envsocty - unit 10

urban structure

arrangement of land uses in cities

urban land uses (6 categories)

• residential

• industrial

• commercial

• institutional

• transportation/infrastructure

• public

residential areas

• about 50% of urban area

• variation (rich/poor + new/old + high/low density)

industrial areas

• about 5-10% of urban area

  • heavy (traditional) production + light (innovative) production

commercial areas

• about 5% of urban area

  • (ex. offices + retail)

institutional areas

• about 5-10% of urban area

  • (ex. government buildings, universities, hospitals, churches)

transportation/infrastructure areas

• about 25% of urban area (ex. roads)

public areas

• about 5-10% of urban area (ex. parks)

accessibility

variable quality of a location (expressing opportunity for interaction with other locations)

how land uses are organized

competition for territory/location (desirability of location)

land value

ability or willingness to pay for land

• central location = more accessible, less space

• peripheral location = less accessible, more space

bid-rent curves

shows how willing certain land uses are willing to pay for location near central business district (CBD)

• commercial = wants to be close to city

• industrial = not as willing to be close

• residential = less willing

central business district (CBD)

social + cultural + commercial + political + economic center of a city

concentric zone model

process where residential neighborhoods come to be associated with particular social groups (by Ernest Burgess)

• the greater the distance from the CBD, the greater the wealth

concentric zone model (5 zones)

• CBD

• zone in transition (industrial employment)

• working class homes

• middle class residences

• wealthiest residences (wealthy commuter suburbs)

sector model

city differentiated into sectors based on land value (by Homer Hoyt)

• (ex. growth occurs outwards from land area)

multiple nuclei model

cities initially develop around a CBD + additional notes/nuclei emerge within the urban area over time (ex. airport, suburban business centers, universities)

Jane Jacobs theory

• higher density cities

• walkable + mixed-use neighborhoods

• anit-car-centric cities

Richard Florida theory

• urban regeneration through placemaking + urban entrepreneurialism

• 3 “T’s” = technology + talent + tolerance

• criticized for contributing to greater inequalities in cities

Neil Smith + David Ley theory

• role of capital + culture in gentrification of urban residential neighborhoods

composite model (for European cities)

• historic core (central to commercial + civic + social life)

• core is ringed with residential areas (going through change)

  • suburban residencies are varied

  • commuting + middle/high-class households sit on urban periphery

model for Latin America (Larry R. Ford)

• centered around CBD

• commercial spine (extension of CBD)

• residential quality declines with increasing distance from CBD

model for Sub-Saharan African city

• usually a commercial center (former colonial business district + traditional/informal marketplace)

• sectors of residential neighborhoods + manufacturing clusters

• high-quality housing located close to the center

model for Southwest Asian + North African city

• majory central Islamic symbol (ex. mosques)

• suburban mosques (creating separate nuclei)

• many are reluctant to Westernized urbanization

model for South Asian city (Indigenous)

• central bazaar/market

• high-quality residences close to bazaar (quality declines with increasing distance)

• scattered regions for other ethnic groups

model for South Asian city (colonial)

• central historic military fort + with open space

• sectors beyond open space (ex. business district, housing for indigenous population, area for european settlement)

• outer fringe has residential areas (new wealthy + middle-class)

model for Southeastern Asian city

• port zone

• other zones + sectors

• declining house quality with increasing distance (from port)

• outer zones have formal suburbs + squatter zones (not legal living)

model for Chinese city

• high population density

• no downtown (multiple nuclei)

• center of cities don’t have markets (rely on periphery of city)

  • development is lower in center

urban planning

a political + technical process concerned with the development + design + land use within built environments

• involving organization of different land uses + social sources

• solving problems related to past/present/future development

urban planning (history)

19th century response to rapid industrialization + lack of land organization (just competition for land)

• application of sanitary + social + economic organizations to cities

urban planning (where today?)

