Chapter 6

Urban Environments

Done By

Swathika

Pourna Devi
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Poornima
 Urban Environments
What is Urbanisation?

 The growth of towns and cities which leads to an

increase in the proportion of people living in the urban
settlements.

How do urban settlements differ from rural ones?

 Urban economy – manufacturing and services

Rural economy- agriculture
 Urban settlements are larger in size and demography
(population)
 The way of life differs

Urbanisation in LICs and HICs

 The rate of urbanization in the LIC cities is much

greater than that of the HIC cities.
 This graph shows us how exactly population changes
take place in LIC and HIC cities. For ex. There has
been a great increase in urbanization in Asia and
Pacific when compared with HICs like Europe.
 WHY IS THIS SO?  continued below

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
 PUSH FACTORS FROM
COUNTRYSIDE (RURAL
AREAS)
 No jobs or poorly paid jobs
 Mechanisation. Machines
taking the jobs of people
 Low prices for agricultural
products
 Poor schools and hospitals
 Shortage of entertainment
 Poor quality of housing
 Drought and famine
 Shortages of water,
electricity and gas
 Poor transport and
PULL FACTORS TO CITIES
(URBAN AREAS)
 More jobs
 Better education and
medical care
 Better transport and
communications
 More reliable supply of
water, electricity and
gas.
 Better entertainment
 More houses and better
quality houses
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 communications

 New economic developments are concentrated in

big cities
 Natural increase in population in the cities due to
the increase in birth rate

Urbanisation is caused by rural-urban migration

 Rural-urban migration is the movement of people

from the countryside to the cities.
 This causes urbanization in richer and poorer
countries.

Why is the rate of urbanization much slower in HICs?

 A simple reason is that a large proportion of the
population is already living in towns and cities.
 The built up areas of towns and cities continue to
grow. Because of modern transport the urban way
of life is gradually spreading into rural areas.
THIS IS CALLED RURAL DILUTION.

Santiago, Chile
Today the UK is a mostly urban society, with 90% of the
population living in towns or cities.
On a global scale, urbanisation is taking place rapidly,
particularly in LEDCs Although the UK is an urban society,
more and more people are choosing to live on the edge of
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urban areas with many relocating to the countryside. This
is called counterurbanisation.
.

COUNTER URBANISATION  Migration from urban

to rural areas in MEDCs - East Anglia, GB

Trends:

since the 1980s there has been movement away from

conurbations and larger cities, most of this movement has
been to new towns, dormitory/ overspill towns and
suburbanised villages

Reasons:

 employment: industry got relocated to the edge of

the city sites or smaller rural towns. People move for
promotion and for better paid jobs

 housing: when people become more affluent they move

from the inner city to larger, modern houses with
garages and gardens

 changing family status: people move as a result of an

increase in family wealth or size

 environmental factors: moving away from the noise,

air and visual pollution created by traffic in large
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 urban areas to quieter, less polluted environments with
more open space

 social factors: people may move out of cities due to

vandalism, crime, racial prejudice, or poorer
educational families

Thurston (East Anglia):

 14kms from Bury St. Edmunds, and accessible by

train from Bury, 10 minutes by car from Bury
 villagers commute to Bury for work
 population of 3000
 modern new detached housing on housing estates
 traditional services are changing - the old granary has
been converted into small businesses
 only one remaining post office

Urbanisation Processes

I will discuss this according to the Urban Process Timeline, so

that it is orderly. The timeline is as follows:

1. Agglomeration
2. Suburbanisation
3. Commuting
4. Urban regeneration
5. Counter-urbanisation
6. Urban re-imaging
7. Urbanisation of suburbs
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 Urbanisation: Process of change that converts rural areas,
regions and countries into urban ones. It is also the growth of
towns and cities which leads to an increasing percentage of a
country's population living in urban settlements.

