Urban Structure Ledc

Urban models for cities in LEDCs. Satisfactory models of city structure are less easy to create in LEDCs than for cities in the UK and USA for two main reasons: 1). Settlement histories are more varied. In many cities in LEDCs a colonial power attached its own ideas and styles to a pre- existing city so that there are many more combinations of city design. 2). Recent city growth has been rapid and unplanned. There are large areas of informal housing in and around many large cities due to the inability of governments to provide sufficient services and housing. Although at its most extensive on the city edges, it occurs throughout the urban area. A model can be put together based upon Burgess and Hoyt but has to take into account the two main ways in which the distribution of land uses is most frequently different in LEDC’s. Firstly the inner zone is likely to contain some areas of high quality accommodation occupied by the wealthy. • Much of this is a legacy from colonial times when the zone housed the wealthy landowners, traders and administrators. Instead of having moved out to escape the mass urban invasions of the poor, they have built high wire fences around their properties and have employed security guards. • Secondly, the general rule is that the quality of housing decreases with distance from the centre, which is the exact opposite of the situation in many cities in MEDCS. • The most primitive of shacks built by the most recent arrivals in the city are found on the outer edge of the built- up area; • further inside the city, the greater age of the housing areas may have allowed for better services and more permanent buildings. Key points: • Housing in the CDB is a mixture of high-class wealthy apartments and old rundown colonial buildings. • Poor quality permanent housing called the FAVELA is the next ring. This is largely the unplanned of very rapid past urban growth. Some services may now exist. • Shanty towns of temporary unplanned housing, the PERIFRERIA, makes up the outer ring and this is current urbanisation. No services are available and housing is generally very poor quality. • The poorer housing tends to be on land that cannot be used for anything else. • Industry is concentrated on the few main roads that service the city. • Some modern high-class housing is growing outside the city to get away from the congestion and pollution of the city centre. • Some low cost government housing schemes are also found on the outskirts to deal with urban redevelopment. •