IGCSE Geography - Urban Environments

Urbanisisation

The increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities.

Rural to Urban Migration

the movement of people from the countryside to the city

Megacity

City with over 10 million people

Burges and Hoyt models

Burgess's is a concentric circle model whereas Hoyt's is a sector model.

CBD (central business district)

- Most accesable area in the centre of a city.

- Contains retailing, commercial businesses: finiance and offices.

- High rise buildings, shops, transport and pedestrain areas.

- Not much change in CBD

Old inner city

- Near the centre, early suburbs.

- Old housing, factories. Terrice housing.

- Lots of change: Regenration/Urban re-imaging.

Suburban Ring

- Housing is dominant land use.

- Changing in UK (counter-urbanisation.)

Urban Fringe

- Countryside 'eroded' by otwards spread of built up areas for:

Housing/non-residential use

Urban Fringe land use - Housing

- Areas would normally contain detached/semi-detached housing.

E.g. Royal Quay, Harefield.

Urban Fringe land use - Transport

- Land used for bypasses and ring roads.

E.g. M25

Urban Fringe land use - Retail parks

- Used as large sites for retail such as shopping.

E.g. Bluewater, Kent

Urban Fringe land use - Business Parks

- Area with groups of offices grouped together.

E.g. Uxbridge Business park.

Urban Fringe land use - Science Parks

- Areas to support reasearch and development.

E.g. Thames Valley, Science park

Urban Fringe land use - Industrial Estate

- Big warehouses for companies that have good accessibility. Larger areas of land are cheaper.

E.g. Acton Park Industrial Estate.

Greenfield Site

- An area of open space that has not previously been built on.

E.g. Liberty Park, North Horsham, West Sussex.

Greenfield Site - Advantages

- Healthier environment.

- Proximity to countryside, leisure and recreation.

- Layout not hampered by previous development.

- Relatively cheap and rates of house building are faster.

Greenfield Site - Disadvantages

- Valuable farmland and recreational space lost.

- Development causes noise and light pollution.

- Wildlife and their habitats lost.

- Encourages further suburban sprawl.

Brownfield Site

- Land that has been prevously used, abandoned and now awaits a new use.

E.g. Fort Dunlop, Birmingham.

Brownfield Site - Advantages

- Reduces loss of countryside.

- Helps revive urban areas.

- Services already in place.

- Located near main areas of employment.

Brownfield site - Disadvantages

- Often more expensive as old building has to be cleared.

- Sometimes surrounded by run down areas so are not appealing to wealthier.

- Higher levels of pollution.

- May not have good access by road.

Rural Push Factors:

- Natural hazards

- Overgrazing

- Pests

- Farm machinery

- Large families

- Farmers lack tools, seeds and fertilisers.

- Land taken for export crops

Urban pull factors

- Shops and enterainment

- Better access to primary (preventive) and secondary (emergency) medical care

- Better access to schooling, especially secondary

- Higher wages

- Wider variety of jobs in manufacturing and services

Sustainable

Meeting the needs of today, without comprimising the needs of the future.

(Economical, social and environmental.)

Quality of life

It is the standard of health, comfort and happiness that someone experiences.

Index of multiple deprivation

The country is divided into areas and they are ranked against a set of criteria to come up with the value for quality of life.

The Poverty Cycle (5)

1. Family in poverty

2. Child grows up in poverty

3. Disadvantage in education and skills

4. Struggles to get a job

5. Fails to escape poverty cycle.

Social Inequality reduction - London Living wage

- £10.75 minimum wage

- Greater income to help meet the high cost of living in London

Social Inequality reduction - Link between private and state

- St Paul's establish 'master class' link with state schools.

- Social gap between groups would close.

Social Inequality reduction - Better Health for London plan

- Work with stakeholders on reducing obesity by encouraging more excersise.

Stratford East London - Overview

- After closure of London docks (1960s) thousands lost their jobs.

- Regenaration project with 2012 decision to use stratford for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Starford East London - Positives

- Well connected transport.

- 20,000 jobs by 2030 bringing £5 billion to the area.

- 10,000 new homes by 2030, 1/3 would be affordable.

- Many green areas with walking/cycle routes.

Stratford East London - Negatives

- Stadium cost £701 million and few jobs were created for local people during construction.

- 450 flats destroyed for the park.

LIC urban sustainability - Curitiba

- South-West Brazil

- Population of over 2 million

- Plannig started in 1968 when population was only 430,000.

- Known as ecological capital of Brazil.

- Highly successful Curitiba Master Plan

Curitiba - Transport

- Large bus lanes for triple-articulated buses.

- Bus system runs every 60 seconds and is used by 70% of inhabitants. (They use biofuel)

Curitiba - Ecological

- 28 parks

- In 1970 only 1 square metre of green space per person. Now 52 square metres.

- Stop shanty towns being established and natural hazards.

- Lower levels of pollution