CUE - Urban Forms

Urban Forms - Megacities - Factors Affecting Urban Form - Examples - Models of Form

Urban form:

The physical characteristics of built-up areas including shape, size and density.

World city:

A city that acts as a centre of economic activity - business, politics, culture, science, media and trade. They serve not just a country or region, but the whole world.

Give 3 examples of world cities:

New York, London and Tokyo.

Give 5 ways world cities are important:

1. Some of the best legal + medical facilities e.g. New York
2. Centre for education e.g. Taipei
3. Domination of trade e.g. Rio
4. Centres of innovation e.g. London
5. Considerable political power e.g. Beijing.

Describe the ranking system for cities:

There are five ranks: Alpha++ (top ranking e.g. London), Alpha+, Alpha (middle ranking e.g. Chicago), Beta and Gamma (lowest ranking e.g. Zagreb).

Give one environmental characteristic of a world city (with an example):

Increased levels of pollution e.g. in Rio, 200 tonnes of raw waste enter the bays daily.

Give one social characteristic of a world city (with an example):

High density living e.g. In Tokyo, the population density is 6,200 people per km2.

Give one economic characteristic of a world city (with an example):

High levels of inequality e.g. In Tokyo there are 279 millionaires and 5000 homeless people.

Give 3 physical factors that affect urban form:

1. Topography
2. Natural resources
3. Land type and water.

Give 3 human factors that affect urban form:

1. Transport links
2. Previous industry
3. Policies.

Peak Land Value Intersection:

The PVLI is the point in a city where the land is most valued. From here the land value decays.

Describe the bid rent curve:

A curve with rent per m2 on the y-axis and distance from the CBD on the x-axis. It shows how only large chain retail can afford central rent, followed by manufacturing and then residential.

Where can multiple PVLIs occur?

They are very common in cities that that experienced deindustrialisation and suburbanisation, for example at the Willows in Torquay.

Burgess Model:

A model of land use based on Chicago, with concentric rings centering on the CBD. The order, going out, is CBD, industry, working class housing, middle class housing, high class housing.

Give three failures of the Burgess Model:

1. Doesn’t account for topography
2. Assumes even growth
3. Doesn’t account for urban change (it’s an old model).

Hoyt Model:

A development of the Burgess Model, with segments or land use that accounts for ribbon development. It also has high class and working class housing close to each other.

Give 2 successes and 2 failures of the Hoyt model:

**Successes:** Accounts for varied growth and transport-based development

**Failures:** Based on HICs and doesn’t account for urban change.

Waugh Model:

An LIC/NEE version of the Hoyt Model, with a CBD, segments of high class housing and industry, as well as concentric circles of periferia (developed favelas) and favelas at the edge.

How is the Waugh Model different to the Hoyt Model?

It describes LICs and NEEs much better than the Hoyt Model.