6.3 The changing structure of urban settlements Flashcards
How have urban locations changed over time for manufacturing?
- Pre-1960s: disadvantages of CBD sites became obvious, as motor car allowed urban sprawl to occur. - New rural or suburban sites chosen
- Post-1960s: most HIC cities are post-industrial as manufacturing has moved from HICs to MICs/LICs
- Constrained Location Theory (problems inner-city manufacturing faced):
- multi storey 19th century buildings unsuitable for modern ground floor manufacturing
- intensive land use prevents expansion
- previous land contamination means brown-site to costly to clean up
- land prices too high due to competitions
How has urban planning impacted the location of activities within urban areas?
- urban planning policies in 50s/70s demolished factories in slum housing areas
- companies received gov incentives to relocate elsewhere
- severe inner city job loss, but surplus labour in suburbs leads to new infrastructure/thriving factories
- lower land costs/better quality of life
How have urban locations changed over time for Retailing?
- traditionally in CBD
- retail parks/urban superstores/out-of-town shopping centres and home delivery led to a decline
- Out-of-town shopping centres are open, easily accessible, create jobs, offer advantages to shoppers.
- However, they destroy green fields, create unskilled jobs, require a car to access, take trade from CBD and small businesses, impermeable surfaces and pollution
e.g:
- trafford centre: 31 million people visit each year
How have urban locations changed over time for services? (and what factors have lead to this - see bold)
Health:
- preference for one large, central hospital, instead of several smaller ones
- land costs/building space
Education:
- primary schools dotted around cities, fewer secondary schools with more central location as larger
- people travel further
- Accessibility and size/cost of land
Leisure/open space:
- Sports stadiums that used to be in inner city areas are being moved to edge of cities, due to shortage of space and congestion.
- Smaller parks/open spaces easily added to cities.
Congestion and space
How is the CBD changing?
- Increased pedestrian zones
- Indoor shopping centres
- Environmental and safety improvements
- Better access, as public transport and road networks improve
CBD decline:
- rise in car ownership = increased congestion and so becomes less accessible
- planning authorities may encourage/discourage out-of-town shopping, leading to changes in shopping habits
- Land and investments are cheaper on green-field sites, so retail industry moves out of CBD: good access and nice environments
- public view that area is dirty/unsafe
- urban sprawl blurs previous distinct boundaries, so becomes less important
- CBD development/maintenance cost is high
What is the concentric zone model? (space competition)
- Assumes equal movement, uniform land and free competition for space, in all directions
- Development is outwards from the centre with continuing in-migration
- Business activity occurs in CBD as most people have access to that central point
- low income groups lack transport/live close to city centre
Problems:
- old
- doesn’t consider car ownership
- model too simple
- landscape not considered
What is the bid rent theory? (space competition)
- assumptions same as concentric model
- city centre location is more expensive to buy/rent as it is most accessible, so only retail/offices will bid
- Moving outwards, industry bids the most, then housing
- Poor mobility and low-income groups reside in inner locations due to CBD access
- High land prices are overcome as people live in high densities
- Affluent and mobile seek cheaper land for better housing
- Space traded off for commute time
What does the sector model suggest about space competition?
- Maintains that most people have access to CBD.
- industry follows transport routes
- high class residential develops around physical/social features, e.g rivers
- opposite side of city to where pollution blown by wind
- Low class housing forced in less attractive areas, close to factories, and in the path that pollution is blown
What does the multiple nuclei model suggest about spatial competition?
- CBD present, but not necessarily in centre of model
- Low class housing found in cheap land areas (around industry). Higher class avoids industrial land, so locates on opposite side of the city
- Areas of development occur outside the main settlement around new nuclei – such as out-of-town shopping centres.
What is functional zonation?
- concept involves dividing urban areas based on their predominant functions, such as commercial, residential, industrial, and recreational uses
Main principles guiding land use: - efficiency and accessibility: Land is allocated based on the need to optimise space for specific functions while ensuring accessibility.
- Adaptability to Changing Urban Dynamics: Zoning must evolve in response to shifts in economic conditions and societal trends.
- Regulatory Influence: Planning policies and regulations play a crucial role in shaping the development and character of functional zones.
Examples of functional zones:
- commercial zones
_ residential areas
- industrial districts
What is the urban density gradient and how does it differ in HICs and LICs?
- population density falls with increasing distance from the CBD
- HICs: there is an initial rise and then decline in density, as affluent population spreads further rurally
- LICs: continued density increase, so density gradient is kept stable as urban area expands:
- Due to; low personal mobility/public transport, CBD has a residential function (more compact CBD restricts sprawl).
- High suburban densities do exist, and car ownership is increasing, leading to urban sprawl.
What is residential segregation?
- clustering of certain groups of people/activities/services
What are the processes of residential segregation?
Operation of the housing market:
- housing supply should equal demand – but doesn’t
- Therefore, housing in short supply causes high property prices, and low-income people are pushed to the urban periphery.
Influence of family/friends:
- people migrating into an urban area tend to cluster close to family or friends for comfort and support
Culture:
- even if people earn enough to live in a certain area, they may choose not to if they don’t feel comfortable
Planning:
- urban planners aim for a good social mix of people to avoid ghettos
Finance:
- if access to mortgages good, residential segregation won’t be severe
