different urban forms

• Pre-Industrial cities


  • Largely unaffected by industrial developments and have retained much of their urban layout and characteristics
  • Elite groups tended to locate in the centre, surrounded by lower socio-economic groups, including artisans who worked from home
• Functional zones in Pre-Industrial cities

  • Historic buildings such as churches and castles are likely to dominate the centre
  • High class residential zones near centre
  • Less clear delineation of residential and commercial districts
• Pre-Industrial cities


  • Lincoln
  • Bath
  • York
  • Carcassone
• Modern (industrial) cities


  • Similar activities and similar people group together
  • Leads to a homogenous area, each dominated by a particular land use or social group
  • Arrangement of areas strongly determined by the general decline in land values outwards from the city centre
• Functional zones in Modern (industrial) cities

  • Dominant CBD
  • Residential zoning
  • Industrial zone likely to be manufacturing based
• Modern (industrial) cities


  • Birmingham
  • Chicago
• Post-industrial cities


  • Urban mosaic, more chaotic and looser structure with many smaller zones rather than one or two dominating
  • Post suburban and peripheral developments with high-tech corridors and zones
• Functional zones in Post-industrial cities

  • Multi-nodal structure
  • Less dominant CBD
  • Higher degree of social polarisation
  • Service sector-based industry that is less tied to one location
• Public transport oriented (PTO) cities

  • Minimising the walking distance between residential development and public transport nodes and interchanges
• Motor-based cities (MBC)


  • The onset of mass motorisation from the 1950s helped increase rates of suburbanisation and the decentralisation of economic activities
• Functional zones in PTO cities

  • Development along railway lines and main roads
  • More intensive development near railway stations
• Functional zones in MBC

  • Linked to major road networks- urban freeways or motorways
  • Non residential land uses such as retailing and offices may locate in urban fringe locations
• PTO cities


  • Hong Kong
• MBC


  • Detroit
• African cities


  • Many cities have grown from colonial settlements and have not experienced the industrialisation of US and European urban centres
  • Recent and rapid urban growth has forced changes to established and older zones as well as expansion on the periphery
  • Lacking resources and control, urban form may be unplanned and sometimes chaotic
• Functional zones in African cities


  • Dominant CBD which is likely to be the political and cultural centre
  • HQ of foreign multinationals may be present along with large hotels and historic buildings
  • Older industrial areas adjacent to transport routes, such as railways
  • Newer peripheral middle-class housing served by road network
  • Informal housing developments on marginal land
• African cities


  • Nairobi
  • Capetown
• Socialist cities


  • Followed the principle of the classless city
  • Everyone lives in the same type of housing block irrespective of the location in the city
  • Housing blocks located close to local services to encourage walking
  • The city centre was large and an administrative and political centre rather than a commercial centre
• Functional zones in Socialist cities

  • Homogenous blocks throughout the city
  • Four micro neighbourhoods (15,000) make up a residential district (60,000)
  • Neighbourhoods had local services, districts had higher order shops and entertainment services
  • City centre had prestige buildings and a central square for socialist rallies
• Socialist cities


  • Prague