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Settlement
• Site
• Size
• Function
• Urban morphology models of an MEDC city
• Urban morphology models of an LEDC city
• The characteristics of Urban Zones
• Definition of urbanisation and the problems associated with
it
• Problems in CBD and inner cities of MEDC
• Problems in Shanty Towns of LEDC
• Reasons for urban sprawl
• Advantages/disadvantages of urban sprawl
The site of a settlement is the physical land on which a settlement is
built.
There are many factors which influence choice of site, for example;
• Water supply- all settlements need water but need to avoid flooding
(places which are built near water are called WET POINT SITES and
places which are built to avoid water are called DRY POINT SITES)
• Aspect and shelter- In the northern hemisphere the south-facing
slopes are warmer than the north facing slopes
• Defence- settlements were often built high on hill sides or close to
rivers in order to defend themselves against attack
• Food supply- Early people needed to grow their own food so would need
to locate on fertile soil
• Communications- All settlements need to be ideally located near to
roads, at gaps in a hill or a bridging point
• Building materials and fuel supply- Early settlements were often sited
near woodlands so that people had access to wood for building materials
and a fuel supply
A settlement hierarchy arranges settlements in size or
importance. A settlements place in the hierarchy
depends on the size of the population, the range and
number of services and the sphere of influence or area
served by the settlement.
The function of a settlement is its purpose- the main
‘work’ that it does e,g, religious, industrial, educational.
Small settlements may have one specific types of
employment which dominates, for example, mining
towns. However, large cities and towns often have
several employment types and are therefore described
as multifunctional.
Many settlements have changed their function over
time. In some cases the original functions, such as
defence or farming, have disappeared altogether.
The Burgess model for an MEDC
city
The Burgess model has five rings of
different land uses. The CBD
(central business district) is in the
middle. The Burgess model was
developed in the 1920’s and followed
two main ideas.
1 The most expensive land is often
in the centre of the city where the
CBD is located and the land on the
edge of the city is cheaper.
2 Cities grew outwards from the
original site so the oldest buildings
would be in the middle of the city
and the youngest would be on the
edge
An urban model for an LEDC city
The model below is based on cities in Brazil. The model has one similarity
with the Burgess Model as the CBD is still in the centre. However, in the
LEDC model the urban zones are less defined, the high class sector is
very small and close to the CBD, there are no middle class housing zones
(like the suburbs of the MEDC’s), the largest zone is the shanty towns
which are usually on the outskirts. Large-scale industry is often fairly
recent and is sited along main routeways or around the edges.
CBD- The Central Business District is at the heart of a city where the original
settlement was sited. Offices, shops and leisure activities are often found here and
there are very few residential areas.
INNER CITY- The inner city zone grew during the industrial revolution. It would have
consisted of a mix of densely-packed terraced homes and factories. However, many
inner city housing areas have now been pulled down and replaced with high rise flats.
SUBURBS- The suburbs began to grow as cities expanded after the 1st world war.
Houses are more varied and are often semi detached or detached. There are more
gardens and open space.
RURAL-URBAN FRINGE- Different land uses are found in this area. Some of the land
may be covered in farms, whereas other areas are covered in housing estates. Out-oftown shopping centres and airports are also often found in this area.
INDUSTRIAL ESTATES- These have been built on the fringe of many towns and
cities, where there is more space for single storey factories and car parks.
URBANISATION is the process of urban growth that leads to a greater percentage
of the population living in towns and cities. It is the movement of people from rural
areas (countryside) to urban areas (towns and cities).
Advantages
• Improved economy- farms surrounding cities can increase production to provide
food for sale in cities
• Better services- people have better access to services although in LEDCs people
may not be able to afford them
• Improved income- there are more jobs available and jobs in towns and cities tend
to pay more
Disadvantages
• Poor housing- problems in housing provision in LEDCs leads to shanty housing being
built
• Unemployment- Lack of jobs in LEDCs leads to work in the informal sector
• Increased traffic congestion and air, water and land pollution (LEDCs and MEDCs)
• Problems in rural areas- The rural areas in LEDCs may have insufficient ablebodied workers to farm the land, therefore the agricultural production can be
reduced.
