Urban Form Flashcards
What is urban growth
An increase in the total population of an urban place.
Measured for each urban place as a number of people
What is urbanisation
Increase in the proportion of people living in urban places
It is measured on a global/national scale as a %
What is urban expansion
An increase in the physical side of an urban place
Measured for each urban place in km squared
What is urban form
The physical characteristics that make up a city, including its size and shape, population density and how the city is arranged (eg land use pattern in different areas)
Urban forms can be considered at different scales from local street level to whole city to whole country
Also called urban morphology
What is urban morphology
Urban form
Is urban form fixed
No it changes due to social economic environmental political and other technological factors
Explain how social factors affect urban form
Eg
Population increase (urban growth) can lead to urban expansion through a process called suburbanisation
Future growth may lead to shortages in housing, schools, healthcare etc
Eg this happened in Leicester- population now aground 330,000 which is 12000 more than in 1901
Explain how economic factors affect urban form
Decentralisation- when industries move out from centre of city eg Fosse Park
This causes a change of shape as houses are built nearby to house workers
This causes urban expansion
Explain how politics affect urban form
Governments and/or councils make decisions of where the greenbelt is etc
This affects density as the council can decide to build more residential areas etc
This could affect urban growth as more houses means more people
It also affects organisation as the council has the ability to organise where to build more residential areas and where to build
Explain how environmental factors affects urban form
Greenbelt
Affects size and shape as if an area where the greenbelt is changes- where businesses and residential areas are built will also change
This affects urban expansion and can affect urban growth as if the greenbelt is moved to make the city larger, more residential areas can be built etc ( more people move there)- urbanisation
This could also affect org and density ( more people move closer to work etc)
What is the greenbelt
Outskirts of a city that you cannot build on (conservation)
Explain how technology affects urban forms
Being able to work from home and live anywhere
Access to super fast broadband
This affects shape and size and organisation as more people can work from home so less buildings are needed for work
It can affect density as the areas where work offices are can be changed to residential areas
It affects urban growth and urbanisation
Teleworking (working from home)
Explain how physical factors affect urban growth? (4))
Topography- physical factors often influence the growth of cities
Eg steep slopes are harder to build on and less accessible so poorer housing (eg slums) may be built on them
Large flat areas encourage low density developments because there’s lots of space to build
This affects urban growth
Water- the presence of lakes and seas limits urban growth in those areas, while cities may grow along the course river
City centre shops and businesses are usually located close to the waterfront rather than at the geographical centre of the city- this affects organisation
Natural resources-Rich resources eg coal, metal
Encourage growth in size and population of city
This affects urban growth and urban expansion
Land type- some surfaces are more difficult or expensive to build on eg swamps and wetlands can limit urban growth
Explain how human factors affect urban growth
Planning- urban expansion can be planned or unplanned
Eg a lot of urban growth in developing countries is caused by the unplanned expansion of the slums
In contrast planned developments often include open space, leisure facilities etc- affects urban growth
Infrastructure- new developments are often build along transport links eg motorways leading to linear growth
Land value- highest often found in city centre so profitable business eg chain stores normally locate there while less profitable businesses eg independent stores may be further away from the centre
Land uses in developed world
Cbd- A central zone of shops and businesses
CBD surrounded by housing. Although Lang value- highest in city centre, houses generally increase in value w distance away from CBD
Inner city areas- high land value so housing is typically high density eg sky scrapers.
Wages are often low and many residents live in relative poverty.
The proportion of people from ethnic minorities tend to be high
Land value is lower in rural- semi rural areas. Residential areas are less dense and have more open space.
Houses are usually larger and newer than in inner city areas.
Residents are generally quite wealthy and earn relatively high wages.
The proportion of people from ethnic minorities tend to be low
As cheap land in semi rural area close to urban centres, many science parks and large shopping centres are constructed there
Eg Bristol and Bath Science Park, the Trafford centre in Manchester
SUSTAINABLE - walking brownfield sights etc
Land uses in developing world
Also has CBD- contains shops offices and entertainment services
CBD surrounded by housing which decreases in value with distance away from the centre
Land value is highest around the city centre so high cost housing (eg luxury apartments) is built there
These areas are often gone to wealthy immigrants from developed countries and emerging economies
Surrounding this zone of medium cost housing
May have started as informal settlement but gradually the housing has been improved and some services have been provided
Land value is v low on outskirts of city so lo cost informal housing built there often w limited access to services
Most residents have poorly paid jobs and poverty levels are high
Immigrants from elsewhere in country and other developing countries may settle there
Industrial areas are often located along transport links eg main roads
Rapid urbanisation and urban growth and urban expansion so urban form is hazardous and unplanned
Reasons for pre-industrial cities as urban forms
Largely unaffected by industrial developments and have retained much of their urban layout and characterises
Elite groups tended to locate in the centre surrounded by the lower socio-economic groups including artisans who worked from home and lived with other artisans who shared the same trade
Reasons for modern or industrial cities (most common in UK) for urban form
Similar activities and similar people group together
This led to homogenous areas with each area being dominated by a particular land use or social group
Arrangement of areas are strongly determined by the general decline in land values outward from city centre
