Urban forms

• Urban form


  physical layout and design of the city

  includes shape, size, density of population, configuration of settlements
• Urban morphology


  spatial structure + organisation of an urban area
• Physical factors that affect the shape of the city

  1. Relief of the land- flat= good for roads + railways

  2. Rivers- transportation for industries

  3. Drainage Patterns
• Modern day urban morphology


  humans have been able to overcome urban physical factors

  urban form is now influenced by human factors

  main factor that influences land use today is land value
• 2 main urban models


  1. Burgess concentric zone model

  2. Hoyt's sector model
• Hoyt's sector model


  CBD (city centre)

  city develops in sector, not rings

  areas are attractive for different activities

  as city grows, activities expand in a wedge from centre

  once district of high-class housing is established, most expensive houses are built on outer edge of district, away from centre

  industry and retailling develop in other sectors, as well as low class and middle class residential sectors

  industry is located along major rail lines and roads

  e.g Chicago- the city of which Hoyt model is based on
• Burgess concentric zone model

  1. CBD is at the centre (inner core)

  2. Factories (traditional) are the second ring

  3. Low class residential (old inner city area) are the third ring

  4. Medium class residential (inter war period) the fourth ring

  5. High class residential (modern suburbs)- the outer ring
• Burgess concentric zone model


  The city grows outwards beginning in the middle at the CBD
• Zone of transition


  • Where the industry and poorer quality housing can be found
  • New immigrants usually live in this zone
• 3rd ring


  • Occupied by modest houses for blue collar workers
• 4th ring


  • More spacious for middle class families
• 5th zone


  • Commuter zone, usually white collar workers who commute to the centre
• The Burgess concentric zone model was developed for American cities and has limited application elsewhere
• Preindustrial cities (Europe) didn't follow the Burgess model - the city centre was much more important for most in terms of social status of residents