CUE - Case Studies

• Suburbanisation in Mumbai:

  • Mainly occurred in 1970s
  • Towns and villages have been swallowed up by Mumbai in the process of suburbanisation.
  • In the last decade, Thane, Vashi and Belapur have become extended suburbs despite being planned as individual towns
  • The biggest growth occurred along the train routes
• Urban Change in Mumbai:

  • In 1854, the first Indian cotton mill was opened after the British had colonised India
• Decentralisation in Mumbai:

  • Large cities like Mumbai need efficient mass transport systems so commuters can get into work quickly
  • This also led to more people moving to the suburbs (suburbanisation)
• Urbanisation in Mumbai:

  • The growth of the city has mainly been historic - it is still growing, however a lot of this change took place between 1971 and 1991
  • This has mainly increased due to rural to urban migration and natural increase
  • Push factors = new farming techniques in India has meant that there are fewer jobs in farming, poor standard of education
  • Pull factors = cheaper travel costs, variety of jobs, better access to education and healthcare
• Positive Impacts of Urbanisation in Mumbai:

  • Large informal sector provides opportunities
  • Shanty towns help to provide housing shortage
  • Better healthcare
• Negative Impacts of Urbanisation in Mumbai:

  • 55% of city live below the poverty line
  • 1/3 of the population have been a victim of crime
  • 62% of the population live in slums
• Mumbai Population + World City:

  • Mumbai's population is 20 million
  • Mumbai is India's largest city
  • It is the commercial capital home to India's stock exchange as well as hosting the headquarters of transnational corporations such as Cadbury India, Volkswagen and Tata steel
  • Mumbai airport carried 36 million passengers to 45 different countries in 2015
• Urban Climate in Mumbai:

  • Mumbai is 5 - 7 C warmer than in the surrounding rural areas on summer nights
  • In 2016, Mumbai was ranked the 63rd most polluted city in the world
  • Mumbai often experiences heavy smog around Diwali, which is x20 more than the WHO limit
• Sustainable Development in Mumbai:

  • Mumbai is currently one of the least sustainable cities in the world due to its reliance on fossil fuels, population rise and the lack of sustainable transport

  Aims:

  • An SPV (Special Project Vehicle): An elevated sub-urban corridor project, which will transport 4 million passengers as well as a metro system transporting 9 million people
  • Sustainable Development: The Navi Mumbai Eco-City Project - A carbon neutral city, which is a bottom up approach to development using the opinions of the locals
• Urban Waste in Mumbai:

  • Mumbai generates about 10,000 tonnes of waste each day - this has risen by 105% from 1999 to 2016
  • Only 95% of Mumbai have a rubbish collection
  • Of 9,400 tonnes of rubbish that Mumbai sends daily to its landfills, 73% is food, vegetables and fruit waste
  • 80% of all waste in Mumbai is recycled
• Regeneration in Mumbai - 1:

  • Bhendi Bazaar was once an area of mixed chawls (a type of residential building found in Western India, similar to a tenement) and 1250 shops and stalls
  • It is estimated that 20,000 people lived there
  • The chawls were old and overcrowded
  • There was no proper waste disposal system and water was only supplied for a few hours each day
  • Plan in 2010: demolish 250 buildings and replace them with 17 high rise tower blocks
• Regeneration in Mumbai - 2:

  The project includes:

  • Using natural light and ventilation
  • Rainwater harvesting
  • Solar panels
  • Sewage treatment
  • The Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC) is an NGO that supports the efforts of local people to get better housing for their members
  • Instead of demolition, it teaches people how to improve their homes
• Sustainable Development in London:

  London's ecological footprint is currently 120x greater than its actual size

  • London as an eco-district = headquarters of Bloomberg's have been designed in keeping with the local architecture and includes air source heat pumps, green roofs, etc.
  • BedZed London = 82 affordable houses + is a carbon neutral development site
• Urban Waste in London:

  • London produces 7m tonnes of waste from homes, public buildings and businesses each year
  • Only 52% of waste is currently recycled and the capacity of landfills accepting London's waste is expected to run out by 2026
  • London's waste bill is now in excess of £2bn a year and is rising
• Urban Waste in London - Aims:

  • Circular London programme to create the conditions required for a circular economy
  • London will be a zero waste city. By 2026, no biodegradable or recyclable waste will be sent to landfill and by 2030, 65% of London's municipal waste will be recycled
• Urban Climate in London:

  • Highest temperatures are found in the city centre, which are on average 5 degrees warmer
  • A London Skyscraper was blamed for reflecting light, which melted parts of a car parked on a nearby street
• Regeneration in London - 1:

  • Stratford = one of the most deprived communities in the country, where unemployment was high and levels of health were poor
  • There was a lack of infrastructure and the environmental quality was poor
• Regeneration in London - 2:

  • The 2012 London Olympics bid was partly successful due to the understanding that Stratford would be regenerated for locals after the games

  Aims included:

  • By 2030, more than 10,000 homes will be built in the park
  • A new Academy has been built, which is used to educate 2000 pupils
  • Over 20,000 jobs could be created by 2030, bringing in more than £5 billion into the area
  • Walking and cycling routes, the provision of public transport, the water efficient design of homes and the protection of green spaces and habitats
• Gentrification in London:

  • Areas such as Notting Hill have been gentrified from slums to some of the most expensive areas
• Decentralisation in London:

  • Occurred in the 60s and 70s where jobs lost were masculine and replaced by women bringing a 'new set of gender roles' (Doreen Massey, 1994)
• Deindustrialisation in London:

  • Collapse of manufacturing began in 1950s due to: protectionism, trade unions, high exchange rates and lack of competitiveness
  • 1978 - 6.7 million manufacturing workers in the UK.
  • In 2017, there were 2.7 million
• Suburbanisation in London:

  • This mainly occurred in the 1960s and 70s where car ownership encouraged people to migrate
  • A small 'white flight' occurred as the wealthy white population moved away from the inner city areas that were attracting BME populations (i.e. Brent has 69% BME population)
• Positive impacts of Urbanisation in London:

  • Agglomeration effect: easier to provide services as people live closer together
• Negative impacts of Urbanisation in London:

  • 28% of Londoners are in poverty (10x higher than the national average)
  • This is the highest in black or ethnic minorities (38%)
  • Violence and sexual offences are twice as prevalent
• Urbanisation in London:

  • Peaked in the mid 1900s (70% of the population lived in cities)
  • The vast majority of the recent growth in London has come from net international migration
  • London added 690,000 residents between 2001 and 2010
  • This pattern has become more prevalent since the European Union enlargement, when Eastern Europeans began moving in much larger numbers to London
• Total Population + World City - London:

  • Total Population = 18.9 million (BME = 41%)
  • London is a global city as it is home to some of the world's top universities.
  • There are around 300 languages spoken
  • 37% of the population was born outside of the UK
  • There are endless opportunities for entertainment, such as the West End
  • It has three international airports
  • Has the Houses of Parliament and the Canary Wharf
• Gentrification in Notting Hill London:

  • Was a rough, working class area
  • 1950s - was a slum and suffered from inner city deprivation
  • Past 30 years = gentrification has sent house prices sky rocketing
  • The area possesses a number of fashionable places and secluded communal gardens
  • Since 1837, people have been able to buy anything in Notting Hill
  • The area hosts the largest carnival outside of Rio de Janeiro, which lasts for 3 days and is attended by over 1 million people
• Urban Waste Disposal in Leeds - Incineration:

  • The burning of waste at high temperatures to convert it into ash and gas
  • Is one incineration plant in operation at Leeds, located at Cross Green Industrial Estate
• Urban Waste Disposal in Leeds - Incineration Pros:

  • Can generate electricity and heat by burning waste, which can be sold to the national grid or used locally in the Leeds District Heating Network
  • Can reduce the volume of waste by up to 90%, reducing the space needed for landfills
  • Can be a more environmentally friendly alternative to landfill if the waste is non-recyclable and non-biodegradable
• Urban Waste Disposal in Leeds - Incineration Cons:

  • Can release harmful emissions, such as greenhouse gases, particulate matter and dioxins, which can be harmful to human health and the environment
  • Incineration requires a large amount of energy to operate, which can contribute to climate change
  • Incineration can be expensive to build and maintain and the cost of disposing waste through incineration may be passed on to taxpayers
• Urban Waste Disposal in Leeds - Landfill:

  • Involves burying waste in the ground and covering it with soil
  • Are several active landfill sites, including the East Leeds Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF), which combines landfill and incineration
• Urban Waste Disposal in Leeds - Landfill Pros:

  • Can be a cost-effective way to dispose of waste, especially if the waste is non-hazardous and non-toxic
  • Can generate methane, which can be captured and used as a fuel source
  • Landfills can be used as a source of renewable energy if they are equipped with gas collection and utilisation systems
• Urban Waste Disposal in Leeds - Landfill Cons:

  • Can take up large amounts of space, which can be problematic in densely populated areas
  • Can release harmful substances into the environment, including leachate (a liquid that gas passed through the waste and contains pollutants) and methane
  • Can create unpleasant odours and attract pests
• Reasons for Restoration - River Lea (SUDs):

  • Site was a former industrial/commercial zone and a known depository site for rubble from properties demolished from WW2
  • Site was contaminated due to the contribution in canal freight carrying and waterside industries during the industrial revolution
  • The river had a lack of geomorphic diversity, which caused flood risks for local neighbourhoods and those further downstream
  • This limited the opportunity for implementing SUDs across the site
• Restoration Evaluated - River Lea (SUDs):

  • The topography and improved soil and ground conditions contribute to preventing contamination and infiltration potential
  • Better management of local flood defence schemes taking into account the effects of climate change
  • The wetland bowl acts as natural flood defence, protecting over 5000 existing properties from 1 in 100 year storm events
  • Water conveyance has also been improved by reducing how quickly flow passes, through the system which has benefits for flood risk and aids vegetation
• Description of work carried out - River Lea:

  • Between 2005 and 2012, over £50m of investment was made by various Government agencies to transform the waterways of the Lower Lea Valley
  • The site topography was changed dramatically across the site, by 9m in some areas
  • Significant widening of the river channel in order to form the wetlands within the River Lea
  • Within the wetlands area located adjacent to the Basketball Arena and Riverbank Arena, further SUDs have been employed, which include swales, filter strips/drains and flood basins
• Central Arizona Project - Facts:

  • is an aqueduct system that brings water from the Colorado River and was completed in 1980s
  • Most of the water was initially used by farmers
  • Has more recently been supplying urban areas with growing populations
• Central Arizona Project - Facts:

  • CAP and other projects have reduced Arizona's dependence on groundwater, however it hasn't eliminated the problem entirely
  • Recent droughts have heightened concerns that Phoenix needs more water to sustain its human population
  • Water conservation, high density 'smart growth' and the reduction of outdoor water uses could reduce wasted water by up to 77%
• Phoenix, Arizona - Facts:

  • Sixth largest city of the USA and the capital of Arizona with a population of 1.6 million 
  • Fastest growing urban areas in the US —> Average 4% annual population increase from the mid-1960s to 2010 
  • In a desert zone with extremely hot, long summers and short, warm winters
  • Water supply is reliant on canals to divert the water from regional lakes and rivers with the largest amount coming from the Colorado River 
  • Low state business taxes, few employment regulations
  • Is a ’ Sun-belt city ’ in the last 40 years
• Phoenix, Arizona - Facts:

  • Intel processors has one of its largest sites there, employing 12,000 people along with aerospace, mining and electronics companies
  • Wealthy tend to live in extensive suburbs, the less wealthy around the central ‘downtown’ urban zone 
  • Poverty rates in Phoenix were higher than the national average (1900-2005)
  • Following the global financial crisis in 2008, leading to job losses and over half a million people in Phoenix were reliant on food stamps in 2012