1. Agglomeration: This is how urban settlements first appear.

It is the concentration of people and economic activities at
favourable locations. E.g. at river crossing points so there
is a supply of water, near a mineral resource such as coal,
iron or oil. Long ago, defence was important so people were
able to protect themselves.

E.g. hilltops made good defensive sites, there were good views
but it was hard to reach, and would not be sheltered from
strong winds.

Ex. Jamshedpur and even our own Madras

2. Suburbanisation: Definition: The outward spread of the

urban area, often at lower densities compared with the older
parts of a town or city.

 As towns grow, they expand outwards through

suburbanisation.
 Adds to built-up area, but building densities lower than in
older parts of town.

3. Commuting: People start to move out of the town/city to

live in smaller more rural areas. These are often called

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dormitory settlements because many new residents only sleep
there. They commute to work and still make use of urban
service like shops and hospitals. Commuting definition: Travel
some distance between one's home and place of work on a
regular basis.

4. Urban regeneration: involves re-using areas in old parts of

the city where businesses and people have moved out into the
suburbs or beyond. (Expanded upon in another post 'Urban
regeneration and re-imaging)

5. Counter-urbanisation: the movement of people and

businesses (employment) from major cities to smaller
towns/cities and rural areas.

6. Urban re-imaging: changing the image and look of an area

to attract people. (Expanded upon in another post 'Urban
regeneration and re-imaging)

7. Urbanisation of suburbs: suburbs are generally areas of

low-density development, so instead of using rural areas
governments want to use suburban areas--suburban areas
become more dense, raised to an urban level--. Empty spaces
are being developed and large detached houses are replaced
by flats. The suburbs are no longer just residential areas
anymore, shops and other services start to locate there too.

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 Reasons for the growth of Megacities:
 ECONOMIC DEVOLOPMENT-as the economic growth increases more people are
employed in new tertiary and quatenary jobs.
 POPULATION GROWTH-large volume of rural urban migration results in urban
population growth
 ECONOMIES OF SALE-financial savings in terms of transport as communication
between the peole and business is eaiesr
 MULTIPLIER EFFECT

EXTRA

What is a primate city?

A primate city is one that has much more than twice the population of the next
biggest city. An example is Lima (Peru) that is more than ten times larger than
the next settlement or Mexico City in Mexico.
The presence of a primate city in a country may indicate an imbalance in

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development — usually a progressive core, and a lagging periphery, on which
the primate city depends for labour and other resources. What this means is
that while the primate city can develop, the rest of the country has a hard time
keeping up, because all the jobs and investment and services are concentrated
there

Bangkok - the primate city for Thailand

Problems of urbanisation in the CBD - traffic congestion

Traffic jam on the M6 motorway

As more people move to the edge of towns and cities, traffic

congestion may get worse. Many people will drive their cars into the
city centre to get to work.

It is compounded by people being brought into city on large roads or

motorways. These roads then link up with smaller, older, narrower
roads in the city centre. This causes a bottleneck and congestion.

Some cities have tried to manage this problem by introducing traffic

management schemes. These schemes may include:

 park and ride schemes

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  cycle lanes
 congestion charging schemes, such as those in Durham and London
 car-pooling, as used in the USA, to encourage people to share
cars
 Low Emission Zones, as in London

Local councils have also tried to make the roads in urban areas safer by
introducing traffic calming, pedestrian zones, vehicle-exclusion zones
and permit-only parking schemes.

Reducing congestion in cities

The introduction of Park and Ride

schemes. People park in car parks on the
edge of a settlement and catch regular
buses into the centre.

Park and Ride scheme

operating in Plymouth

Pedestrianised areas are designated as

'pedestrian only' zones.

Pedestrian shopping streets,

Liverpool

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 Permit holder parking - certain parts of
the city, particularly near the centre, are
designated as permit parking only. This
means that people must have a permit to
park in that area. This reduces the
number of people driving in to towns and
cities as parking opportunities are
Permit holder parking in
restricted.
Westminster

Vehicle exclusion zones - certain

types of vehicles are excluded from
certain parts of a city, eg large
vehicles may not be allowed to enter
narrow roads or residential areas.
Vehicle exclusion sign

Car pooling - people are encouraged

to share cars. This has been used in
a lot in the USA.

