URBAN SETTLEMENTS
| 1.6 Urban settlements | |
| Candidates should be able to:Describe and give reasons for the characteristics of, and changes in, land use in urban areas Explain the problems of urban areas, their causes and possible solutions | Further GuidanceLand use zones including the Central Business District (CBD), residential areas, industrial areas and the rural-urban fringe of urban areas in countries at different levels of economic development The effect of change in land use and rapid urban growth in an urban area including the effects of urban sprawl Different types of pollution (air, noise, water, visual), inequality, housing issues, traffic congestion and conflicts over land use change |
| Case Study required for 1.6An urban area or areas | |
Land use models
Theories that attempt to describe and explain the structure of urban areas
- Land values are highest in the centre of a town or city
- This is because space is limited and competition is high in the central parts of the settlement
- Leads to high-rise, high-density buildings found near CBD (central business district)
- Low density, sparse developments on the edge of town or city
New developments are constantly taking place
Land use changes over time particularly at the edge of the city – the rural-urban fringe
Terms you have to know
CBD – Central Business District is the commercial center which contains main shops, offices and financial institutions of the urban area
Residential areas – Areas of land with buildings of houses and flats
Industrial areas – Area planned and zoned for industrial development
Rural-urban fringe – Outskirts of a city
Urban Sprawl – The expansion of towns and cities into the surrounding rural area or countryside
Land use in Tokyo
| CBD | Shibuya |
| Residential | Various (Tokyo has strict planning rules so housing is spread out) |
| Industrial area | Areas around Tokyo bay |
| Rural urban fringe | Saitama (past Urawa) towards Chiba, towards Kanagawa or Takao |
| Urban Sprawl | Tokyo and Atlanta |
Atlanta – Urban Sprawl pt1
- Growth from 1250000 people(1950) to 6100000(2010)
- Atlanta has grown rapidly because there were many newcomers from cities around Great Lakes and the north-east where unemployment was high and cost for living was high
- Atlanta has expanded 1.5 times – comparing 1973 and 2012
Problems that affect people
- Traffic congestion (90% of the population drive to work)
- Cultural loss (civil war battlefields surrounding Atlanta such as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield are under threat
Problems that affect the natural environment
- Loss of green space and ecosystem (loses and average of 125 hectares of trees per day)
- Hotlanta (removal of trees and addition of concrete encourages more heat build up – this can lead temperatures to rise by 10℃ than the countryside
Atlanta – Urban Sprawl pt2
Ways how beltline helps to solve urban problems in Atlanta:
- Less traffic congestion and air pollution (53 km of shared use paths)
- More affordable housing (50000 new housing)
- More jobs (30000 new permanent jobs from business in retail)
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