Ch12: Urbanisation

• Functions of urban settlements + their evidence on maps/photographs:

  Market - town square, road network, 'Market' street

  Defence - castle, town wall

  Resource - mines (coal, iron)

  Ecclesiastical - church, monastery

  Port - boat activities

  Industrial - a factory, industrial estate

  Residential - housing estates

  Transport - road, rail, airport

  Tourism/recreation - golf course, sports ground, caravan park
• Causes of Urbanisation:

  • Industrial Revolution - factories located in cities needed employment, leading to rural people locating in the city.
  • The vast amount of services, recreation and leisure activities in urban areas compared to rural areas
  • Housing is more affordable in urban areas than rural areas
• Consequences of Urbanisation:

  • Traffic congestion - people go to work and come home at the same time, leading to 'rush hour' traffic
  • Urban sprawl - housing has spread from the city to the countryside taking up valuable farmland
  • Pollution - smog from fossil fuel combustion is rampant in cities
  • Urban decay - many places in the city centre are derelict. Some buildings have been abandoned, being occupied by homeless people.
• Solutions to traffic problems:

  • Buses and QBCs - to reduce pollution and rush hour congestion, buses can carry 80 people and have their own lane (Quality Bus Corridor)
  • Trams - this is a small train that runs on tracks in cities in Europe, ex) Dublin.
  • Cycle lanes - cycling to work/school instead of taking a car is more environmentally friendly
  • Road improvements - roundabouts, ring roads, double yellow lines, junction (yellow) boxes prevent the congestion of traffic
• Solutions to urban decay:

  • Urban renewal - improving the derelict or abandoned buildings by upgrading facilities
  • Urban redevelopment - knocking down derelict or abandoned buildings and constructing new buildings such as offices or shopping centres
• The five zones of a city:

  • Central Business District (CBD) - where banks, offices, department stores are located
  • Shopping areas - in the city outskirts are the small shops where people buy goods and services
  • Shopping centres - large shopping centres are located in the suburbs for easier customer parking
  • Industrial areas - located in suburbs for easier expansion and cheaper land
  • Recreation - cities have parks so people can enjoy free time and relax