Government investment decreased and empty properties that landlords cannot afford to modernise or demand too high rent and banks wont invest in housing developers.
Enviromental - Can’t build on greenbelt and NIMBY-ism.

Question 13

What are brownfield and greenfield sites?

Answer 13

Brownfield - land that has been previously built on or is to be cleared and reused
Greenfield - land has not been previously built on - often in countryside or rural-urban fringe.

Question 14

What are the pros and cons of brownfield sites?

Answer 14

Pros - more popular + easier to get planning permission for - gets rid of derelict land - already has amenities in place e.g electricity + water
Cons - often in city centre so noise, pollution, and low land value (more expensive land).

Question 15

What are the pros and cons of greenfield sites?

Answer 15

Pros - often in countryside or rural-urban fringe > more peaceful atmosphere
Cons - cost of implementing amenities + roads - expands city into countryside > increases population density and ruins rural atmosphere.

Question 16

What are the issues in MEDC urban areas?

Answer 16

1) Not much space so cramped housing, land value
2) Lots of young dependents, older people, or families (parents are often communters) tend to live in suburbs.
3) Congestion, noise, pollution, delays
4) Vandalism and derelict sites, often landfill sites
5) Racial discrimination, segeration of ethnic minorites.

Question 17

What are some characteristics of the CBD?

Answer 17

Concentration of commercial buildings, little residential land use, high land value > tall buildings, old buildings, concentration of traffic + pedestrians, nodal (centre or meeting) point for transport routes, constantly changing.

Question 18

What are the major problems in the CBD?

Answer 18

Traffic - caused by increase in car ownership + old narrow streets not designed for large no of cars.
Pollution - caused by amount of cars + buses in city centre as well as noise pollution bc of traffic and high pedestrian flow.

Question 19

What is a characteristic of areas of urban decline?

Answer 19

There is a high degree of social deprivation - poverty + other factors such as crime, poor education, pollution, litter, and anti-social behaviour.

Question 19

What is urban decline?

Answer 19

When previously functioning city falls into disrepair - loses business, unemployment increases, economy shrinks, buildings become derelict. Results in crime, fragmented families and inhospitable city.

Question 21

What is the vicious cycle of poverty?

Answer 21

High unemployment > less money for people to spend on services > less taxes paid to council > council invests less in things like education > kids leave school with fewer qualifications > high unemployment.
High unemployment > more time and less money > increase in petty crime.

Question 22

What is an example of an area experiencing urban decline?

Answer 22

Docklands - huge docks in 1800s - 1970s - but ships got bigger, water too shallow, and couldn’t navigate Thames so Tilbury took over - so very few jobs, 1/2 land derelict, lack of basic services.

Question 23

How was the docklands area regenerated after it’s decline?

Answer 23

A UDC called the LDDC - wanted to:
improve environment > clean up docks, create open space, get rid of derelict land - economy > more jobs, better transport - social conditions > more housing, recreational amenities, shopping facilities.

Question 24

What were the pros and cons of the London Docklands regeneration?

Answer 24

Pros - improved environmental, economical, and social conditions for residents - e.g more trade for shop owners, more accessible bc transport + affordable rent = job opportunities.
Cons - new houses too expensive, old residents didn’t have skills required for new businesses, and less of a sense of community because so many newcomers.

Question 25

Why do certain ethnicities congregate in certain areas?

Answer 25

Support - sense of security when with people from same background - protection from racial abuse + sense of belonging, special facilities - place of worship, specialised shops e.g kosher etc, employment - high unemployment + low paid jobs > can only afford housing in certain areas, perhaps feel unwelcome or different among locals.

Question 26

What are the push and pull factors that lead to urbanisation in LEDCs?

Answer 26

Pull - more jobs and a wider variety, easier access to facilities and services e.g pharmacies and shopping centres.
Push - risk of low crop yield > starvation, farming = unreliable source of income bc natural disasters, low crop yield, etc, and mechanisation.

Question 26

Where are squatter settlements found?

Answer 26

On marginal land on the edge of the city - land is undesirable for wealthy residents - slopes, landfill sites, airports, main roads.

Question 28

Why does urbanisation in LEDCs lead to squatter settlements + informal economy?

Answer 28

Sudden urbanisation > lack of services - houses, jobs, healthcare, education, construct ‘temporary’ shelters on marginal land, however have few skills so is hard to find a job, seek work in informal economy such as shoe shining, selling food/electronics, even prostitution.

Question 29

What are the key features of LEDC cities in terms of urbanisation?

Answer 29

Rapid urban growth bc urbanisation + natural increase.
Urban population growth > economic growth rates.
Wide disparities in wealth + quality of life.
Inconsistent policies to control urban growth.

Question 30

What are the characteristics of shanty towns?

Answer 30

Not many amenities - poor water supply, electricity, and waste disposal service, very bad health and safety buildings close together and people steal electricity > fires start easily - poorly built houses in precarious locations e.g on hills or trainlines.

Question 31

What are some solutions to problems in the CBD?

Answer 31

Traffic - Ring Roads > traffic not going into CBD diverted asap, pedestraination of high streets, multi-storey car parks.
Pollution - laws against litter + sewage being dumped in rivers, tree planting > cleans air + noise barrier, no large lorries allowed in CBD, smokeless fuels and vehicles that run on electricity.
Lack of space - high rise buildings, out of town shopping centres.

Question 32

What is multiculturalism?

Answer 32

The act of celebrating cultural diversity, ethnic and racial diversity, and teaching tolerance.

Question 33

What are the features of ethnic minority areas?

Answer 33

Lots of U16s > high birth rate + large families, often lots of people living on benefits, post-war housing as needs to be cheap but have sufficient space for large families, small family run businesses (because lots moved after war to help redevelop economy).

Question 34

What is an example of a strategy to stop segregation and celebrate diversity?

Answer 34

Notting Hill Carnival - end of world war 2 meant increase in Caribbean migrants, causing controversy + race riots especially when white youths attacked a woman because they had seen her with a Jamaican husband. Carnival started in 1959 to encourage positive interaction between communities. Inspired by hippie movement in 60’s turned into outdoor street parade to unite minority population normally alienated from celebration.

Question 35

What is an example of a squatter settlement in an LEDC city?

Answer 35

Kibera, Kenya - biggest slum in Africa - only about 20% has electricity, 50% unemployment, railway passes through center, no toilets, 2 water pipes.

Question 36

What are the effects of the problems in kibera?

Answer 36

Houses on unstable land - prone to disaster
Unemployment - people suffer + can’t pay rent > turn to crime which hardens lives of victims.
Sewage left + overcrowded > disease > no hospitals so high death rate > orphans
One meal a day > malnutrition / no electricity > no light > shorter days > lower income