• the city (public sector)

• the private sector (working for companies + giving them advice)

• the public/citizens

urban planning (types of plans)

• allocation of land

• distribution of public services (ex. schools, hospitals, libraries)

• infrastructure (rebuilding/adding new)

• transportation

• employment areas

• housing

urban planning (goals)

• meeting needs of competing interests (ex. developers + public + other stakeholders)

• making city better (while trying to minimize large trade-offs)

• planning for a better future without compromising the present (ex. not unfairly burdening people with costs)

various spatial scales of urban planning (how it works)

• regional plans = Provincial Government

  • (ex. Places to Grow Act [for urban sprawl] + Moving Ontario Forward Act [transit plan])

• municipal plans = City government

  • (ex. Transportation Master Plan)

• neighborhood plans

  • (ex. land uses + transportation policies for specific area)

Pan-Am Stadium Plan (planning issues)

• competition between 2 groups

  • supporters of City of Hamilton

  • supporters of Tiger Cats

• competing interests

  • business owner VS.government

• competing visions of stadium + utility of public infrastructure

  • city = to improve city

  • tiger cats = to gain revenue

• competing views of where stadium should go

  • suburban VS. industrial

• competing views of fan experience

  • transit-oriented VS. parking lots

why urban planning is complex

many different stakeholders + competing interests

central business district (CBD)

the social + cultural + commercial + political center of the city

• usually has high-rise office + residential towers

• has key municipal government buildings + civic amenities

civic amenities

theaters, arenas, retail centers, restaurants, hotels, city hall, etc.

neighborhoods

part of a city that shows some internal homogeneity (types of houses)

• relatively uniform income levels +ethnic identify + other shared values

suburb

residential/mix-used area on periphery/edge of the city

neighborhoods comprised of

• people (families/individuals)

• residences (houses + apartments)

  • diversity (old/new + expensive/cheap + large/small)

housing market

• housing viewed as commodity (to be bought/sold)

• housing viewed as essential/universal/basic right

housing value

determined (alrgely) by its location

housing in Canada

seen as commodity (some subsidized housing by government)

residential mobility

individual/family decisions to relocate their place of residence (usually within urban area)

residential mobility (push + pull factors)

• pull = improve quality of life

• push = housing inadequacy, neighborhood liabilities, location

segregation

spatial separation of population subgroups within the wider population

• creates distinct neighborhoods

involuntary segregation

based on discrimination (due to racial/ethnic background OR income level)

congregation

choice of segregation

• ex.) income level in Toronto’s downtown (3 separate income levels)

• ex.) North + South of 8 mile road in Detroit (difference racial composition of neighborhoods)

suburbanization

process where land on edge of urban area becomes urbanized over time (people + businesses move there)

American dream

desire to have more space + live in safer/quieter neighborhoods + have home ownership (1950s in US + Canada)

automobile trap

requires people who live in surbuan areas to have cars (requires more urban land + leads to urban sprawl)

urban sprawl

largely unplanned expansion of an urban area → rural areas

greenbelt

planed area of open/partially rural land surrounding an urban area (urban development is restricted)

• intention = go get developers to build within under/unused areas in city

filtering

process where housing units transition from being occupied by members of 1 (income) group → members of different (income) group

downward filtering

homes built for middle/upper-income groups gradually become less expensive

• housing degrades through neglect + neighborhood is less desirable

• members move to more desirable neighborhoods

upward filtering

inexpensive homes become valued to middle/upper income groups as investments

gentrification

process of neighborhood social change resulting from in-movement of higher-income groups

• through upward filtering

• Neil Smith + David Ley

gentrification forms

• form of revitalization (positive view)

  • higher income residents move in

  • higher property values (and taxes)

  • new cafes/restaurants/stores

• form of displacement (negative view)

  • poor residents have to move out

  • local businesses pushed out + replaced

  • more social polarization

solutions to gentrification

mandate affordable housing + mixed-use development

class

large group of people of similar social status + income level

gated communities (form of inequality)

out of reach for lower income groups

forms of poverty near central city areas (2 ways they transition into this)

• gentrify through investment + upward filtering

• deteriorate through disinvestment + downward filtering + cycle of poverty

cycle of poverty

idea that poverty + deprivation are transmitted through generations

homelessness

circumstance of being without a permanent home

• concentrated in city

• NOT an inner-city problem

• ex.) Toronto’s homeless shelters located in downtown core

economic activity + employment in city

• manufacturing

• commercial activity + business services

• retailing + consumer services

manufacturing

urbanization + urban growth + industrialization

• traditionally = occurred close to city center

• today = occurs mostly on urban periphery

commercial activity + business services

largest segment of economy (in post-industrial economy)

• decentralization of some office functions to suburbs + edge cities

• many office functions remain in CBD

retailing + consumer services

• traditionally = all downtown

• today = suburban malls

• future = completely online + delivered by suburban warehouses?