Urban forms

• what is urban form?

  the physical characteristics that make up a city, including its size and shape, population density ad how the city is arranged
• where were many cities initially established?

  in areas with good water supply, fertile soil, natural resources and good defensive positions
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (TOPOGRAPHY) - what do physical factors often influence?


  the growth of cities
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (TOPOGRAPHY) - what would be built on steep slopes as they are hard to build on and are less accessible?


  slums would be built on them
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (TOPOGRAPHY) - what do large flat areas encourage?

  low density developments because theres lots of space to build
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (WATER) - what do the presence of lakes and seas limit?

  urban growth
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (WATER) - where may cities grow along?

  along the course of the river
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (WATER) - where are city centre shops and businesses usually located?

  close to the waterfront rather than at the geographical centre of the city
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (NATURAL RESOURCES) - what does rich resources such as coal and metal encourage?

  growth in size and population of cities
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (LAND TYPE) - what are the differences in some ground surfaces?


  some are more difficult or expensive to build on then others
• PHYSICAL FACTORS (LAND TYPE) - what land type can limit urban growth?

  swaps and wetlands
• HUMAN FACTORS (PLANNING) - what can be planned or unplanned?


  urban expansion
• HUMAN FACTORS (PLANNING) - what is lots of urban growth in developing countries caused by?


  the unplanned expansion of slums
• HUMAN FACTORS (PLANNING) - what does planned developments include?

  open space and leisure facilities
• HUMAN FACTORS (INFRASTRUCTURE) - where are new developments often built?

  along transport links which leads to linear growth
• HUMAN FACTORS (LAND VALUE) - where is the highest land value often found?


  in the city centre
• HUMAN FACTORS (LAND VALUE) - which businesses locate in the city centre?

  profitable businesses such as chain stores
• HUMAN FACTORS (LAND VALUE) - where do less profitable businesses locate?

  further away from the city centre
• HUMAN FACTORS (LAND VALUE) - what does the bid rent theory seek to explain?

  how the location of urban land uses is determined by the willingness to pay high prices for central locations and reliance on accessibility
• MEGACITIES - what do they offer? (services)

  an expansive range of social services such as healthcare and education
• MEGACITIES - what do they provide? (jobs)

  large and diverse employment opportunities
• MEGACITIES - what are they centres of?

  innovation
• MEGACITIES - what is concentrated in one are?

  the environmental and planning impact of housing and infrastructure for dense populations
• WORLD CITIES - examples of the variety of international financial services (i, re, b, a, m)

  insurance, real estate, banking, accountancy and marketing
• WORLD CITIES - what are they centres of? (m and c)

  media and communications for global networks
• WORLD CITIES - what are they headquarters of?

  multinational corporations
• WORLD CITIES - what facilities do they have as they're manufacturing centres?

  port and container facilities
• WORLD CITIES - what do they dominate? (t and e)

  the trade and economy of a large surrounding area
• WORLD CITIES - what do they dominate? (nr)


  the national region with great international significance
• WORLD CITIES - what is located here? (finance)

  financial headquarters, a stock of exchange and major financial institutions
• WORLD CITIES - what are they centres of? (ni and i)

  new ideas and innovation in business, economics, culture and politics
• WORLD CITIES - what power do they have?

  decision making power at a global level
• WORLD CITIES - where are a high proportion of their residents employed?

  in the service information sectors
• WORLD CITIES - what is located here? (education)

  high quality educational institutions, including well renowned universities
• WORLD CITIES - what does their multi-functional infrastructure offer?

  the best legal, medical and entertainment facilities in the country
• GLOBAL INFLUENCE - what does the influence vary according to?

  spatial setting of the city
• GLOBAL INFLUENCE - what type of cities have a higher global influence?

  highly integrated cities
• LAND USE PATTERNS IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD - what do cities in developed counties tend to have?

  central business districts
• LAND USE PATTERNS IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD - what is the CBD usually surrounded by?

  housing
• LAND USE PATTERNS IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD - where does land value tend to be highest?

  in the city centre