Rural-urban continuum and its links

What is the rural-urban continuum?

The gradual transition between urban and rural areas

Fewer services the more rural the area

Sequence of areas

CBD - secondary city - town - villages - rural

Population trends

• low density in CBD (central business district)due to commercial activity and public buildings dominate

• Surrounding CBD is highest densities. Old industrial areas with terraced housing. Some replaced with high rise buildings

• Interwar period had low density buildings

• Large amounts of council estates on the urban fringe but cliff due to green belt policies

What is conurbation?

The merging of two or more sizeable cities whose peripheral zones have grown into each other

What is an overspill town?

A town built/repurposed/expanded to accommodate access population from a city

Physical factors that effect population structure

• areas of isolation = lower population densities and population decline

• Isolated areas are poorly connected to areas of employment and services

• Weather provides challenged e.g. winter causing power failures and become cut off from services (Scottish highlands)

How historical development caused differences in population structure

• cities have expanded

• Land use directly effects population density

• Inner city has high density due to Industrial Revolution

• Suburban has more space

Role of planning on population structure

• green belts 1947 to prevent urban sprawl

• Local and national government play a role

• They decide on planning permission , housing and infrastructure

• Regeneration projects

• Creating enterprise zones to attract businesses

Population characteristics of wetherby, Leeds and harehills + gipton

Wetherby population characteristics

Aged 0-15 is 17% of pop

16-64 is 55%

65+ is 28% due to retirement, migration and less noise and air pollution

Life expectancy 86.4 F and 82.9 M

Leeds population characteristics

0-15 is 18%

16-64 is 66% large student population that stay post graduation

65+ is 16%

Life expectancy 81.7 F and 78.5M

Characteristics of Newham

population density - 8672

Avg age - 31

Largest age group - 28-31

Fertility rate per 1000 - 76.6

Internal migration- high uni intake , graduates take up jobs in knowledge economy in London

International migration- high natural increase, highest fertility rate in the UK

Accessibility- close to centre of London , excellent infrastructure, London over ground + tube

Physical factors - Thames is a physical barrier, flat land

Challenges for planners - regeneration of dock lands, regeneration has made housing available

Characteristics around the UK

Characteristics in Leeds

Role of planning in Harehills

• regeneration in the children’s centre

• Job shop

• Harehills Improvement Plan