Characteristics of Urban Land Use (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)

Land Use in Urban Areas

Urban land use

• Urban land use refers to activities that are found in towns and cities 

• All urban settlements have recurring features:

  • A central core or central business district (CBD)

  • Industrial areas—inner-city ring

  • Different residential districts—suburban ring

  • Outer zones of suburban expansion—urban fringe

• All towns and cities tend to grow outward 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 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 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- and detached housing with gardens

• Tree-lined avenues and cul-de-sac

• Smaller retail premises

• The cost of land decreases but the size of the property increases with the distance

Urban fringe

• These are the outer edges of the city where:

  • 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

• Other characteristics of modern urban settlements include:

  • From the core to the fringe, the age and density of the buildings decrease

  • Different zones have different levels of grandeur, purpose, design, and style

  • Land use and population density change over time

• Although the model above is simplified, it shows that the majority of business activity is concentrated in a core

• Usually with the highest land value, the CBD is also the most easily accessible due to public transport

• Because of the high demand for property, high-rise buildings are seen here; for example, Singapore, New York, and Hong Kong are well known for their 'skyscrapers', and land prices are among the highest in the world

Peak land value

• Any land that has 'purpose' will be valuable and cost more to buy or rent

• Usually, retail shops can make money and look for prime positions

• Therefore, land uses of similar activities will come together, creating 'peaks' and 'troughs' of land values across the urban landscape

• There are two points to consider:

  • The value of the land:

    • Varies across the urban areas

    • Usually decreases from the centre, outwards

    • Higher land prices are also found along main roads, urban hubs and around ring roads

  • The location of the land:

    • Is important to value

    • The closer to key functions, the higher the value

    • Accessibility and desirability increase land value

Bid-rent theory

• Also known as 'distance decay theory', where the price and demand for land change as the distance from the CBD increases

• Different land uses will compete for desirable plots to maximise their profits

• Accessibility increases the potential for more customers

• There is a trade-off between accessibility and the cost of the land

  • The closer to the CBD the more desirable land is to retail and the higher the price charged/paid

• Industry cannot compete with high prices so moves further away from CBD

• Residential land is outpriced across the zones, but competition is less so value decreases as more space becomes available

Urban land use in LEDCs

• The Latin American city model shows that the CBD has developed around a colonial core, with a commercial corridor extending from it

  • This has become the main avenue and contains open spaces and homes for medium- and higher-income earners

  • These areas will have quality streets, schools and public services

• Newer suburbs are found further out with random housing and fewer services

• Squatter housing is found at the edge of the city; however, the more established squatter settlements can be found along the zones that extend into the city centre

  • Conditions here are usually better than in the more recent housing at the edge, most likely due to employment opportunities found closer to the core

• Industrial areas are scattered along the major transport routes, with the newest developments at the edge

Land zoning in LEDCs

• Manufacturing is found throughout the city

• Segregation is seen through wealth, ethnicity and race 

• The wealthy are found closer to the central core of the city on wealthy land

• The poor are pushed to the peripheral areas