Urban form Flashcards
What is urban form?
Urban form is the physical characteristics that make up a city, including its size, shape, population density and arrangement such as land use patterns.
Physical factors that affect urban form
Topography - physical features such as steep slopes being harder to build on and are less accessible
Water - lakes and seas limit urban growth in those areas while cities may grow along the course of a river.
Natural resources - rich resources like coal encourage growth in size and population of a city
Land type - some ground surfaces are more difficult or expensive to build on than others which can limit urban growth.
Human factors that affect urban form
Planning - urban expansion can be planned or unplanned such as planned leisure facilities and unplanned slum settlements. #
Infrastructure - new developments are often built along transport links which leads to linear growth.
Land value - highest value land is usually found in the centre so profitable businesses locate there and less profitable businesses are further from the centre.
Land use patterns in the developed world
Cities in developed countries tend to have a CBD (central zone of shops and businesses) which is surrounded by housing. Houses generally increase in price away from the centre as they are usually bigger and newer with more open space so wealthy residents choose to live there. In semi-rural areas where land is cheap many science parks and shopping centres are built.
Land use patterns in the developing world
Cities in the developing world also have a CBD but is surrounded by housing that decreases in value away from the centre. Land value is highest in the centre so luxury apartments are built and residents are wealthy. Then there is a zone of medium cost housing and then land value on the outskirts is low so low-cost informal housing is built there often with limited access and many residents live in poverty.
New urban land uses - Town centre mixed developments
Areas where land use is mixed - luxury flats, offices, shops, entertainment facilities are all located there so residential, commercial and leisure uses are all combined . The aim is to attract people back to city centres by giving them the opportunity to live, work and relax there.
New urban land uses - cultural and heritage quarters
These areas focus on the history or character of a city. They are often home to theatres, art galleries and historical buildings. Thye are developed by local councils to regenerate former industrial areas and attract visitors to encourage economic development and create jobs.
New urban land uses - fortress landscapes
These are developments with lots of security such as CCTV, high walls, guards and are often in suburban areas where only those with permission can enter. They are designed to create a safe environment but are very divisive.
New urban land uses - gentrified areas
Gentrification is when wealthier people move into rundown inner city areas and regenerate them by improving housing. They have a large range of services. Poorer residents may be displaced as the cost of living increases leading to segregation.
New urban land uses - edge cities
Edge cities are settlements on the edge of large urban areas and are mainly caused by urban sprawl. They are areas of offices, shops, leisure facilities that develop close to major transport links where land is cheaper. They contain some housin but many people travel to them. They are most common in the USA and have developed since the 50s and 60s due to increased car ownership.
What are post modern western cities?
Cities that are gradually moving away from uniformity in architecture and clear cut patterns of land use.
They focus on tertiary and quarternary industry, are less uniform, prioritises the aesthetics of the city and has higher social and economic inequality.