Taxi cabs on a New York

street

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 Traffic calming - roads narrowing
and speed bumps make traffic move
slower around narrower streets.
Narrow roads may restrict the type
Speed bump in a of vehicle that can enter certain
residential area in parts of the city.
London

The Burgess and Hoyt model

Geographers have put together models of land use to show

how a 'typical' city is laid out. One of the most famous of
these is the Burgess or concentric zone model.

This model is based on the idea that land values are highest in
the centre of a town or city. This is because competition is
high in the central parts of the settlement. This leads to
high-rise, high-density buildings being found near the Central
Business District (CBD), with low-density, sparse
developments on the edge of the town or city.

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The Burgess model

However, there are limits to the Burgess model:

 The model is now quite old and was developed before the
advent of mass car ownership.
 New working and housing trends have emerged since the
model was developed. Many people now choose to live and
work outside the city on the urban fringe - a phenomenon
that is not reflected in the Burgess model.
 Every city is different. There is no such thing as a typical
city.

Another urban model is the Hoyt model. This is based on the

circles on the Burgess model, but adds sectors of similar land
uses concentrated in parts of the city. Notice how some
zones, eg the factories/industry zone, radiate out from the

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CBD. This is probably following the line of a main road or a
railway.

The Hoyt model

Central business district (CBD)

The land in urban areas is used for many different purposes:

 leisure and recreation - may include open land, eg parks

or built facilities such as sports centres
 residential - the building of houses and flats
 transport - road and rail networks, stations and airports
 business and commerce - the building of offices, shops
and banks
 industry - factories, warehouses and small production
centres

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The CBD in the city centre is where most business and
commerce is located.

Features that identify the CBD

Bullring Shopping Centre, Birmingham

 High/multi-storey buildings.
 Expensive land values.
 Department stores or specialist shops, like jewellers.
 Shopping malls and pedestrian precincts.
 Cultural/historical buildings, museums and castles.
 Offices, finance, banks, administration, town hall
(business sector).
 Bus and railway stations (transport centres).
 Multi-storey car parks.

The CBD is located in the centre because it is:

 a central location for road/railways to converge

 the most accessible location for workers
 accessible to most people for shops and businesses

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To help you remember how to identify a CBD, think of a city
you know. In your exam give named examples for the features
listed above.

The inner city

Terraced houses in Brighton, East Sussex

The inner city is also known as the twilight zone. It is

typically found next to the CBD and has mainly terraced
houses in a grid like pattern. These were originally built to
house factory workers who worked in the inner city factories.
Many of these factories have now closed down.

Unemployment and other socioeconomic problems have led to

periods of unrest in many inner city areas, eg Toxteth in
Liverpool. Many inner city areas declined in the late 20th
century and have undergone a period of regeneration in recent
years, for example Watford Arches Retail Park, which is
located on a former industrial site. Run down terraced housing
is often bought by investors and improved to appeal to young
professionals who need access to the CBD. This is called
gentrification.

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The suburbs

Semi-detached house in Standish, Lancashire

Suburban houses are usually larger than inner city terraces

and most have a garden. Typically, they are detached or semi
detached and the roads around them are arranged in cul de
sacs and wide avenues. Land prices are generally cheaper than
in the CBD and inner city, although the desirability of housing
can make some areas expensive.

Many suburbs were built in the UK in the 1930s and have a

distinctive style of housing, as shown in the picture to the
right. More modern housing estates were built in the late
20th century as towns and cities have continued to grow.

Facilities such as schools, places of worship and parks are

often present, and many are served by a local supermarket.

Suburban areas are often home to commuters who need

access to the CBD along main roads and railways, and they are
also within easy reach of the countryside.

