Urban Form

Question 1

Define Urban Form

Answer 1

• Urban form is the physical characteristics of built up areas including the shape, size, density and organisation of urban places. This can also be called urban morphology.
• Urban form can be considered at different scales from local street level, to a whole city, to a whole country.

Question 2

What is the UK’s Urban Form (national scale)?

Answer 2

According to a Government report in 2014. The UKs urban form is…..
•1 Mega city – London
•6 large metropolitan areas – Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield
•56 urban areas with more than 125 000 people
The rest would be classed as small towns and villages

Question 3

What are the characteristics of mega cities?

Answer 3

• Urban sprawl and suburbanisation
• Peripheral growth
• Edge cities and decentralisation
• High and low density living
• Residential differentiation and segregation
• Re-development and conservation
• Inadequate infrastructure (road, rail, water, electricity, internet, waste disposal, services)

Question 4

What is the general Urban Form for MEDCs/HICs today?

Answer 4

In MEDCs/HICs the focus today is on making cities more sustainable. This will include redesigning cities to encourage people to walk or cycle and to reduce use of cars. The re-development of brownfield sites is seen helping to protect the countryside surrounding the city from new developments. Recycling systems to avoid landfill.

Question 5

What is the general Urban Form for LEDCs/LICs today?

Answer 5

In LEDCS/LICs the rapid pace of urbanisation and hence of urban growth and urban expansion means that urban form is haphazard and unplanned.