Urban Forms

Question 1

What is urban form?

Answer 1

The physical characteristics that make up a city such as it’s size, shape, population density and how the city is arranged.

Question 2

Which areas were cities initially established in?

Answer 2

Areas with hot water supplies, fertile soil and natural resources with good defensive properties.

Question 3

What are the physical factors that can affect urban form?

Answer 3

-Topography
-Water
-Natural resources
-Land type

Question 4

How can topography affect urban forms?

Answer 4

Physical features often influence the growth of cities.
Steep slopes= harder to build on and less accessible =poorer
large flat areas= low density developments as there’s lots of space to build.

Question 5

How does water affect urban forms?

Answer 5

Presence of lakes and seas limit urban growth while cities may grow along a river.
City centre shops and businesses are usually located at the water front.

Question 6

How do natural resources affect urban form?

Answer 6

Rich resources like coal encourage growth in the size and population of cities as they encourage industry.

Question 7

How do land types affect urban form?

Answer 7

Some ground surfaces are difficult to build on such as swamps and wetlands so this can limit urban growth.

Question 8

What are the human factors the affect urban form?

Answer 8

-Planning
-Infrastructure
-Land value

Question 9

How does planning affect urban forms?

Answer 9

Urban expansion can be planned or unplanned.
Developing: urban growth caused by unplanned expansion of slums.
Developed: planned expansion including open space and leisure facilities.

Question 10

How can infrastructure change urban forms?

Answer 10

New developments are often built along existing transport links leading to linear growth.

Question 11

How does land value change urban form?

Answer 11

Highest value: city centre where profitable businesses like chain stores are found.
Lowest value: further from the city centre where independent businesses can be found.

Question 12

Describe the land use pattern of developed countries.

Answer 12

-Tend to have a CBD (Central Business District).
-CBD is surrounded by housing ( Although land value is highest in city centre house prices increase the further away from the CBD)
-Shopping centres are constructed in semi-rural areas due to cheap land.

Question 13

Describe how land value differs in urban areas in developed countries.

Answer 13

Inner city: high land value and high density housing. Mainly ethnic minorities.
Rural: land value is lower so residential areas are less dense with more open space and bigger houses.

Question 14

Describe the land use patterns of a developing country.

Answer 14

Developing cities also have CBDs.
-Land value is highest in the centre so luxury apartments are built there.
-Surrounding this is is a zone of medium cost which may have started as an informal settlement but has improved.
-On the outskirts of the city low cost and informal housing is built with limited access to clean water and electricity most are immigrants from other developing countries.

Question 15

What are the most recent features of modern cities?

Answer 15

-Town centre mixed developments
-Cultural and heritage quarters
-Gentrified areas
-Fortress developments
-Edge cities

Question 16

What are town centre mixed developments?

Answer 16

Areas where land use is mixed. Residential commercial and leisure facilities are all found.
Local councils plan areas with funding from private investors to attract people back to the city.

Question 17

What are cultural and heritage quarters?

Answer 17

Areas that focus on the history or character of the city.
Often include theatres, art galleries and historical buildings.
Developed by local councils to regenerate former industrial areas to attract visitors and generate income.

Question 18

What is gentrification?

Answer 18

When wealthier people move in to rundown inner city areas and improve the housing.

Question 19

Describe a gentrified area.

Answer 19

Often have a large range of services and contain high-quality housing. But poorer residents may be displaced as the cost of living goes up increasing social and economic segregation.

Question 20

What is a fortress development?

Answer 20

Developments with lots of security such as CCTV, guards or high walls.
Often located in suburban areas and are designed to give a safe environment for families but they are very divisive as only rich people can afford to live there.

Question 21

What are edge cities?

Answer 21

New areas of offices, shops and leisure facilities that develop close to transport links that contain some housing.
The majority of edge cities have developed since car ownership has increased.

Question 22

Give an example of a cultural and heritage quarter?

Answer 22

Belfast titanic quarter.

Question 23

Give an example of a gentrified area.

Answer 23

Brick lane.

Question 24

Give an example of a fortress development.

Answer 24

Beverly Hills gated community.

Question 25

Give an example of an edge city.

Answer 25

Croydon near London.

Question 26

What is a post-a modern city?

Answer 26

A city in a developing country that has moved away from clear cut patterns and uniformity in architecture.

Question 27

What are the 5 characteristics of post-modern cities?

Answer 27

-Multiple centres with different purposes (IT, retail and heritage)
-Focus on specific industries
(IT, media)
-Less uniform architecture
Buildings have a wide range of styles.
-Aesthetics prioritised when planning
How it looks over practical use.
-Higher social and economic inequality

Question 28

Give an example of post modern city characteristics in London.

Answer 28

Gherkin is an example of less uniform architecture while social and economic inequalities are growing.