Urban Environment - IB Geography SL

Identify and locate the industrial functions of a city

Identify and locate the industrial functions of a city

Located in the outskirts of a city.
Functions include:
- factories

Identify and locate the commercial functions of a city

Located in the CBD of a city.
Functions include:
- shopping
- work and offices
- the city center

Briefly explain the meaning of bid-rent

Economic theory that refers to how the price and demand for real estate changes as the distance from the central business district increases. It states that different land users will compete with one another for land close to the city center.

Explain the factors determining the location of the commercial zone in a city

Major traffic patterns, space, and the orientation of the town or city. Commercial zones need adequate room for stores, businesses, parking, and beautification.

Outline the main characteristics of the "cycle of deprivation"

-unemployment
- poor skills
- low incomes
- poor housing
- crime
- bad health
- family breakdown

Explain the characteristics of the informal sector in cities

- neither taxed nor monitored by any form of government
- low income and wage
- little job security
- unemployment
- no profit from the government.

Outline the main characteristics of slum housing

- no access to safe water
- poor sanitation
- poor structure of housing
- over crowded

Briefly explain why some modern retailing is attracted to out-of-town locations

- more space
- more accessibility to construction space
- rent can be more affordable

Explain how centrifugal movement of population affects a city and its surrounding area

- When people start moving out of the city, rents will decrease, less overcrowding
- Businesses might shut down and it could become a ghost town like Detroit

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of counter-urbanization (rural →urban)

Advantages for rural areas:
- new and better transport links
- new shops and services
- increases value of land
- increases cultural diversity

Advantages for cities:
- fewer people
- less traffic and congestion

Disadvantages for rural areas:
- higher congestion
- house prices increase

Disadvantages for cities:
- cities shrink in size
- loss of economic activity

Explain the process of deindustrialization

It is when countries, cities or regions start to remove industrial activity from their areas and their economies become less reliant on industrial activities. (manufacturing, heavy industries)

Suggest why most of the world's growing megacities are found in LICs

Because of urbanization, because people are moving from rural areas to urban areas to be able to get jobs and be employed.

Outline the potential impacts of megacities (negative)

traffic congestion, pollution, overcrowding, income disparity

Describe the features of urban climate

cities are warmer so there is less air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and amount of precipitation

Explain what is the urban heat island effect

A metropolitan area that's a lot warmer than the rural areas surrounding it. Heat is created by energy from all the people, cars, buses, and trains in big cities like New York, Paris, and London.

Describe and explain an example of a contested land use

Contested land use change is when there is disagreement about converting land from one use to another. When changes in land use occur, different people can have different views about the change. Often, the disagreement is between people who live in the area compared to developers who want to change the land use. The outcome will depend on who has the most power.

Outline causes and consequences of urban air pollution

Causes include traffic congestion, pollution from factories and consequences are environmental and health related including asthma, lung diseases.

Explain the reasons for promoting green spaces in cities

The greenspace will help to reduce pollution and the heat island effect, promote outdoor activities and active life- styles, increase social interaction and exchange, and provide healthy urban conditions for good physical and mental well-being.

Suggest improvements that could be made to relieve traffic congestion in cities

- Management of traffic light
- More public transportation better trains
- Parking at work you have to pay
- Penalty on road work, taxes for the roads
- Carpooling

Outline the main characteristics of a resilient city

constant learning, the ability to rebound quickly from disaster, limitations and potential failures, and flexibility

Outline the main characteristics of an eco-city

- Green spaces
- Solar farms
- Green buildings
- Food production
- Vehicle charging station
- Electric cars

Outline the main characteristics of a smart city

- Technology
- Wi-Fi access
- 5G
- Internet of things, everything is controlled by IOT
- Infrastructure development