Pattern of Residential Areas Within Urban Areas (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Bridgette Barrett
Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn
Physical Factors Affecting Residential Areas
There are four main factors that affect the location of residential land use in urban areas
Physical factors
Land values
Ethnicity
Urban residential planning
The location of residential in HICs, MICs and LICs is often different
The pattern in LICs can be seen in the models of Sub-Saharan African cities and Latin American Cities below
Physical factors
Physical factors affecting the location of residential areas include:
Proximity to water
Slopes
These are part of the topography of an area and can impact where residential areas are located in several ways
Proximity to water
In HICs, the proximity to water is often regarded as a positive feature
Waterfront residences are high-value, offering nice views and a pleasant environment
In some areas, old industrial buildings such as docks and warehouses have been converted into high-value apartments
Salford Quays in Manchester
New York Dock Building
In LIC cities and some MIC cities, water is regarded as a negative factor
Housing in these cities, located near water, is often poor quality
The risk of flooding may be high and people do not have the resources to prevent it
People may be at risk of water-borne diseases and water pollution
Slopes
In HICs, residences on hillsides are often high-value due to the views
In densely populated cities, the hillsides also offer more space
In hotter climates, higher land is preferred for residences due to the cooler temperatures
In Hong Kong, 'The Peak' is a popular residential area for the wealthy seeking to live outside of the main centre of Hong Kong
In LICs residences on slopes are often low-value
In densely populated cities, illegal settlements often develop on slopes which are not suitable for building
The slopes are often unstable and vulnerable to landslides
Landslides in the Morro Bumba favela close to Rio de Janeiro in 2010 killed over 200 people
Land Values & Residential Areas
Land values have a significant impact on the pattern of urban residential areas
The closer that land is to the CBD, the higher its value
These high-land value areas are often used for retail or commercial purposes
High-income countries
The areas around the CBD has high-value residential areas
Manhattan in New York and the area surrounding the financial centre of London
The housing is high-density and usually high-rise
With distance from the CBD, land value decreases and the amount of residential land use increases
Old industrial areas surrounding the CBD tend to have the lowest cost residential areas
These are often terraced or other high-density, lower-quality housing
Moving further from the CBD, the housing type changes, becoming larger and lower density
There are the suburbs and then the rural-urban fringe
Low-income countries
Zone of lower to middle income residence is where there is a mixture of old and newer housing occupied by middle classes
High class (elite) residential often develops in a spine out from the city center, where the land value is highest
Around the high class residential area, there is likely to be a wide range of housing
A zone of squatter settlements are often on the most undesirable land at the edge of a city, this is the lowest value land
Ethnicity & Residential Areas
Migration to urban areas increases diversity
Ethnicity is important in determining the residential patterns in a city
International migrants tend to cluster in distinctive places across cities (known as enclaves), such as:
Russian oligarch families in Kensington and Chelsea, London
Indian community in Hounslow, London
Many of the largest cities in the world, like San Francisco, New York, London and Paris, have an area known as Chinatown
The location of residential areas as a result of ethnicity is known as segregation and may either have advantages or disadvantages
The two types of segregation are:
Positive segregation
Negative segregation
Positive segregation refers to the benefits such as culture, restaurants, supermarkets and religious buildings which cater for the needs of the population
When certain groups are excluded from particular areas, this is referred to as negative segregation
The level of ethnic segregation varies and changes over time due to:
Economic indicators, e.g. income and employment
Social indicators, e.g. health, crime and education
Planning & Residential Areas
Urban planning has become increasingly important in towns and cities
Many cities in the world are planned around economic activities
Planning may take a number of forms, including:
Land use zoning
Development of infrastructure
Types of housing
Land use zoning
The types of land use may be pre-determined by planning laws
The laws may also affect the type and density of housing
Infrastructure
The infrastructure of an area includes roads and services
These are usually planned by the local government and impact on how desirable an area is for residential areas
Housing type
Local governments have a role in providing social housing
The local government may aim to create a mix of housing using social housing and land use zoning
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