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The urban rural fringe

Allotments in Ripon, North Yorkshire

This is found at the edge of a town or city and is where town

meets country. It is common for this area to have a mixture
of land uses such as some housing, golf courses, allotments,
business parks and airports.

The mixture of land use often causes conflict as different

groups have different needs and interests. For example,
building Terminal 5 at Heathrow on the outskirts of London
was a source of controversy. The need for another runway
continues to cause conflicts of interest.

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 The Segregation of people in Cities
People become segregated into groups based on
their social class, type of occupation and ethnicity.
People prefer to live close to those who are of similar
status.

Wealthier people are able to buy better bigger homes

whilst poorer people must settle for houses which are
cramped and substandard in the worst residential
areas.

A ghetto is an area where ethnic; minorities are concentrated and are the dominant population.
Immigrants in the UK have settled in concentrated in parts of the inner areas of towns and cities.

Factors
encouraging
ethnic
segregation

URBAN LAND USE IN ZOMBA

There are traditional housing areas where people live in huts with
grass roofs. There are also densely populated areas of one-
roomed brick housing where perhaps fifty people share a tap. At
the heart of Zomba is a commercial precinct with 19th and early
20th-century veranda-style shops and a Mosque surrounding the
busy agricultural market complex.

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 The land use model for Zomba may be simplified as follows:

1. The main recreational zone is found in the centre of the urban area. This was once the
Gymkana Club, where the colonial rulers played polo.

2. The Central Business District contains the main businesses and market of the urban area. This
is found close to the centre, the most accessible location where the main roads meet.

3. High status housing surrounds Zomba's CBD.

The area surrounding Zomba's CBD dates from
colonial times when it housed the colony's
administrators and Governor. It consequently has
the infrastructure - electricity, telephones,
sewerage, water, etc. not found in other parts of
the urban area.

4. Surrounding the high-quality residential area is

medium quality housing which started out as low
class housing. It has now been provided with The Urban Pattern of
some basic amenities. Zomba

5. Low class housing is found on the lower land to the south-east. This land is at risk from
flooding, and contains the sewage works.

6. Factories are found along the main road leading to the airport and also in an estate close to
the CBD.

Shanty Towns

Some of the worst conditions are found in the shanty towns on the edge of the city, near
the CBD or along main transport routes. They tend to be unplanned and are often illegal.
Houses are self-built using basic materials and shanty towns have few services.

Problems in shanty towns

 Overcrowding - the settlement has a high population density.
 Fires - fires can spread quickly.
 Overpopulation - the area does not have enough resources to support the growing
population.
 Competition for jobs - jobs are in short supply.
 Disease - poor sanitation and limited health care can lead to the spread of disease.
 Lack of space - the newest and poorest arrivals may be forced to live on the worst quality
land.
 Infrastructure - services are poor, public transport is limited and connections to the
electricity supply can be limited and sometimes dangerous.
 Crime rate- as resources are less people steal from others

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 SAO PAULO’S FAVELAS
The population of Sao Paulo metropolitan area has rapidly increased over the past
40 years. It has increased from 7 million in 1970 to 20 million today. The following
has caused this population increase:

 High birth rate and lowering death rate

 Internal rural to urban migration mainly from the poor NE region of Brazil.

Pull factors of Sao Paulo

 50% of industry is clustered in & around Sao Paulo

(Manufacturing includes vehicles, machinery, textiles & shoes).

 Also iron ore is found around Sao Paulo JOBS

 Booming construction industry
 Many businesses including coffee exports
 Improved roads & rail communication have encouraged migration

Due to the problems that arise in shanty towns many community groups to improve housing conditions,

 NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION-reduce crime and offer children a wide rande of activities.

 PROSANEAR-a partnership between the Brazilian govt. and the World Bank to deliver water and
sanitation.
 SELF-HELP/SITE-AND-SERVICE SCHEMES-provides building materials which local people use to
build better homes.
 MICROLENDING-lend small sums of money to people for developing their own business.

