Urban settlements

URBAN SETTLEMENTS

Urbanization

• The growth of towns & cities leading to an increasing percentage of the population living in urban areas

• Occurred first in Europe & N. America & other MEDCs

– More than 90% of MEDCs populations live in towns & cities

Urbanization

• Caused by the Industrial Revolution

• In richer countries urbanization is either very slow or stopped completely

Urbanization

• Urbanization in LEDCs has increased rapidly due to: overall population growth, rural-to-urban migration, & increasing numbers in secondary and tertiary industries

• S. American LEDCs have experienced a greater increase in urbanization than Africa

Urbanization• Some of the fastest

growing cities are in S.E. Asia: Dhaka (Bangladesh), Karachi (Pakistan), Delhi(India), & Bangkok (Thailand)– Doubled their

populations between 1985 & 2000

• Many of the fastest growing cities are in the tropics. – Why?

Counter-Urbanization

• The movement of people back from urban areas to rural

• Usually wealthy, retired, or commute

• Caused by urban life problems and the quietness of rural areas

• Houses are cheaper and larger in the countryside

HOW MIGHT COUNTER-URBANIZATION AFFECT RURAL AREAS?

Advantage Disadvantage

City

Village

Do you think an older person would think the same as you do about the advantages and disadvantages?

TEXT BOOK PAGE 55 #9 A-DWORKBOOK PAGE 44 & 45 TASKS 1-4

Mega-Cities• Cities with

populations over 10 million.

• China has the largest rural-to-urban migration in history

– Began in late 1980s

– Planning to merge 9 cities to create a mega city with population of 42 million

Factors Influencing Size, Growth, & Functions of Urban Settlements

Nodal Points (Route Centers)

• Where natural route ways, like river valleys, meet.

• Can become the most accessible points in the area

• i.e. Khartoum in Sudan-Blue Nile and White Nile meet


Agricultural Centers

• Rich agricultural areas have become marketing points for the area, and these create transport links

• Example: The Prairies in Canada- Cereal Farming


Ports

• Presence of deep water close to shore

• Shelter from strong winds and rough seas

• A gap where ships can pass

• Presence of large area connected to the port

• Good transport links

• Strategic position on world shipping routes.


Administrative Towns & Cities

• Capitals of different countries and towns and cities where the government and civil service are based

• Often located centrally or in strategic locations.


Administrative Towns & Cities

• During European colonization, seaports were set up as capitals and moved inland once independence was gained.

WHAT FACTORS SHOULD BE IMPORTANT WHEN DECIDING WHERE TO MAKE A CAPITAL CITY?

TEXTBOOK PAGE 58 #10

URBAN LAND USE

Central Business District (CBD)

• GOV’T buildings

• High order services in the middle; specialist shops on the outskirts

• Offices and hdqtrs.

• Few residents

• Old historic buildings

• Public transport

• High number of pedestrians

Why CBDs Develop

• CBD was the original core of a settlement

• The point where roads from the outskirts converged; most accessible part of town

• Attracted variety of services making land prices higher causing buildings to be built taller to accommodate.

Residential Areas

High-Density Housing

• Small dwellings and little open space between them.

• Found in older parts of towns; closer to the center

Low-Density Housing

• Fewer dwellings per sq. km

• Open space btwn. housing

• More modern and further from the city or town center

Residential Areas

Flats(Apartments)

• Multi-storey buildings found in any part of town or city

• Can be high quality and expensive

• Called condos when privately owned

Shanty Houses

• AKA favelas (S. America) or bustees (Asia)

• Slum housing built from any available material & may lack sewage or water

• In LEDCs located in the outer areas

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS_PjwaqZYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS_PjwaqZYE

Open Spaces

• Found in most towns and cities

• Usually planned features (parks, sports grounds) in MEDCs

• Unkempt areas in LEDCs

Industrial Areas

• Present in most towns & cities

• Older industries located near railways and close to city centers

• Industries associated with sea or river ports (import/export)

• New industrial areas closer to the outskirts of cities & have good access to road transport

Transport Routes

• Key feature in land use

• High density cities are easier to serve by public transport

PAGE 63 #12

Pop Quiz Time!!!!!!

