6. Characteristics of urban-land use

• Urban land use


  Activities that are found in towns and cities
• Urban settlements


  • Central core or central business district (CBD)
  • Industrial areas - inner-city ring
  • Different residential districts - suburban ring
  • Outer zones of suburban expansion - urban fringe
• All towns and cities tend to grow outwards, from a historic centre or core to an urban fringe
• Each zone grows due to the needs of the city during its development, over time
• Features of all towns and cities

  • A central core
  • An inner-city zone
  • A suburban zone
  • An urban fringe
• Central Core


  • The central business district (CBD) e.g. banks, retail and commercial offices
  • Multi-storey development, with vertical growth rather than horizontal due to lack of space
  • Land of high value
  • Concentrated retail and office space
  • Pedestrianisation for high footfall
  • Convergence of public transport
  • Traffic restrictions for private vehicles
  • Low residential population
• Inner city zone


  • Older, compact, terraced 'worker' housing to support a growing population density
  • Surrounded by older industrial areas
  • Areas are centred around transport links and access to manufacturing
  • Available land increases with distance, so costs are reduced
  • Residential land is in direct competition with commercial usage
• Suburban zone


  • Residential areas
  • Emergence of segregated residential zones based on wealth, ethnicity, choice or government policy (e.g. social housing)
  • Semi and detached housing with gardens
  • Tree-lined avenues and cul-de-sacs
  • Smaller retail premises
  • The cost of land decreases but the size of the property increases with the distance
• Urban fringe


  • The countryside is eroded through the urban spread/sprawl
  • Housing is clustered into estates, which increases 'spot' density
  • Some industrial land uses
  • Accessibility is best
• The age of the built-up area decreases from the core to the fringe
• The density of building developments decreases from the core to the fringes
• Grandeur, function, design and style changes across the zones
• Over time, population density and land use changes
• Burgess Concentric Rings


  A model that shows a core where most of the commercial activity is found
• CBD


  • The most accessible (public transport) with the highest land value
  • High-rise buildings are seen here due to the high demand for land, but there is a lack of space to satisfy that demand
• Every model is a simple representation and applies to virtually all urban areas across the globe, BUT each zone varies in character, use and people depending on circumstances and where they are found
• In LEDC cities, the urban fringe has illegal squatter settlements or shanty towns as its 'housing estates'
• In MEDC cities, the poorer zones are the inner city with industry at the fringes, for ease of access to motorways
• Gentrification and redeveloped in inner cities are more common in MEDC cities
• Peak land value


  Land that has 'purpose' will be valuable and cost more to buy or rent
• Retail shops can make money and seek prime positions, therefore land uses of similar activities will come together creating 'peaks' and 'troughs' of land values across the urban landscape
• Bid-rent theory


  Also known as 'distance decay theory', where the price and demand for land change as the distance from the CBD increases
• Different land uses will compete for desirable plots to maximize their profits
• Accessibility increases the potential for more customers
• There is a trade-off between accessibility and the cost of the land
• The closer to the CBD the more desirable land is to retail and the higher the price charged/paid
• Industry cannot compete with high prices moving further away from CBD
• Residential land is outpriced across the zones, but competition is less so value decreases as more space becomes available
• Latin American city model

  • The CBD has developed around a colonial core, with a commercial corridor extending from it
  • Newer suburbs are found further out with random housing and fewer services
  • Squatter housing is found at the edge of the city; however, the more established squatter settlements can be found along the zones that extend into the city centre
  • Industrial areas are scattered along the major transport routes, with the newest developments at the edge
• In LEDCs, manufacturing is found throughout the city
• In LEDCs, segregation is seen through wealth, ethnicity and race
• In LEDCs, the wealthy are found closer to the central core of the city on wealthy land
• In LEDCs, the poor are pushed to the peripheral areas