As life improves in the favelas more people are encouraged to settle in.
How to curb the population increase in Shanty towns?
1. Improve the quality of rural life.
2. Reduce rural urban migration
3. Development of new edge cities

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 CHANGES AT THE EDGES OF HIC CITIES

One reason for urban growth and change in the rural-urban population is a feeling of
dissatisfaction with the city.

*Housing is old, congested and relatively expensieve

*Environmental pollution levels are high

*The cost of land is high

The attractions in the urban fringe include:

*Cheaper land and larger homes

*More room for parking cars

*Closeness to the main roads and motorways allow quicker

access

Other than housing estates, there are other significant non-residential

developments like the following.
Retail Parks

In order to sell goods, shops

need to be located where
people can get to them easily.
They need a large sphere of
influence that guarantees a
steady flow of customers and
increasing profit. Building large
shopping centres near good
transport routes and motorway
junctions can help. Shoppers
frequently come in cars and
out-of-town shopping centres or
retail parks can offer large, free
car parks, eg Cribbs Causeway
near Bristol, Bluewater in Kent

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 and the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

Industrial Estates-These are light service industries with a planned layout and purpose-built
roads.Eg-Heathfield industrial estate in England.

Business Parks-These are areas created by property developers in order to attract firms needind
office accomodations, they also include leisure activites. Eg Ascendas

Science Parks-These are usually located close to a university or a research center with the aim of
encouraging and developing quaternary activities.

Changes at the Edge of Southampton

There have been 4 major developments:

Housing As a result of
City's (Commuter great pressure
economy This attracted Dormitories) from
prospered workers and was built on developers
largely due to their families. either side of green belt
the port. the green restrictions
belt. have been
relaxed.

The Science Park provides high-

Nursling Industrial Park-The main
quality office and laboratory space in
business on this estate located beside
attractive surroundings.The University
M271 are so-called service industries.
of Southamton is also close by.

Adnac Business Park-The park is

Hedge End Retail Park-It is one of the
earmarked for major developments
largest retail parks and sells a wide
and large space occupiers like the
range of goods.
Ordnance Survey.

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Greenfield & brownfield sites

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 Deprivation in HIC cities
 Deprivation is said to occur when a person’s well being falls a level which is
generally thought of an acceptable minimum.
 This standard applies to a number of different aspects of daily life.
 In UK, a multiple deprivation index has been developed to assess the level of
deprivation across the whole country.
 It is based on:
 Income
 Employment
 Health
 Education
 Access to housing and services
 Crime
 The living environment

POVERTY
(low wages,
unemployment)

POOR
LACK OF ACCOMMODATION
OCCUPATIONAL
SKILLS (lsums,
overcrowded)

POOR POOR HEALTH

EDUCATION (stress, strain)

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This is the cycle of poverty. This is based on the idea that poverty and deprivation
are passed on from one generation to the next. The most important challenges to
societies around the world are how to make it possible for people to break out of
this cycle of poverty.

Urban rebranding:
Many inner city areas have the reputation of being depressing places in which
change has usually meant decline and decay. While city authorities and businesses
have been invested in the CBD in many of the HIC countries, much less has been
spent in the inner city that wraps the CBD.

Definitions will surely help you learn this:

Learn them, to write the
 Gentrification is the process by which proper definitions with
the technical terms in the
wealthier people move into, renovate and
final paper.
restore rundown housing in the inner city or
other neglected areas. Such housing was
formally inhabited by low income groups
with tenure shifting from private rented to
owner occupied.
 Urban regeneration is the investment of capital in the revival of old, urban
areas by either improving what is there or cleaning it away and rebuilding.
 Urban reimaging is changing the image of an urban area and the way people
view it.
 Urban managers are people who make important decisions affecting urban
areas such as planners, politicians and developers

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