Yayyyyy!!!

Questions

• What are the 5 urban land uses?

• What is urbanization?

• Where is the largest megacity located?

• What’s another word for shanty houses?

• Name a city with high-density housing.

Urban Structures in MEDC Cities• Urban

structure/morphology-the distribution of different types of land use in a town or city

• The different types of land use usually are in different zones because: – Cost of land is different– Certain types of land use

don’t mix– Land use, once established,

continues to be used for the same purpose

Burgess Concentric Zone Model

• Developed in 1925• Based on Chicago• The CBD is the original growth

point• Manufacturing zone• New immigrants move into inner

city areas (cheap housing and employment)

• Housing quality and social class change the further from the center you get

• As the city grows the circles push outwards

• The transition zone is where residential areas change to commercial use

Concentric Zone Theory• Timeframe

• 1920’s

• Class conscious society

• Housing segregated according to income

• Lack of transport infrastructure

• Assumptions• Older buildings in city centre• Newer buildings at edge of city• Land values highest in city centre• Strong economic and ethnic

segregation• Low income groups lack

transport and live close to city centre.

• Cities develop on a flat plain with equal access to transport

Problems with Burgess Model

• Old

• Doesn't consider car ownership

• Landscape not considered

• Impact that industry and transport could have on land use not considered.

• Zones are never as clear-cut

Hoyt’s Sector Model

• Developed in 1939• Based on transport routes

& the idea that certain types of land use repel each other

• Industry develops along major roads and rivers

• High-class residential areas are never next to each other – There’s always a buffer

zone

Sector Theory• Timeframe

• Late 1930’s

• Income and status divided society

• Housing areas reflect social segregation

• Assumptions

• Settlement develops along transport routes

• Towns radiate out from the CBD

• Low-income and industrial areas lie next to each other

• Wealthy people choose the best sites

Activity

WHAT MIGHT BE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE GROWTH OF URBAN AREAS?

Problems of the CBD• Decline in retailing-no longer

the most accessible place due to increase in traffic

• People move to cheaper land areas on the outskirts of town

• Decentralization of companies and administrations

• CBD in the evening can be unsafe

• The twilight zone is used to describe problem areas in the transition zone on the edge of the CBD

WHAT ARE SOME SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS FOUND IN THE CDB?

Solutions to the CBDPedestrianisation

• Traffic free areas

• Aim to create a safe & relaxed environment free from air and noise pollution

Shopping Malls

• Undercover shopping areas

• Shoppers can compare goods without worrying about the weather

• A major department store attracts other stores to locate in the mall

Solutions to the CBD

Visual Improvements

• Planting flowerbeds, seated areas, trees and hanging baskets

• Filling vacant buildings

• Street cleaning

Security

• Regular patrols to make shoppers feel safe either by police or private security

• Deters pickpocketing and shoplifting

Crime and Racial Conflict

• Low poverty areas usually have higher levels of crime and less safe places to live

• Cities attract immigrants who live in the same areas

• Ghetto-area of poverty with people from a particular immigrant community

• Natives vs. immigrants or immigrants vs. immigrants conflicts arise

Solutions to Crime & Racial Conflict

• Provide social facilities i.e. sports clubs

• Job-creation schemes to provide jobs

• Special projects that bring communities together

• Zero tolerance on crime

• Adequate policing of streets

• Language lessons for immigrants

Housing Shortages

• Due to population increases through immigration & natural growth

• High property prices for unemployed/low wage workers

• Older properties require renovation & renewal

Housing Shortages-UK

• Between 1930 & 1970 major slum clearance schemes occurred

• Older housing replaced by new flats/houses in the suburbs & owned by local gov’t.

• Now those properties are private owned and gov’t-owned housing is not allowed

• Is this good or bad?

