Urbanisation in MEDCs

Urbanisation can cause problems such as transport congestion, lack of

sufficient housing, over-rapid growth and environmental degradation.
Many cities display particularly sharp inequalities in housing provision,
health and employment.
Some people try to escape these problems by moving away from the city a process called counter-urbanisation. Long term, however, the solution
must be to make cities more sustainable.

Causes of urbanisation
Urbanisation means an increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas
compared to rural areas. An urban area is a built-up area such as a town or city. A
rural area is an area of countryside.
As a country industrialises, the number of people living in urban areas tends to
increase. The UK and many other MEDCs urbanised during the 18th and 19th
centuries. People migrated from rural areas (due to the mechanisation in farming)
to urban areas where there was employment in the new factories. The area of cities
known as the inner city developed during this time as rows of terraced housing
were built for workers.

Santiago, Chile
Today the UK is a mostly urban society, with 90 per cent of the population living in
towns or cities.
On a global scale, urbanisation is taking place rapidly, particularly in LEDCs.
Although the UK is an urban society, more and more people are choosing to live on
the edge of urban areas - with many relocating to the countryside. This is called
counter-urbanisation.

Problems of urbanisation in the CBD - traffic congestion

Traffic jam on the M6 motorway

As more people move to the edge of towns and cities, traffic congestion may get
worse. Many people will drive their cars into the city centre to get to work.
It is compounded by people being brought into city on large roads or motorways.
These roads then link up with smaller, older, narrower roads in the city centre. This
causes a bottleneck and congestion.
Some cities have tried to manage this problem by introducing traffic management
schemes. These schemes may include:

park and ride schemes

cycle lanes

congestion charging schemes, such as those in Durham and London

car-pooling, as used in the USA, to encourage people to share cars

Low Emission Zones, as in London

Local councils have also tried to make the roads in urban areas safer by introducing
traffic calming, pedestrian zones, vehicle-exclusion zones and permit-only parking
schemes.

Reducing congestion in cities

The introduction of Park and Ride schemes. People park in car parks
on the edge of a settlement and catch regular buses into the centre.

Park and Ride scheme operating in Plymouth

Pedestrianised areas are designated as 'pedestrian only' zones.

Pedestrian shopping streets, Liverpool

Permit holder parking - certain parts of the city, particularly near the
centre, are designated as permit parking only. This means that people
must have a permit to park in that area. This reduces the number of
people driving in to towns and cities as parking opportunities are
restricted.

Permit holder parking in Westminster

Vehicle exclusion zones - certain types of vehicles are excluded from

certain parts of a city, eg large vehicles may not be allowed to enter
narrow roads or residential areas.

Vehicle exclusion sign

Car pooling - people are encouraged to share cars. This has been
used in a lot in the USA.

Taxi cabs on a New York street

Traffic calming - roads narrowing and speed bumps make traffic move
slower around narrower streets. Narrow roads may restrict the type of
vehicle that can enter certain parts of the city.

Speed bump in a residential area in London

Problems of urbanisation in the inner city - inequalities

Inequalities exist in all urban areas. Inequality means extreme differences
between poverty and wealth, as well as in peoples' wellbeing and access to things
like jobs, housing and education. Inequalities may occur in:

housing provision

access to services

access to open land

safety and security

Often people who live in inner-city areas experience a poor quality of life. This is
because the inner-city is typically a zone with older housing and declining industry.
The diagram below compares the quality of life for someone living in an outer
London borough with that of someone who lives in an inner London borough.

Graph showing quality of life in Outer London

Graph showing quality of life in Inner London

Unemployment and incidents of long-term illness are higher in the inner-city
boroughs, while households are more likely to have central heating and multiple
cars in the outer-city boroughs.
Governments and planners often step in to help redevelop run-down inner-city
areas. Inner-city redevelopments, such as those in London's Docklands or
Manchester's Salford Quays, may improve the physical environment of the area and
improve the quality of housing. But it can also create even greater inequalities
because the local residents may not be able to afford to live there anymore. Often
the old industrial jobs are replaced by skilled jobs and new people move to the
area.

Changes at the urban rural fringe

Demand for housing

'For Sale' signs outside a house

Social and demographic changes are leading to a greater demand for housing.
People are living longer, and choosing to marry later, and in recent years there has
been a rise in the number of single-parent families. Added to this, the UK is

experiencing immigration from other countries, for example from Eastern Europe,
as countries like Poland are now members of the EU. The result is an ever-larger
number of smaller households, all requiring accommodation.
However, building new, affordable homes in urban areas is difficult. Land values are
very high and land is in short supply.

