Urban settlements

What 4 things to all urban settlements have

* A CBD
* Industrial areas ( inner city ring)
* Different residential districts (suburban ring)
* Outer zones of suburban expansion (urban fringe)

Features of the CBD

* Multi-storey development with vertical growth rather than horizontal due to lack of space
* Land of high value
* Business & retail
* Low residential population
* Lots of transport links
* Old, tall buildings that have been renovated
* Grid iron pattern

Features of the industrial area (inner city ring)

* Factories
* Railway lines, buses or a canal to transport goods
* Very old buildings made of brick
* Low cost of land
* Grid iron pattern
* Terraced housing
* Not many services

Features of the suburban zone

* Housing
* Not many transport links - may be a few buses
* Made of brick or slate
* Semi detached housing
* Low cost of land
* Cul-de-sacs and curvilinear street pattern
* Few low order services

Features of the urban fringe

* Housing clustered into estates
* Accessibility is best
* Some industrial land uses
* Countryside eroded through urban sprawl
* Recreational facilities
* Ringroads

What happens to the age of buildings as you move out of the CBD

Decreases

What happens to the density of building developments as you move out of the CBD

Decreases

What is the urban fringe like in LEDCs

Has illegal squatter settlements or shanty towns as its ‘housing estates’

What is the urban fringe like in MEDCs

The poorer zones are the inner city with industry at the fringes for ease of access to motorways

What are some examples of changes to the CBD

* Pedestrian zones
* Shopping malls → convenient and increases spending
* Leisure (parks, museums, cinemas, sport centres, cafes)
* Brownfield sites - Disused shops converted into residential lofts
* Safety - monitored by CCTV, management of traffic during the day etc

What are some examples of changes to the inner city

* Urban development corporations (UDCs) were large scale projects that brought about major changes to the inner city w the help of private and public investments
* Transport links have been upgraded
* New health centres, schools and universities
* Business, leisure and residential areas are placed alongside each other cutting down on the need for transport & pollution levels are lower

What are some examples of changes to the urban fringe

* Growth at urban fringe mainly due to counter urbanisation, population growth, lack of space and spiralling land costs
* Retail parks - large sphere of influence due to being easily accessible
* Industrial estates - space for expansion, cheaper land
* Business parks
* Airports
* Motorways and ringroads

What is urban sprawl?

The unplanned growth of urban areas into the surrounding countryside

What is a green belt?

A buffer to prevent urban sprawl by keeping lands permanently open

Negative effects of urban sprawl

* Loss of farmland
* Loss of traditional “green spaces” - parks
* Impact on ecosystem - removal trees leads to increased pollution levels
* Creates impermeable surfaces and surface run-off

What is urban redevelopment?

Improving an urban area through demolishing, reconstructing or renovating existing buildings and infrastructure - distinct change in the area

What is urban renewal?

The improvement of existing buildings, parks, roads and industrial areas - area remains recognisable

What is gentrification?

When a poor area experiences an influx of educated or wealthy individuals who gradually renovate and push up property values

Effects of gentrification

Usually forces out poorer families as the area becomes too expensive to live in

Effects of congestion

* Delays journeys & makes people late to their destinations
* Increases fuel consumption
* Adds to emissions of greenhouse gases

Effects of light pollution

* Headaches
* Loss of sleep
* Wastes energy
* Disruption of nocturnal animals

Effects of urban sprawl

* Higher emissions due to car dependency (people have to commute further and increased traffic)
* Lost time due to longer commuting and can lead to lower productivity
* Loss of rural way of life and character of countryside
* Higher costs for public transport

Solutions to urban challenges

* Reduce the reliance on fossil fuels
* Use public rather than private transport to reduce pollution
* Conserve historical buildings
* Minimise the use of greenfield sites and use brownfield sites instead
* Recyclable packaging
* Reduce the amount of packaging
* Use renewable energy or low level energy devices

What is urbanisation

An increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas

What is a megacity

An urban region with over 10 million residents