Problems in the CBD of MEDC’s
CBD
Traffic congestion- Towns grew before the motor vehicle were invented so therefore
most cities have not adapted easily to cope with the modern levels of traffic. Many local
authorities have tried to solve the problem of too many cars by only allowing
pedestrians in certain areas of the CBD (pedestrianisation). Many have built urban
motorways and flyovers, ring roads and by-passes to divert traffic away from the
centre. In London and other cities congestion charges aim to keep non-essential vehicles
out of the CBD.
Lack of space and high cost of land- In the CBD land is expensive and very scarce,
therefore high-rise buildings have been built to combat these problems.
Urban Decline - Some parts of the CBD have become run down and boarded up shops and
offices are vandalized. This is urban decay and may be caused by competition from large
out-of-town shopping centres.
Pollution- Water, land and air pollution are very common in the city centre due to heavy
traffic, large numbers of workers and nearby heavy industry.
Problems in the inner city of MEDC’s
By the 1960’s and 1970’s large parts of inner cities were in decay. There are three main
problems;
• poor quality housing with a lack of space and with no proper kitchens, bathrooms and
central heating
• a decaying environment with pollution, derelict land and a lack of open space
• unemployment due to the closure of the old-fashioned industries.
Solutions
• in some urban areas, the only solution was comprehensive redevelopment. This meant
knocking everything down and starting again.
• in other cities, the local authorities were able to use urban renewal which meant taking
the current housing and making it fit for modern life by knocking two houses together to
create more space, by fitting central heating, insulation and new roofs, etc.
Problems in shanty towns of LEDC
The main problems in the shanty towns of LEDC’s are:
• high crime rates
• poor transport facilities
• poor quality and a lack of affordable housing
• land, air and water pollution
• lack of employment opportunities
Reasons for Urban Sprawl
Urban sprawl is the expansion of an urban area into the countryside
Urban sprawl occurs because more people want to live in an urban area and there is a
lack of space for new housing, the expansion of industry, transport links, open space,
etc. so the urban area builds outwards on to greenfield sites.
Such urban growth has engulfed nearby villages, farmland and woodland. At first
the growth was not well planned, but urban planners have been trying to control the
growth of urban areas by creating green belts and using more brownfield sites.
Advantages of Urban Sprawl
Disadvantages of Urban Sprawl
• advantages to companies who have the
opportunity to locate their companies in
edge-of-town shopping centres
• Loss of agricultural land and public open
space
• cheaper land than within urban locations
• provides better access to motorways
and airports
• Loss of trade in traditional city centres
• Increasing pollution and traffic
congestion in rural-urban fringe
Conservation and Green Belts
Green belts were the first attempt to stop urban sprawl. Green belt areas are areas of
green and open land on the edge of cities in which urban development is restricted. There
is now increasing pressure to build on greenfield sites within this protected land e.g
around London
Brownfield Sites
Brownfield sites are urban sites which have been previously used for other things. For
example, old factories which have become disused can be converted into apartments.
Summary
• The site of a settlement is the physical land on which a settlement is built
• A settlement hierarchy arranges settlements in order of size or importance
• The function of a settlement is its purpose- the main ‘work’ that it does.
• CBD- The Central Business District is at the heart of a city where the original
settlement was sited
• INNER CITY- The inner city zone grew during the industrial revolution
• SUBURBS- The suburbs began to expand after the 1st world war. Houses are more
varied and are often semi detached
• RURAL-URBAN FRINGE- many different land uses are found in this area
• URBANISATION is the process of urban growth that leads to a greater
percentage of the population living in towns and cities
• Urban sprawl is the expansion of an urban area into the countryside