Squatter Settlements• Housing often located in the

outer areas of cities and towns in LEDCs

• Difficulties faced:– Land is not owned & the

people have no right to stay there

– Houses aren’t weatherproof and can be cold in winter

– Lacks proper sanitation/water supply/electricity

– No local employment– Extreme Overcrowding– High crime and drug/alcohol

abuse– Long journeys into the center

for work

Squatter Settlements

Favelas of Rio de Janeiro are built on steep slopes and landslides and mudslides often destroy housing (April/May 2010-250 people were killed)

Solutions to Squatter Settlements

• Low-cost housing for employed workers where they pay a small part of the rent

• Self-help tools provided to help people build houses with the proper materials

• Provision of basic services, water, sewerage, electricity by city authorities

Effects of Urbanization on the Environment

Air Pollution

• Major sources: motor vehicles, industry, power stations, and open fires

• MEDCs have strict vehicle and industry emission laws to help reduce pollution

• Highest levels are in LEDCs cities that are rapidly industrializing i.e. China and India

Air Pollution

• Occurs when pollutants like dust & smoke are released into the environment

• When particles are suspended in the air it can cause a haze

• If particles combine with water vapor & toxic gases forming smog

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=SW7FXGG9CEM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW7fxGG9cEM

Human Causes of Air Pollution

Industries

• Power stations & manufacturing industries release large amounts of dust & smoke into the air

• Burning fossil fuels releases waste into the air

• The waste includes fine, black carbon-based smoke (soot) and poisonous gases like sulphur dioxide


Motor Vehicles

• Greatest source of air pollution in urban areas

• Estimated that 90% of dust & smoke present are emitted by vehicles

• Emissions contain harmful gases i.e. carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides


Construction Work

• Clearing land, construction of buildings & transportation of construction materials pollute the air with dust & smoke

• Wind may carry these particles to nearby residential areas

Extent of Pollution

• Air pollutants, such as dust smoke & harmful gases can be carried by winds from their source to other parts of the country or to other countries

• i.e. burning forests in Indonesia have caused hazy skies in Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei

WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS CAN OCCUR BECAUSE OF POLLUTION?

Problems Caused by Air Pollution

Health Problems

• Dust & smoke can cause difficulty breathing

• Can irritate throat and eyes

• Can develop respiratory problems like bronchitis & asthma


Health Problems

• Cities with smog and that have toxic gases like carbon monoxide can cause serious health problems and sometimes death!

• Sulphur dioxide & nitrogen oxides can increase risk to lung & heart diseases and cancer

• Life spans can be shortened by 1-2 years


Traffic Hazards

• High amounts of dust & smoke make it difficult to see distant objects

• Airports may have to stop flights

• Can be inconvenient and dangerous to those driving


Environmental Problems

• Acid rain can cause air pollution, destroy forests, kill fish in rivers and lakes and corrode buildings

• Common in places with heavy industries

• Industries will release large amounts of sulphur dioxide & nitrogen dioxide and mix with water vapor

Air Pollution

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c/air_quality/impro

ving_air_qualityact.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c/air_quality/improving_air_qualityact.shtml

WORKBOOK PAGE 50-51 TASK 1-3

Water Pollution

• Pollutants are discharged directly into water bodies like rivers, seas, and oceans

• Pollutants of land are blown by wind or washed by rain into bodies of water

Water Pollution

• Some pollutants are poisonous and can affect the health of animals that live in the water and people who drink the water

WHAT CAUSES WATER POLLUTION?

Causes of Water Pollution

Improper disposal of sewage

• Sewage- solid or liquid waste produced by households or industries

• If not treated before released into rivers or lakes they become polluted

• Sewage contains human waste, detergent, and chemicals



• Industrial waste contains toxins and is especially dangerous

• If dumped illegally into rivers or seas it can cause heavy pollution



• Sewage is treated at sewage treatment plants to remove waste from water before being released into water bodies

• Some substances are non-biodegradable (can’t be broken down easily)

• These substances remain in the water and cause water pollution


Oil Spills

• Can occur when an oil tanker is torn by sharp rocks or if it collides with another ship, causing oil to spill into the sea

• Difficult to clean because they spread over large areas and aren’t easily broken down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgLIMaZAJj0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgLIMaZAJj0

Do you know where the most polluted river in the world is?

