Characteristics of Urban Places (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Urban Site & Function
What is a settlement?
A settlement is a place where people live and carry out a range of activities, including trade and manufacturing
Settlements have different types based on:
Shape or form
Population size
Function
Features
Hierarchy
Settlements range from isolated buildings in rural areas to urban megacities of over 10 million people
The physical geography of an area impacts on the settlement pattern
What are urban settlements?
The definition of an urban area varies:
In the UK, the government defines settlements with a population of over 10 000 people
In many places, urban settlements are those with more than 5 000 residents
Urban settlement characteristics
Urban areas tend to:
Have a high density of human structures, such as houses, commercial buildings, roads, bridges, and railways
Be large and have a high population density
Depend on water supply, relief, and soil fertility for their location and development
Have diverse social and cultural activities, such as entertainment, education, and healthcare
Be densely populated areas that have a high degree of economic, social and cultural diversity
Be located near major transportation routes, such as roads, railways, ports and airports, to ensure trade and mobility
Urban areas:
Have a complex and hierarchical structure of land use, with different zones for residential, commercial, industrial, recreational and administrative functions
Are influenced by various factors, such as:
Physical geography
Climate
History
Politics
Culture
Globalisation
What is meant by settlement site and situation?
The site is the physical land that the settlement is built on
Natural conditions, historical development, planning regulations, market forces, and social preferences are just a few of the factors that have an impact on the site
The situation can be thought of as the position of the settlement in relation to other features, e.g., a forest, a lake, etc.
What are settlement functions?
The functions of settlements change over time
The functions are the main activities which occur in a settlement
Many settlements first start with only one function, then develop others as the settlement grows or is forced to change, for instance:
Liverpool, in the UK, began as a major port of trade, but this function went into decline during the 1970s with the advent of containerisation, and the Mersey was too shallow to allow large ships into dock
Tourism has become the major function of Liverpool's economy, focusing on The Beatles and the Merseybeat era
In 2008, Liverpool became the European Capital of Culture, beating other British cities such as Newcastle and Birmingham
The city's waterfront was designated a World Heritage Site in 2004.
This status was revoked in 2021 because its redevelopment didn't maintain the site’s original authenticity.
It lost the features which made it a maritime feature
Examples of Functions in Urban Settlements
Function | Example |
---|---|
Political | Town halls, parliaments |
Commercial | Shops, markets |
Tourism | Museums and art galleries |
Transportation | Railways, roads, airports |
Educational | Schools, universities, and colleges |
Agriculture | Farming |
Examiner Tip
Students often confuse site and situation. Remember that the site is the physical location of a settlement whereas the situation is the settlement in relation to other features.
Urban Land Use
Urban land use
This refers to activities that are found in towns and cities
Towns and cities tend to grow outwards, from a historic centre or core to an urban fringe
Each zone grows due to the needs of the city during its development over time
As a general rule, all towns and cities, regardless of place or level of development, show the same four features:
A central core
An inner-city zone
A suburban zone
An urban fringe
Central Core
The central core is the oldest part of a city, with features such as:
The central business district (CBD) e.g. banks, retail and commercial offices
Multi-storey development, with vertical growth rather than horizontal growth due to lack of space
Land of high value
Concentrated retail and office space
Pedestrianisation for high footfall
Convergence of public transport
Traffic restrictions for private vehicles
Low residential population
Inner city zone
A 'frame' to the inner core which developed as the core developed
Older, compact, terraced 'worker' housing to support a growing population density
Surrounded by older industrial areas
Areas are centred around transport links and access to manufacturing
Available land increases with distance, so costs are reduced
Residential land is in direct competition with commercial usage
Suburban zone
Residential areas
Emergence of segregated residential zones based on wealth, ethnicity, choice or government policy (e.g. social housing)
Semi-detached and detached housing with gardens
Tree-lined avenues and cul-de-sacs
Smaller retail premises
The cost of land decreases but the size of the property increases with the distance
Urban fringe
Outer edges of the city:
The countryside is eroded through the urban spread/sprawl
Housing is clustered into estates, which increases 'spot' density
Some industrial land uses
Accessibility is best
Other similar characteristics of modern urban settlements include:
The age of the built-up area decreases from the core to the fringe
The density of building developments decreases from the core to the fringes
Grandeur, function, design and style change across the zones
Over time, population density and land use change
The model above is a simplification but shows there is a core where most of the commercial activity is found
The CBD is usually the most accessible (public transport) with the highest land value
High-rise buildings are seen here due to the high demand for land
There is a lack of space to satisfy that demand, e.g. Singapore, New York and Hong Kong are known for their 'skyscrapers' and land prices are amongst the highest in the world
Settlement Hierarchy
What is a settlement hierarchy?
