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
Reasons for post industrial/ post modern/ post modern western cities as urban forms
Urban mosaic- more chaotic and looser structure with many smaller zones rather then one or 2 dominating
Post suburban and peripheral developments with high tech corridors or zones
Reasons for public transport orientated (PTO) cities and motor based cities (MBC
PTO developments takes an interstates approach towards planning eg minimising walking distance between services and residential developments
MBC- the onset of mass motorisation from the 1950s helped increase rates of suburbanisation and decentralisation of some economic activities
Reasons for African cities as urban forms
Many cities have grown from colonial settlements and have not experienced the industrialisation of US and European urban centres
Recent and rapid urban growth have forced changed to establish and older zones as well as expansion on the periphery
Lacking resources and control urban form may be unplanned and sometimes chaotic
Reasons for socialist cities as urban form
Follows principle of classless city
Everyone should live in same type of housing block irrespective of location of city
Housing blacks located close to local services to encourage walking
City centre large and an administrative and political centre rather then commercial centre
Characteristic urban forms (6)
Pre industrial
Modern/ industrial
Post industrial/post modern
PTO and MBC
African
Socialist
Functional zones of preindustrial cities
Historic buildings such as churches and castles likely to dominate centre
High class residential zones near centre
Less clear delineation of residential and commercial districts as today
Functional zones of Modern city
Dominant CBD
Residential zoning
Industrial zone likely to be manufacturing based
Post industrial functional zones
Multi nodal structure
Less dominant CBD
Higher degree of social polarisation
Service sector based industry that is less tied to one location
MTO and MBC functional zones
PTO cities may develop along railways lines and main roads
More intensive development might be allowed near railway stations
MBC development will be linked to freeways or motorways
Non residential land uses such as retailing and offices may location in urban fringe locations
African cities functional zones
Dominant CBD that is likely to be the political and cultural centre
HQ of foreign multinationals msg be present along with large hotels and old historic buildings
Older industrial areas adjacent to transport routes such as railways
Newer peripheral middle class housing served by road network
Informal housing developments on marginal land
Functional zones of socialist cities
Homogenous (old fashioned) blocks throughout city
Four micro neighbourhoods (15000) made up a residential district (60,000)
Neighbourhoods has local services
Districts had higher order shops and entertainment services
City centre had prestige buildings and a central square for socialists
Eg of pre industrial city
Lincoln
France
Eg of modern city
Birmingham
Leicester
Eg of modern city
Tokyo
Las Vegas
Eg of PTO and MBC
Hong Kong
Detroit
Eg of African cities
Kenya
Capetown
Eg of socialist cities
Prague
Difference in structure between modern and post modern city
Modern- central commercial CBD with highest land values (bid price model)
Post- multi nodal structure with a more varied and random pattern of land values
Difference in urban architecture between modern and post modern city
Modern- architecture is functional and it is designed to meet needs
Post- architecture is aesthetic designed to make a statement
Difference in urban planning between modern and post modern city
Modern- cities planned in totality with peoples social needs and wants considered
Post- city planned w inter connected fragments. Focus on aesthetic ends rather then social needs
Difference in urban gov between modern and post modern city
Modern- Public services- provided by local authorities (the council)
Post- public services are provided by the marker sometimes in partnership with the local authority
Difference in urban economy between modern and post modern city
Modern- mass production of goods require a large labour force. A national and global market
Post- services especially quaternary activities dominate
consumer oriented global in scale
Difference in urban culture and society between modern and post modern city
Modern- segregation by social class Homogeneity in terms of ethnicity
Segregation by class and ethnicity. A high degree of social polarisation in some inner urban districts
What is a post modern city
A new urban form characterised by a patchwork of changing land use and striking architecture
Is Leicester modern or post modern
Like many other British cities fits best in the modern city but has characteristics of a most modern city eg in urban fog and architecture
Benefits of post modern urban form
Partnerships to run services like transport saves costs
Tourists and investors are attracted to the city as it is aesthetically pleasing
Less traffic- multi nodal
Problems of post modern city
Aesthetic architecture is expensive
Less jobs in secondary industries
Characteristics of a mega city- and which ones apply to Leicester
High density living in central zones (leic)
Redevelopment of low quality housing or conservation of historic core in HICs (Leics)
Inadequate infrastructure- result of rapid growth
All types of pollution linked especially to carbon based pollution- cars/factories
Environment issues
All types of pollution linked especially to carbon based pollution- cars/factories noise smell, visual, air
Suburbanisation and low density living
As city expands outwards ‘car dominates urban sprawl’ (Leica)
Residential differentiation
segregation. Can be a barrier to social cohesion
Out of town Edge cities- new population centres w OOT retailing and business. This is decentralisation of peripheral growth. They have transport routes to the mega city