Out of town retail centres

Regional shopping centres, such as Cribbs Causeway near Bristol, are often built on
land in the urban rural fringe. Their location allows easy access to transport routes.
There is also room for car parking. The land is cheaper here than in the city centre.

Hotels, conference centres and science parks

Modern technology gives firms a freer choice of location. Hi-tech industries, located
in science parks, are attracted by good transport links. The areas can offer pleasant
landscaped environments, with less traffic problems and pollution.

Sewage works and landfill

Urban centres cannot dispose or treat their own waste as the land is limited.
Therefore space is used outside of urban area.

Brownfield and Greenfield sites

The UK is short of suitable housing. Approximately 3 million new homes are needed
by 2030. They need to be built somewhere. The options are using Brownfield sites
or Greenfield sites.

Brownfield sites

A derelict industrial pottery site, due to be redeveloped

Are often on disused or derelict land.

Are more available in the North and Midlands (but most housing demand
is in the south east).

Are valuable as existing buildings can be split up into more homes on

any one site.

The site has already been developed so reduces urban sprawl.

Use unsightly areas for building developments, so improves the urban

environment.

Are found in urban areas, so building housing there reduces demand on

car use.

Are more expensive to build on as often the land needs to be cleared

first (especially if land is contaminated from previous industrial use).
Greenfield sites

A residential housing development at Priors Park, Tewkesbury, Gloucester.

Are sites which have not previously been built on. This includes the
greenbelt land around cities.

Are cheaper to build on.

Are not favoured by environmentalists, as it encourages urban sprawl.

will mean that countryside is built on.

Encourage commuting and traffic congestion as people travel into urban

areas from the countryside

Sustainable cities
Many people are working towards trying to make cities more sustainable. A
sustainable city offers a good quality of life to current residents but doesn't reduce
the opportunities for future residents to enjoy.

Key features of a sustainable city

Resources and services in the city are accessible to all

Public transport is seen as a viable alternative to cars

Public transport is safe and reliable

Walking and cycling is safe

Areas of open space are safe, accessible and enjoyable

Wherever possible, renewable resources are used instead of nonrenewable resources

Waste is seen as a resource and is recycled wherever possible

New homes are energy efficient

There is access to affordable housing

Community links are strong and communities work together to deal with

issues such as crime and security

Cultural and social amenities are accessible to all

Inward investment is made to the CBD

A sustainable city will grow at a sustainable rate and use resources in a sustainable
way.

: Masdar City in Abu Dhabi

Ariel view of proposed Masdar City masterplan Credit: Masdar City

Masdar City aims to be one of the world's most sustainable urban developments
powered by renewable energy. It aims to do this by:

Ensuring a low carbon footprint during and after its construction.

Being completely powered by renewable energy.

Reducing waste to as near to zero as possible, through encouraging

changes in behaviour and regulating materials which can be present in the city.

Leading research and education into sustainable technology.

Designing the city streets and buildings to help create comfortable

environments reducing the need for air conditioning, heating, and artificial light.

Educating three quarters of the 40,000 residents with 5 hours of

sustainability education each year.

Leading research at its university to ensure the city retains its

sustainable identification and leading knowledge in sustainable living.

Full pedestrianisation within the city, without vehicles in the space. The
transport network would be below ground.

Case study: Whitehill Bordon, an Ecotown in the UK

In 2009 the UK Government named four towns as "eco-towns". The towns receive
some government funding and are granted eco-town status on the basis of the
potential for achieving a high level of sustainability. The funding aims to provide:

affordable housing

sustainable living

carbon neutral developments

creative use of waste and high rates of recycling

employment which is local

locals have a say in the development

there must be local services and schools, so less demand for use of cars
Whitehill Bordon is one example. It was given eco-town status in 2009.

Around 10 million was given by the government. This money funded

many local projects.

MOD land (a brownfield site) will be converted into an exhibition house

informing residents about how low carbon living can work. The grounds will be
designed to encourage local wildlife and grow food.

Energy saving measures have been started in public buildings. The

redeveloped fire station is to have a biomass boiler.

Free wi-fi in the town centre will enable communities to join together.

Free loft insulation is given to householders to help save energy.

Over 50 green spaces around and within the town are identified to
protect and enhance wildlife. A broadwalk, made from recycled materials, is
being built.

Eco-grants are available to local businesses to help reduce their carbon

footprint.

The initiative hopes to create 5,500 jobs by 2028.

There is a strong link with the community - with local consultations and
representatives.

An article on the Whitehall Bordon ecotown in East Hampshire

Link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/urban_environments/urbanisation
_medcs_rev8.shtml