Urban environments Flashcards
How do urban settlements differ from rural ones?
Economy, size, density of people and buildings, and way of life.
Why do high rates of urbanisation occur in developing and emerging countries?
-Most new economic development in these countries is concentrated in big cities.
-Push-pull factors are leading to high rates of rural-to-urban migration.
-Cities are experiencing high rates of natural population increase.
What are the stages of urbanisation?
EAMC
- Early urbanisation
- Accelerating urbanisation
- Mature urbanisation
- Counter urbanisation
What is agglomeration?
Not just people
Concentration of people and economic activities at favorable locations like river crossings or in proximity to a mineral source.
What is suburbanization?
The process by which towns expand outwards as they grow. Suburbs.
What is the creation of suburbs encouraged by?
Improvement in transport
Overcrowding and rising land prices in the older parts of town
Decline in quality of the residential areas near the centre
Arrival of more people (mainly from rural areas) and new businesses
What is urban regeneration?
Re-using areas in the old parts of cities. Allows re-imaging of whole cities. London Docklands.
What is the urbanization of suburbs?
When suburbs become more than just residential. There’s less building density so there’s more space for shops and other services.
Which factors affect the growth of megacities?
Economies of scale, multiplier effect, population growth, economic development
What are economies of scale?
Saving money due to more efficient transport and communication because everything is in one city.
What is the multiplier effect?
The cycle of economic growth increasing population growth and vice versa.
Why can megacities have a negative effect on the country?
Because it prospers at the expense of towns, cities and regions in other parts of the country.
What are some problems of rapid urbanization?
Housing, access to water and electricity, traffic congestion and transport, health, education, employment, social problems, environmental issues.
What is the order of the rings in the concentric zone model?
Core, inner-city ring, suburban ring, urban fringe.
What is the core in the concentric zone model?
The older part of the city. Contains the CBD and some of the oldest buildings.
What is the inner-city ring in the concentric zone model?
Early suburbs, old housing and some non-residential land-use.
What is the suburban ring in the concentric zone model?
Present suburbs with housing as dominant land use.
What is the urban fringe in the concentric zone model?
Countryside being ‘eroded’ by the outward spread of built-up area to provide space for housing and some non-residential uses.
Name some economic challenges in the developed world.
Food supply, globalization, energy supply, deindustrialisation, transport and traffic, service provision.
Name some social challenges in the developed world.
Social services and housing, poverty, ethnic segregation, aging population, quality of life, terrorism and crime.
Name some environmental challenges in the developed world.
Ecological footprint, pollution and waste disposal, resources, green space, hazard risk, sustainability.
What are some urban challenges in the developing and emerging world?
Squatter settlements, the informal economy, urban pollution and low quality of life.
What are some push factors for urban growth and change on the urban fringe?
-Housing is old, congested and expensive
-Environmental pollution
-Companies find that there’s a land shortage so any unhoused land is costly
What are some pull factors for urban growth and change on the urban fringe?
-Land is cheaper, houses are bigger
-Factories can be bigger and have more parking space
-Closeness to main roads allows for quick and easy customer contacts
-New developments on the outskirts are favored because they’re easily accessible by car
What are the key non-residential developments in the urban fringe?
Retail parks, industrial estates, business parks, science parks
What are brownfield sites?
An old industrial or inner-city site that is cleared for a new building development.
What are Greenfield sites?
Areas of land that have not been developed previously.
What are some advantages of building on brownfield sites?
It reduces loss of the countryside. Helps revive old and disused urban areas. Services are already in place and the sites are near main areas of employment.
What are some advantages of building on Greenfield sites?
Relatively cheap and faster building rates. Layout is untouched so more versatile. Healthier environment, proximity to the countryside.
What are some disadvantages of building on brownfield sites?
Often more expensive because old buildings have to be cleared.
Often surrounded by rundown areas so less appealing to some people.
Higher levels of pollution.
May not have good access by road.
What are some disadvantages of building on Greenfield sites?
Valuable farmland, recreational space and scenery lost.
Development causes noise and light pollution.
Wildlife and habitats lost.
Encourages further suburban sprawl.
How can urban living be made more sustainable?
Using energy more efficiently
Using renewable energy sources
Public transport instead of private
Improving physical infrastructure (clean water and sanitation)
Improving social services and access to them
Improve quality of life
What are some external input actions to make living more sustainable?
There’s 4
-Conserve natural resources
-Ensure efficient use of resources
-Protect biodiversity
-Respect the environmental capacity
What are some external output actions to make living more sustainable?
-Minimise emissions and pollution
-Restrict use of Greenfield sites
-Provide leisure and recreational opportunities
What are some internal actions to make living more sustainable?
-Recycle waste
-Create a fairer society
-Encourage wide participation in decision-making
-Make living space healthy and secure
-Provide ‘green’ infrastructure
-Reduce brownfield sites
-Make cities more compact
-Reduce use of private cars
What are the 5 different slum-management options? Where are they used?
- Bulldoze and clear away - Zimbabwe
- Clear away but relocate - Brazil
- Redevelop - Brazil
- Improve by self-help or site and services schemes - Philippines
- Ignore - India, Bangladesh
Who are the local stakeholders in slums and their management?
-Slum residents
-Residents living nearby
-Utility suppliers (waste disposal, water, electricity)
-Representatives in parliament
-City councils
-Landowners and property developers
-Employers
-Planners
Who are the national stakeholders in slums and their management?
Government, national charities
Who are the international stakeholders in slums and their management?
-International charities (Oxfam, CAFOD, Christian Aid)
-Inter-governmental organizations (UNESCO, WHO, World Bank)
