Urban Structure - Zonal Characteristics

Land Use Zoning in the city

Urbanisation Process in MEDC’s Agricultural revolution machinery replaced labour

Industrial Revolution new factories, mines, shipyards in towns

People gradually moved from the countryside to the towns Housing was built for the workers close to the factories Towns expanded into cities and into conurbations Urbanisation occurred and over 80% of people in Britain now live in urban areas

• Key points on Urban structure

• Here are some facts about urban structure that you should learn for your exam.

Here is a reminder of the basic urban structure of an MEDC (More Economically Developed Country) Model A - Burgess This is a very simple urban model (and quite easy to remember). As the city grows, newer buildings are built further away from the centre. •

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Zone 1 - Business is attracted to the centre to be easily accessible. Competition for space leads to high prices. Zone 2 -Industry developed in the UK in the nineteenth century, and factories were built around the CBD. Housing for workers was built close to the factories.

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Zone 3 - People then moved further out into newer residential areas as transport developed.

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Zone 4 and 5 - Today many people prefer the space and cleaner environment on the edge of the city and often commute to work or work in new out of town (green-field) sites.

Model B - Hoyt Model B has developed from the simple concentric rings in model A. There are now wedges or sectors of land use. Many UK cities have structures similar to this one.  • This model takes into account physical features like rivers or transport links like roads. (Zones 2,3 and 5b) • Industry may have developed in a sector following a good transport link, helping it get goods in and out. (Zone 2) • A new housing development may have been built because of a new road linking it to the rest of the city.

CBD • • • • • • • • •

At the centre of the city the original settlement site route focus for roads and railways high density of buildings shops, offices and railways high-rise buildings and skyscrapers bus and rail stations at the edge small residential population high land costs

The characteristics of urban zones in MEDCs Changes in the CBD • • • • • • • • •

By the 1970s most CBDs were suffering from the following problems: many of the older properties were in need of improvement and modernisation the narrow streets were often congested the large volume of traffic caused air pollution there was insufficient space for car parks, and buses found it difficult to keep to time increasingly taller buildings were constructed to try to offset the high rates and rents larger shops moved out and re-iocated on less congested sites smaller shops were forced to close as the area became increasingly expensive there was a need for modern, carefully planned city centres that considered social, economic and environmental needs. Recent changes The first major change to occur in most city centres was the creation of pedestrianised zones. Later came the development of shopping malls. More recently has come an increased demand for a more relaxing atmosphere within the city centre and an increase in leisure amenities, especially in the evenings.

The Inner City Outside the CBD grew during the Industrial Revolution a real mixture of land uses Victorian terraces older nineteenth-century industries corner shops, churches, schools, Victorian parks • redevelopment, eg: high rise flats • • • • • •

Suburbs • Residential housing areas • density of housing decreases outwards • inter-war and post-war housing closest to the inner city • modern, larger and more expensive housing on the edge • a mixture of housing types e.g. flats, semidetached, detached and bungalows • a mixture of council and private housing estates • industrial estates with modern factories on the edges

The rural-urban (RURBAN) fringe Beyond the suburbs the edge of the built up area an area of mixed land uses some rural land uses, e.g. farms, hobby farming, woodland • some urban land uses, e.g. golf courses, sewage farms, airports, motorways • this is the green belt • • • •

The characteristics of urban zones in MEDCs Changes at the Rural-Urban Fringe

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In an attempt to control urban growth, green belts were created by Act of Parliament in 1947. A green belt was defined as an area of land around an urban area where development was to be severely restricted and where the open character of the countryside was to be preserved for farming and recreation. Planning permission was normally not meant to be granted for development proposals but in reality planners often came under considerable pressure to release land for more housing, jobs and roads. Most large British cities are surrounded by a green belt. By the end of the twentieth century, there was increasing competition for land at the rural-urban fringe. The main reasons are that at the fringe there is: cheaper land less traffic congestion and pollution a better road infrastructure that gives easier access to surrounding settlements and other urban areas a more pleasant environment with more open space.

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Places at the rural-urban fringe that have not yet been built upon are known as greenfield sites. These sites, still used for farming or recreation, are under constant threat for: housing development as urban sprawl continues and nearby villages become suburbanised science and business parks, and office development . retail parks and regional shopping centres hotels and conference centres road development schemes, including motorways and urban by- passes sewage works and landfill sites for urban waste recreational areas such as country parks, playing fields and new sports stadiums.

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Urbanisation and Counter-urbanisation • Billions have moved to live in cities this century. This is urbanisation. More people in the world live in cities than in rural areas. However there seems to be a limit. There is a current trend towards counterurbanisation in certain countries.

Suburbanisation in U.K. and Counter Urbanisation in the Rural – Urban Fringe. Causes Negative Urban factors

Positive Rural factors

•People are fed up with urban living and problems such as air pollution, grime, and crime, which seem to be getting worse. •People want to escape further out than just to the suburbs.

