9.2 Urban Forms

• Urban forms - physical characteristics of built up areas including the shape, size, density and configuration of settlements
• There are three types of urban form:

  • radial e.g paris
  • grid e.g new york
  • irregular e.g london
• Benefits of megacities and world cities:

  • offer opportunities to expand access to services, such as healthcare and education
  • less environmentally damaging to provide transport, water etc for a densely settled population
  • better levels of education and healthcare can improve the lives of people on low incomes
• Fortress landscapes - landscapes designed around security, protection, surveillance and exclusion
• world city - have a great influence on a global scale, because of their financial status and worldwide commercial power.
• Central business district (CBD) - this central areas contains major shops, offices and entertainment facilities.
• Town centre mixed development

  • a wider range of leisure facilities including cinemas, cafes, bars etc
  • the availability of spaces
  • promotion of street entertainment e.g convent garden
  • developing night life such as clubbing
  • constructing new offices, apartments, hotels to raise the status of the CMD
  • encouragement of residential areas to return to city centres by providing flats
• Cultural and heritage quarters

  • focus more on history of the areas based around small-scale industries
  • focused on preserving and integrating the history of the city
• Gentrified areas

  • gentrification is the process of upgrading a small areas as wealthier people move in
  • changes may include superficial changes to building roads etc
  • services developed that are aimed at the wealthier residents
• Edge cities

  • self contained settlements which have emerged beyond the original city boundary
  • where land is cheaper but well connected
  • resulted due to greater car ownership
• Post-modern Western Cities

  • the changes the took place in the western society and culture in the late 20th century.
  • mainly concerned art and architecture
  • characterised by the mixing of different artistic styles and architecture