What are the characteristics of urban areas?

1
What are the characteristics of urban areas?

• The study of two urban areas to illustrate
• - the range of functions found in urban areas
  including industrial, commercial, residential and
  recreational
• - the land-use patterns that develop in urban
  areas
• - the social, economic, political and
  environmental factors that influence land-use
  patterns.

• Main case studies
• Newcastle, UK
• Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

2
Newcastle

• First settlement in Roman times. Coal mining area
  followed by shipbuilding and heavy industry
  during the industrial revolution. By the second
  half of C20th all of these industries had
  declined. Today offices and retail are the main
  employers.
• River Tyne separates Newcastle and Gateshead.
  Development limited downstream by the coast so
  development of Newcastle is now northwards and
  upwards.
• Processes suburbanisation, suburban
  intensification, counterurbanisation,
  regeneration, filtering and gentrification.

3
Port Moresby

• First established by the British in 1880s as a
  port and defensive base. Became the capital in
  1975. Since then population has doubled and urban
  area has spread well beyond its historic core.
• Limited growth along the coast. Steep hills have
  created a break between the old town and the
  new town.
• Functions national administration, provision of
  good and services, some port activities, limited
  service industry, informal activities.
• Processes agglomeraton, suburbanisation,
  regeneration, exclusion.

4
Conclusions from Newcastle and Port Moresby

• Impact of physical conditions (esp. coastline,
  hills and rivers) is much the same in both
  cities.
• Functions differ slightly but tertiary industry
  is dominant in both.
• Same structural components (core, suburban ring,
  rural fringe).
• Segregation of people in both mainly on the
  basis of wealth but also ethinicity.
• Processes differ because of their development
  context and ages.

5
What are the social and economic issues
associated with urban change?

• The study of two contrasting urban areas to
  illustrate
• - why socio-economic deprivation occurs
• - the characteristics of urban deprivation,
  including economic well-being, housing and
  environmental quality and social conditions.
• - the social and economic differences existing
  in urban areas
• - the problems of managing the growing demand
  for services such as health, education and public
  transport.

• Main case studies
• Birmingham, UK
• Dhaka, Bangladesh

6
Birmingham

• Worlds first industrial city but now a victim of
  global shift. Today 80 of economic output is due
  to tertiary industry (major centre of banking,
  finance and insurance).
• Successfully changed its image and has enjoyed
  strong economic growth.
• Problems of growth
• Strain of citys transport system, overloading
  during peak hours. Commuters from West Midlands
  add to the problems.
• High rates of unemployment in inner ring.
• Benefits of Birminghams transformation have not
  been equally distributed. Prosperous core is now
  surrounded by a ring of old and inadequate
  housing, poor services and poverty gt disaffection
  and strong polarisation.

7
Birmingham

• Ranked 16th out of 354 districts as the most
  deprived in England. Many in inner ring (ethnic
  minorities) around core but some pockets in areas
  of more recent development (mainly S/SW). Most of
  these pockets coincide with areas of social
  housing.
• Inadequacy of service provision can be partly
  explained historically
• Housing built during C19th mainly for factory
  workers in the form of small back-to-back
  terraces with basic water and sewage systems.
• Lack of compulsory education at the time meant
  few schools were ever built.
• Post WW2 area very rundown but sudden influx of
  immigrants from Caribbean and Indian subcontinent
  meant regeneration couldnt happen.
• Wholesale redevelopment did take place but local
  residents were re-housed in temporary high-rise
  blocks or suburban council estates. Priority was
  to meet housing demand and services took a back
  seat. Redevelopment may have reduced deprivation
  but hasnt eliminated it.

8
Dhaka

• Capital of Bangladesh, one of the winners of
  global shift. TNCs attracted by cheap labour,
  mainly clothing industry exporting to MEDCs.
• High unemployment due to high population growth
  (4 p.a. created by high rural-urban migration
  and high fertility) and the fact that population
  growth outstrips the rate of which new jobs are
  created gtgt informal economy (rickshaws).
• By LEDCs standards Dhaka is thriving but majority
  of residents live below poverty line.

9
Dhaka

• Deprivation is clear malnourished and poorly
  clothed people, informal settlements (bostis),
  high crime rate.
• Provision of services has lagged very far behind
  demand due speed of growth (increasing demand and
  rapid change) and poverty of Bangladesh (lack of
  resources).
• Only 2/3 houses supplied by city water system.
  Sewage system services 25 30 have septic tanks
  and the rest is dumped in the streets.
• Has one of the highest rates of infectious
  disease in Asia. Only 45,000 hospital beds in
  whole country and gt4000 per doctor.
• 20 of children do not receive compulsory
  education. Literacy rate is 45.
• Key to better service provision is linked to the
  development of the country.

10
What are the environmental issues associated with
urban change?

• The study of two contrasting urban areas to
  illustrate
• - the problems of traffic congestion and
  atmospheric pollution and their management
• - the problems of managing increasing volumes of
  waste
• - the problems of managing the growing demand
  for services such as water and sanitation
• - how urban change can create areas of
  dereliction.