Socio-economic factors

•Higher car ownership, greater affluence, allow commuting and improved public services in rural areas almost as good as those in the cities.

•Attractions include, more space, lower land costs, lower house prices, and a quiet pleasant clean environment. Affects

•It affects the form and layout of rural settlements. •Modern housing estates attach themselves to the edge of settlements •Small industrial units may also grow alongside main roads in and out of the village. •Open areas are infilled •Old properties are modernised or converted from barns into homes •Socio-economic changes happen as newcommers bring their urban wealth and attitudes with them •New attitudes often don’t match the rural interests of the local community. •Village growth can reduce village services because newcomers have the mobility to continue to use the urban services instead of the village’s, probably because they are cheaper and have a better range. •Cost of housing rise sharply because newcomers are wealthier, putting housing ouit of reach of locals who have to move away.

Encouraged by

•Rising demand for second homes •Fuelled by greater affluence •Shorter working week •Earlier retirement •Greater personal mobility Allowed by

•Relative decline in agriculture •Fewer farm workers •A need for farmers to diversify and seek income from other sources.

Try the practice question next…..

  Remember When talking about urban structure you will have to refer to urban models. Read about the models below before you attempt to answer this question. 

• Instant hints

• The question These two urban models are thought to be typical of the structure of UK towns and cities from 1850 - 1950. • • • • •

1. Look at model A (Burgess) Describe the location of each type of land use. Give one reason to explain why each type is located there. 2. Look at model B (Hoyt) Describe the main differences between model B and model A Give two reasons to explain these differences.

• You should use the key of the diagrams so the examiner knows exactly what you are writing about. • Part a) in the question is describe, part (b) is explain, don't muddle them up. • You will need to learn a case study of a city. To help you with this follow the advice in Further things to do. • The answers are at the very end of the show.

Key words • Land-use • how the land use of a city is put into categories residential (housing), industrial (factories), commercial (shops and offices), open space, derelict land.

• Urban model • an idea or theory of what a city is like. • Urban structure • how the land use of a city is set out.

Key points • North America and Europe underwent rapid urbanisation when they industrialised in the nineteenth century. • Just over half the world's population now lives in urban areas. • Two thirds of people in more economically developed countries (MEDCs) live in cities but many are moving away from cities - this is called counter-urbanisation. • Cities in less economically developed countries (LEDCs) are still growing rapidly. Nearly 60% of the world’s urban population now live in LEDCs.

Here’s another practice question …..

The questions Study the maps carefully and  then answer the questions.

1.

Describe the distribution of the 10 largest cities in 1950. 2. How had the distribution changed by 1995? 3. Many people in MEDC’s have started to move away from cities. What is this process called?

The answers How did you do? These are  short answer questions.  1.

In 1950 most (7 out of 10) of the world’s largest cities were found in MEDC's or in the North, in North America, Europe and Asia.

2.

By 1995 most (8 out of 10) of the world’s largest cities were found in LEDC's or in the South, in places like India, South East Asia, Central and South America.

3.

The process is called counter-urbanisation.

Key words • Urbanisation the increase in the population of urban areas. • Counter-urbanisation   the movement of people away from urban areas to rural areas. • MEDCs more economically developed countries. Sometimes called developed, mainly in the North, often much wealthier than LEDCs • LEDCs less economically developed countries. Sometimes called developing, mainly in the South, often much poorer than MEDCs.

• The  answers  Here are some answers to the questions. Look how they are laid out.

1 (a) Zone 1 is the city centre or the Central Business District, mainly made up of shops and offices. This is surrounded by Zone 2, which is factories and industry. Zone 3 is working class housing. Zone 4 is the outer residential zone. Zone 5a is outside these rings and is often an area of commuter housing, in large villages. 1 (b) Zone 1 - CBD - is central location for accessibility. Housing cannot usually afford the high land prices found here. Zone 2 - Factory zone - industry located here in the nineteenth century (which was then the edge of the city). Zone 3 -Working class houses - built close to the factories so people could get to work easily (they could only really afford to walk to work). Zone 4 - Residential zone - as transport developed people who could, moved away to bigger houses near the edges of the city. Zone 5 - Commuter zone - many people now live outside the city in cleaner environments, either commuting to work or working in new greenfield sites.

The  answers • 2 (a) The main differences are: The sectors or wedges of different land uses, which stretch out from the CBD. Different types of housing are located on different sides of the city e.g. working class to the west and middle class to the east. 2 (b) These differences are explained by: Physical features have been included in the model e.g. river flood plains were not always suitable land for housing so industry was built there. Transport features e.g. industrial areas followed the railway lines or a major road allow the development of new housing on the edge of cities.