The importance or significance of a settlement is determined by its place in the settlement hierarchy
A hierarchy is when settlements are ordered and classified based on three principles:
Population size
Number of services provided
Number of settlements
The higher up the hierarchy, the fewer settlements are found
However, there is an increase in the:
Population of the settlement
Number of services provided
Type of services
The hierarchy follows a path:
Dispersed ⇒ Hamlets ⇒ Villages ⇒ Market towns ⇒ Large towns ⇒ Cities ⇒ Conurbations ⇒ Megacities
The result is a pyramid-shaped model, where there are more cities than megacities and more villages than towns
All settlements offer certain functions and services
A settlement's physical and population size will determine the number of services it offers
The minimum number of people necessary before a particular good or service will be provided in the area is called the threshold population
A small village or hamlet with a small population will only provide low-order services such as a post office, general store and maybe a pub
Towns will provide low- and high-order services such as a church, medical centre, garages, schools and restaurants
Cities and conurbations will focus on high-order services such as leisure centres, schools, churches, chain stores and hospitals
There are exceptions to this:
Some places may have more services than average, such as a small seaside resort
Others may have fewer, such as a commuter or dormitory town
What are megacities?
Urban areas with more than 10 million inhabitants
Examples: Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, etc.
In 2007, more people lived in an urban environment than a rural one
By 2050, it is thought that more than two-thirds (7 billion) of the world population will live in urban areas
This scaling up of the urban environment is the fastest in human history
The largest growth of megacities is seen in Asia
Reasons for the growth of megacities
The main reasons for the rapid growth of megacities are:
Economic growth due to an increase in industry
Natural increase
Rural-urban migration
Urban Growth
What is urban growth?
Urban growth is the increase in size or population of urban areas
The growth is driven by various factors, including:
Economic development
Migration,
Industrialisation
Urban planning
The urban growth process may be planned or spontaneous
Planned growth occurs when the growth of an urban settlement is carefully managed
Spontaneous growth occurs without planning and management
Urban growth may have both positive and negative effects:
Positive effects include higher productivity, innovation, and living standards
Negative effects include environmental degradation, congestion, inequality and vulnerability to disasters and epidemics
Urban growth is uneven across regions and countries, with higher levels of urbanisation in high-income countries and lower levels in low-income countries
There are various patterns of urban growth, such as compact, sprawling, or polycentric cities
The patterns depend on the physical, social, and institutional factors that shape them
Factors affecting urban growth
There are a range of factors which affect urban settlement growth, including:
Climate/weather
Agriculture
Industry
Residential
Climate/weather
The climate and weather have an impact on the:
Availability of natural resources
Demand for energy
Health and comfort of the population
Attractiveness of the city for tourism and migration
Agriculture
Agriculture provides food and income for the city dwellers, as well as raw materials for some industries.
The productivity and diversity of agriculture depends on the:
Soil quality
Water supply
Climatic conditions of the city
Industry
Industry contributes to the economic development, employment, and innovation of the city
The type and scale of industry depends on the availability of:
Labour
Capital
Infrastructure
Markets
Industry also impacts the environment and public health of the city through pollution and waste generation
Residential
Residential refers to the housing and living conditions of the city population.
The growth of residential areas depends on the:
Population size, density
Income of urban dwellers
Preferences of urban dwellers
Mobility of the urban dwellers
Residential areas also affect the demand for public services, such as transportation, education, health care, and recreation
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