Extent of Water Pollution

• Water pollution triggers off a chain reaction

• Has serious consequences for all living things


Endangering Plant and Animal Species

• Oil spill can endanger lives of animals

• When animals come into contact with the polluted water the oil sticks to their feathers or fur

• This removes the air trapped by the feathers & fur, which acts as insulation, and causes them to freeze to death in the cold



• Oil cogs the birds’ feathers and prevents them from flying or floating on the water

• May cause them to drown



• Improper disposal of everyday household waste can destroy aquatic life

• Chemicals from detergents will encourage algae to grow and prevent sunlight from reaching plants beneath

• The plants will die and animals dependent on these plants will be affected.


Negative Impact on Human Health

• Poisons in industrial waste can accumulate in the bodies of fish/shellfish

• These poisons may be passed to us when we eat the contaminated animals

• May also suffer from cholera & typhoid when they drink water that’s contaminated


Economic Loss

• May affect the economy

• i.e. oil spills affect fishermen’s livelihood as well as fishing industry

• Tourists don’t want to visit beaches with dirty water or water with oil in it


Economic Loss

• Cleaning up oil spills requires a lot of effort and money

• Oil can spread over large areas and isn't easy to break down

Exxon Valdez

• ≈10,000 workers involved

• 2.1 billion dollars spent to clean it up

• Took more than 4 years to complete!

Effects of Urbanization on the Environment

Visual Pollution

• Things in the urban area look ugly or offensive

Noise Pollution

• People living in cities face another pollution

• Occurs when unwanted sounds are added to the environment

• A lot of noise is created from vehicles, industrial activities, household gadgets, & loud music

• Some noises are annoying & can affect your quality of life

Causes of Noise Pollution

Traffic

• Common cause especially in cities

• Cars on busy roads can produce 60-90 decibels

• Cars aren’t the only thing that create traffic noise. Can you think of some others?– Aircrafts

– MRT

– Trains

Causes of Noise Pollution

Construction & Other Human Activities

• Noise from drilling, piling, knocking and the use of heavy machinery during construction work all contribute to noise pollution

• People talking loudly, events i.e. concerts

Extent of Noise Pollution

• Affects our quality of life

• Causes discomfort & has negative impact on our health

• Long term exposure to noise pollution can:

– damage hearing

– Increase heart rates

– Lead to poor performance in school/work b/c concentration is affected

Noise Effects

Healthy Ear hair bundleHair Bundle after loud sound exposure

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=UG5M_CZR1RI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG5M_CzR1RI

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=Z7DCKPH9DHK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Dckph9Dhk

NOISE POLLUTION FROM SHIPS EFFECT MARINE LIFE

http://poopy.org/noise-pollution/noise-pollution-from-ships-effect-marine-life/

http://poopy.org/noise-pollution/noise-pollution-from-ships-effect-marine-life/

Measures to Reduce Noise Pollution

National Efforts Enforcing laws & regulations

• Governments can set limits on acceptable noise levels

• i.e. NEA in Singapore and the police have set limits & deal with noise in residential areas if necessary


Noise Reduction Methods

• Sound barriers, like tall fences, are built along busy roads to help reduce noise levels to nearby homes

• Planting trees and shrubs

• Walls may be covered with sound proof materials

• Mufflers can be placed on noisy equipment or car engines


Individual Efforts

• Be more considerate to our neighbors by minimizing the amount of noise we create

• Refrain from noisy activities (playing loud music, talking loudly late at night)

• Install sound-proofing equipment in rooms where musical instruments like drums are played

Date post:	15-Jul-2015
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Urban settlements

Education