urban forms and spatial patterns of land use

urban form definiton

the physical characteristics that make up a city, including its size, shape, population density and land use patterns.

physical factors affecting urban form - with details

• Topography: Physical features often influence the growth of cities. E.g. steep slopes are difficut to build on and less accessible, flater areas encourage low density buildings as there’s lots of space. 

• Water: The presence of lakes and seas limits urban growth in those areas, while cities may grow along a river. City centre shops and businesses are often located close to the waterfront. 

• Natural resources: rich resources encourage the growth in size and population of cities. 

• Land type: Some ground types are more difficult or expensive to build on then others, e.g. swamps and wetlands are difficult to build on and prone to flooding 

human factors affecting urban form - with details

• Planning: Urban expansion can be planned or unplanned. For example lots of urban growth in developing countries is caused by the unplanned building of slums. Planned developments often include open space and leisure facilities. 

• Infrastructure: New developments are often built along transport links e.g. LA 

• Land value: The highest land value is often found in the city centre, so the most profitable businesses are found there. 

factors that affected urban form in the past

Many cities were initially established in areas with good water supplies, fertile soil plentiigul natural resources, and good defensive positions. Over time urban form changes for many reasons. 

land use in HIcs and reasons for this

• Cities in the developed world tend to have a central business district (CBD) - a central zoone of shops and businesses 

• The CBD is surrounded by housing. Although lad use tends to be highest in the city centre, houses generally increase in value with distance from the centre 

• Inner city areas have high land value, so housing tends to be high density. Wages are often low and many residents live in relative poverty. The proportion of people from ethnic minorities tends to be high. 

• Land value is lower in rural areas they are less dense with more open space. Houses are generally larger and newer than in the inner-city, and residents are generally wealthy with high wages. 

• Because of the availability of cheap land, and access to a highly skilled population, close to urban areas, man science parks tend to be found here e.g. Bristol and Bath science park. 

lad use in LICs with reasons

• Cities in the developing world also have CBDs. 

• The CBD is surrounded by housing that decreases in value with distance from the CBD. 

• Land use is highest near the CBD, so high-cost housing is built there. Wages are generally high, these areas are often home to wealthy residents. 

• Surrounding the high cost housing is often a zone of medium-cost housing. It may have started as informal settlements and been improved and had services introduced. 

• Land value is very low on the outskirts so informal settlements are oftne found there, with limited access to services and sanitation. Poverty levels are high, and migrants from other parts of the country can often be found here (rural-urban migration)