Contemporary Urban Environments

The settlement Hierarchy

Isolated dwelling - Hamlet - Village - Small town - Large town - City - Conurbation

Megacity

A city or urban area with a population of over 10 million

Metacity

A city or urban area with a population of over 20 million

Urban growth

An increase in the number of urban dwellers

Urbanisation

An increase in the proportion of a country’s population that lives in urban areas (towns and cities)

Urban sprawl

The spread of an urban area into the surrounding countryside.

Suburbanisation

The movement of people from the inner parts of a city to the outer edges

Counter - urbanisation

The movement of people from large urban areas into smaller urban areas or into rural areas

Decentralisation

The movement of population and industry from the urban centre to other areas, such as suburbs or rural areas

Deindustrialisation

The decrease in secondary industries, such as manufacture

Gentrification

The improvement of housing in an area by wealthier people, making it unaffordable for those previously living there

Edge - cities

Self contained settlements that have grown from the edge of cities after decentralisation has happened

Consequences of urbanisation

Urban sprawl, lack of housing, lack of services, unemployment and underemployment, transport issues

Deindustrialisation

The move away from industry and manufacture to towards services

Decentralisation

Businesses moving away from the centre of the city, out into the countryside

Service economy

An economy focussed on providing services, rather than products

Urban Development Corporations (UDC’s)

Aimed to regenerate vacant brownfield sites and attract more private sector investment - London Docklands Development Corporation

Enterprise Zones

Aims to attract high tech businesses to move to an area through reduced rates and exemption from taxes

City challenges

Provide certain local councils with money that they could spend on whatever they wanted

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Designed to improve physical economic and social conditions by bringing local councils and businesses together to work together

Metro Mayors

Give elected people power and funding to make decisions over a range of issues in their areas

Levelling up

Improving areas of the UK to allow all areas to have equal access to services and opportunities

Urban Form

The physical characteristics of built up areas including the shape, size, density and makeup / configuration of settlements

Physical factors which affect settlement location

Relief of the land, drainage of the land, rivers and lakes, natural resources, type of land and climate

Human factors which affect settlement location

Land value, transport links, communication infrastructure, education and healthcare opportunities and planning and policy

Population - Urban form change

Globalisation makes flows of people less predictable, may lead to a lack of infrastructure

Environment - Urban form change

Pollution may end up in the environment if physical infrastructure for waste does not grow

Economy - Urban form change

Hug population leads to industry settling there, and moves with it

Technology - Urban form change

Some industries need wired networks, so all locate near one another, while others may not, leading to them spreading out

Policies - Urban form change

Government policies affecting infrastructure, planning and the economy way encourage (reduced tax) or restrict (greenbelts) changes

Mega cities

Over 10 million, edge cities spawning and absorbed, aging infrastructure fails, car dominates, intense living areas, transit oriented development, increased distance between socio - economic classes, environmental problems and saving historic cores from destruction

World cities

City with a disproportionate power and influence on a global scale, due to the headquarters of multinational corporations that settle within and having some of the best services and infrastructure

London - world city - hub of production

HQ of Barclays, branches of Citibank UK (USA owned) and world renowned for theatre and literature

London - world city - hub of Political decision making

Member of G7 allowing UK to contribute to global policy, UK government located within

London - world city - hub of migration

42 universities attracting international and domestic universities

Town centre mixed development

The development of functions other than retailing to increase the attractions of the city centre - cinemas, theatres and developing nightlife

Exeter, Devon - 2007

Opening of a mixed use city centre redevelopment scheme to replace undesirable post war development with 60 retail units, 122 flats and a unique visitor attraction (medieval underground passage)

Gentrification

The buying and renovating of properties in run down areas by wealthier individuals bringing up house and rent prices - rise in general property quality but residents cannot afford the new rent prices so have to move out

Cultural and heritage quarters

Spread people out across the city by dividing it based around its history and culture

Birmingham Jewellery Quarter

Historically manufactured jewellery, and still does to build up national importance

Fortress Landscapes

Areas designed around security, protection and surveillance and exclusion, creating people who are ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’

Fortress LA

Developed a reputation of fear and paranoia of gangs, homeless and minorities causing gated communities, armed response teams and staked metal fencing to form

Edge cities

Self contained settlements which have emerged beyond the original city boundary caused by urban sprawl, causing extreme social segregation as the wealthy move and leave the poor behind

Los Angeles (Edge cities)

Core city is 30km wide, with under 4 million people while the metropolitan area is over 100km wide and has nearly 18 million people - over 20 edge cities

Post Modern City

Changes in urban structure, architectural design and planning, leading to fragmented urban forms with eclectic and varied architecture but heightened economic and social inequalities and polarisation

Las Vegas (Post Modern City)

Large number of edge cities, large number of hotels for tourism many of which are extremely themed with a high rate of violent crime