• Main case studies
• London, UK
• Mumbai, India
• Supplementary case studies
• Cambridge (traffic
• management) London (waste
• management) Santiago, Chile
• (traffic management and air pollution)
• Worcester (building on the
• floodplain)

11
London

• Water supply all have safe, piped water but
  problems in supply meeting demand.
• Waste management most properties linked to
  sewage system, all others have septic tanks. Main
  problem is how to dispose of increasing amount of
  domestic waste.
• Atmospheric pollution levels decreased with
  introduction of Clean Air Act, de-industrialisatio
  n and strict controls on vehicle emissions.
  Challenge is to lower levels further.
• Traffic and transport congestion charging but
  problems in trying to persuade people to use
  public transport.
• Brownfield sites extensive use in inner ring
  e.g. Canary Wharf. Problems include risks of
  contamination and considering gardens as
  brownfield sites.
• Floodplains much built on Thames floodplain.
  Thames Barrage gives some protection but
  expansion of the city (e.g. Thames Gateway) will
  involve building downstream of the barrage.
  Olympics site mainly floodplain.

12
Mumbai

• Water supply present supply outstripped by
  increasing demand 60 of 18million inhabitants
  live in slums and many dont have access to safe,
  piped water.
• Waste management gt5000 tons of solid waste
  produced each day. Municipal coorporation in
  charge of disposal cannot cope. Much is dumped by
  roadside and left to rote gtgt smell, health risks.
• Atmospheric pollution high incidence of chronic
  respiratory problems due to extreme air
  pollution. Causes of pollution industries in
  eastern suburbs and New Mumbai, garbage burning
  and insufficient control over emission levels
  from vehicles.
• Traffic and transport 90 commuters use public
  transport (suburban trains, ferries, buses) as it
  is cheap and reliable. Low car ownership and
  distances to work can be vast. Roads heavily
  congested (591 per km) and gt60,000 deaths per
  year.
• Brownfield sites plenty of derelict land but
  little investment for regeneration. Some land
  occupied by squatter settlements.
• Floodplains very little of urban area built on
  floodplain. Concerns over coast and clearance of
  mangroves (natural barriers). Urban development
  in these areas are particularly at risk due to
  high tides and monsoon rains.

13
Supplementary case studies

• Cambridge (traffic and transport)
• Bus lanes
• Cycle lanes
• One way streets
• Rising bollards
• Traffic calming in residential areas
• Park and Ride
• Pedestrianised areas
• M11/A14 act like a bypass

• London (waste management)
• 4.4 million tonnes of municipal household waste
  per year.
• Collected then transported to landfill sites in
  SE (problematic takes up land, environmentally
  unsatisfactory).
• Waste expected to increase.
• Solution would be to extend existing recycling
  schemes.

14
Supplementary case studies

• Santiago (air pollution)
• Primary cause is population growth and huge
  increased in car ownership.
• Public transport is also highly polluting.
• Aggravated by Santiagos location is a broad
  valley.
• Exceeds safe limits set by WHO.
• Impacts on health and quality of life (increased
  rates of morbidity and mortality).

• Worcester (building on floodplain)
• Huge impacts on buildings and peoples lives.
• Government is faced with a need to build more and
  more affordable housing.
• Planning applications for developments of
  floodplains have risen as they offer level and
  fairly cheap sites. Also as they have been
  previously ignored by urban growth, can often
  find sites near to urban core.

15
How can urban areas be managed to ensure
sustainability?

• The study of at least
• one example to
• illustrate how planning
• and management
• practices are enabling
• urban areas to become
• more sustainable.

• Main case studies
• BedZED, UK Dongtan, China
• Supplementary case studies
• Northstowe,

16
Eco-towns

• July 2007 developers invited to bid for money to
  build five new eco-towns designed to house
  between 5,000-20,000 people.
• - Had to have good transport links to nearby
  towns and cities large green spaces family
  house dwellings with garden affordable housing
  amenities within walking distance.
• PROBLEMS
• - most of the working population will commute
  via non-carbon neutral transport.
• - homes can be made carbon neutral but it is
  difficult to make urban infrastructure so.
• - building on greenfield sites which is against
  gov. policy of priotising use of brownfield
  sites.
• - complete change of lifestyle.
• - a development cannot be truly sustainable
  unless travel, food buying and waste are also
  addressed.

17
BedZED

• UKs largest mixed use sustainable community.
• Carbon neutral housing.
• Local organic food boxes welcome pack details
  local markets etc training for growing your own
  food.
• Private car ownership limited promoted public
  transport reduced need to travel.
• Aims to recycle 60 segregated under sink bins
  clothes and furniture swaps.

18
Dongtan

• City will extend to cover 8800 ha and house
  several million people.
• Powered by renewable energy sources (mainly HEP).
• All housing within 7min walk of public transport.
• Food will be produced on the island.
• Intended to be a worldwide model for how to build
  sustainably.
• Not clear whether development will now go ahead.