urban environments Flashcards
rate of urbanisation
growth in percentage of a population living and working in urban areas over time
level of urbanisation
percentage of population living and working in urban areas
agglomeration
concentration of people and economic activities at favourable locations
suburbanisation
a population shift from. central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of urban sprawl
urban re-imaging
re-building abandoned places into more modern, useful neighbourhoods
example of urban re-imaging
deserted docklands and warehouses in London were re-generated into offices and apartments
factors affecting rate of urbanisation
pace of economic development, the rate of population growth
pace of economic development
economic growth that drives urbanisation
natural increase
birth rate - death rate
how many megacities were there in 1970
4 - New York, Tokyo, Osaka and Mexico City
millionaire city
a city with a population of over 1 million
world city
a city of any size and population that is known around the world for landmarks, money and power
economic development
as the economy grows, businesses and people are attracted
problems associated with rapid urbanisation
congestion, transport, employment, crime, environmental issues
crime
the rate of crime increases as rapid urbanisation increases because some people can’t find jobs, or do not have a lot of money
what is suburbanisation encouraged by
improvements in transport, arrival of more people
urban re-generation
involves re-using areas in the old parts of towns or cities abandoned by people and businesses that have moved to the suburbs
counter urbanisation
when people and businesses move from urban cities to rural areas
urbanisation of suburbs
a population shift from central areas into suburbs
rate of population growth
the rate at which the number of individuals in a population increases in a given time
megacity
a city with a population of over 10 million
how many megacities are there now
35
multiplier effect
more jobs mean more money, so more people move into urban areas
economies of scale
having one big city rather than small multiple ones
population growth
more people living in cities mean more families grow bigger
employment
people struggle to find work so many begin working in the informal sector
congestion
roads become overloaded
environmental issues
pollution increases due to more vehicles which speeds up global warming and plastic pollution and litter increases
factors affecting urban land use patterns
locational needs, accessibility, land values
locational needs
people need hospitals, banks, supermarkets and access to public transport
accessibility
how accessible everything is
land values
how much money a certain amount of land costs in this specific area
name of place where land values are highest
peak land value intersection
CBD
retail and other commercial businesses usually cluster around the centre
Inner city
factories occupy the area around the central business district, and are located near railways, canals or rivers
suburbs
Housing is found further from the centre, they are more spacious and more people have gardens
Urban fringe
houses are a lot more spaced out and this is where the city ends and the countryside begins
urban challenges in London
food supply, energy supply, transport and traffic, waste disposal, concentrated resource consumption, ethnic segregation
food supply
more than 2.3 million Londoners live below the poverty tine, many people rely on food banks however you have to be referred to one by a GP and only get 3 meals a week
energy challenges
most of London’s heat and hot water is generated in large power stations outside London. The heat produced when generating electricity is not used, but just wasted
transport and traffic
challenges include crowding on public transport during peak hours, congestion, pollution, accessibility for elderly and disabled, weather disruption and noise
waste disposal
only 52% of London’s 7 million tonnes of annual waste is recycled and 37% of waste in London is sent to a landfill
concentrated resource consumption
we consume three times our share of the earth’s resources, including food, energy and water
ethnic segregation
this stops people from being employed, having a hob and earning money.
urban challenges in data
urban pollution, squatter settlements, low quality of life, informal economy
causes of squatter settlements
- increased migration (rapid)
- not enough money to live in city
- no available houses
characteristics of squatter settlements
- no hygiene
- no running water
- no sewers
- no healthcare
- lack of infrastructure
- no money, increased crime rate
relative poverty
poverty compared to the rest of the country
absolute poverty
$1 a day
Informal economy
employment that is not controlled, monitored or recognised by governments
e.g. babysitting
CASE STUDY - Korail slum
- approximately 40 km^2
- home to more than 50 000 residents
- borders Gulshan and Banani
air pollution
The AQI was at 371 in 2018. The air pollution is extremely unhealthy
reasons for unhealthy air pollution in Dhaka
- many brick kilns
- old, run down cars that produce a lot more pollution than modern ones
what is the rural urban fringe
- the area where the green fields and open spaces of the countryside meets the built up parts of towns and cities
push factors for moving to the rural-urban fringe
- housing is old and expensive in the city
- there is a shortage of land in cities
- air quality in the city is very poor and noise levels are high
pull factors for moving to the rural-urban fringe
- land on the urban fringe is cheaper and houses are larger
- the urban fringe has main roads and motorway links for quicker and easier customer contacts
Cambridge business park
- comprised of 12 modern offices
- right next to science park which increases companies’ and people attraction
- many amenities such as fully landscaped grounds, Cambridge park and ride
- located near motorways or main roads for easy access
Cambridge science park
- area devoted to scientific research or development of science-based industries
when was the first science park established
1971
cambourne housing estate
- planned in the 1990’s
- population of 12 000 people and 4250 homes
Greenfield site
a site that has not previously been built on
advantages of Greenfield sites
- cheaper to build on
- more architectural freedom
- healthier
disadvantages to Greenfield sites
- encourages urban sprawl
- encourages traffic congestion
- destroys animal habitats
- once land has been converted to development, it is unlikely to be converted back
- loss of agricultural land results in loss of production
- air/light/noise pollution
brownfield sites
derelict land used for urban development
advantages of brownfield sites
- creates jobs, lifts property prices, improves environment
- reduces urban sprawl
- reduces loss of country side
- already has facilities
disadvantages of brownfield sites
- more expensive to build on as the land needs to be cleared first
economic sustainability
the ability to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely
environmental sustainability
the ability to maintain rates of renewable resource harvest, pollution creation, and non-renewable resource depletion that can be continued indefinitely
social sustainability
the ability of a social system, such as a country, to function at a defined level of social well being indefinitely
