Urban form and morphology

• Urban forms


  The physical characteristics that make up built-up areas, including:

  • Shape
  • Size
  • Density
  • Organisation of settlements

  Evolve in response to... developments:

  • Social
  • Economic
  • Environemntal
  • Polictical
  • Technological
• Urban morphology 


  Spatial structure and organisation of an urban area

  Physical factors:

  • Drainage
  • Relief
  • Access to water

  Humans have been able to overcome limitations posed by physicsl factors

  Human factors:

  • Structure
  • Layout
  • Characteristics
• Factors influencing urban form and morphology:

  1. Relief - flat land (cheaper and easier to build on), on gently sloping land to avoid floods
  2. Drainage - well drained sites less prone to flooding with permeable rock, close to a river for water source and commmunication, mills > power source e.g. next to river
  3. Coastal location - ports developed as a focus f import and export of goods
• EXAMPLE: Kendal - physical factors influencing Kendal's urban form and morphology:

  Urban form:

  • River Kent - infrastructure
  • Agricultural land now used for development

  Morphology:

  • River Kent - flooding, access to water, flood plain of Kent flat, most devleoped > development spread more S&N as cheaper and easier to build on flat land
  • East side more flat than West so more developed as W side steeper
• EXAMPLE: Kendal - physical and human factors influencing Kendal's urban form + morphology over time:

  See following
• EXAMPLE: Kendal - Early site and town centre location:

  • Mill building near river
• 19th century industrialisation - industrial areas near river

  Warehouses near river and coal

  Tall chimneys industruialised and coal barges
• 19th century industrialisation - houses for poor and for wealthyOpen space in town


  Low Fellside most deprived, unhygenic and cramped

  Large Victorian housing on Windermere road and Kendal Green, detatched houses
• Open space in town

  Gooseholm
• Early suburbanisation - ribbon development

  Kentrigg suburbanisation, edge of town
• Post-war house building - public and private


  Castle Estate first attempt in social housing in Kendal
• Continued suburbanisation


  Shap Road
• Brownfield sites - filling the gaps

  Appleby Road - affordable housing

  Station Yard area - commercial in old warehouses
• Changing building function - urban living in former industrial building and new builds

  QKS former Longlands school post WW2
• Decentralisation of industry, commerce, retail, leisure

  South Lakes Retail Park on edge of northern rural-urban fringe
• Satellite villages(village that arisen on outskirts of large one, live there but work in city)


  Natland - decentralisation