Urban settlements

Urbanization
• The growth of towns &
cities leading to an
increasing percentage
of the population living
in urban areas
• Occurred first in Europe
& N. America & other
MEDCs
– More than 90% of
MEDCs populations live
in towns & cities

Urbanization
• Caused by the Industrial
Revolution
• In richer countries
urbanization is either
very slow or stopped
completely

Urbanization
• Urbanization in LEDCs has
increased rapidly due to:
overall population
growth, rural-to-urban
migration, & increasing
numbers in secondary
and tertiary industries
• S. American LEDCs have
experienced a greater
increase in urbanization
than Africa

Urbanization
• Some of the fastest
growing cities are in
S.E. Asia: Dhaka
(Bangladesh), Karachi
(Pakistan), Delhi(India),
& Bangkok (Thailand)
– Doubled their
populations between
1985 & 2000
• Many of the fastest
growing cities are in
the tropics.
– Why?

Counter-Urbanization
• The movement of people
back from urban areas to
rural
• Usually wealthy, retired,
or commute
• Caused by urban life
problems and the
quietness of rural areas
• Houses are cheaper and
larger in the countryside

HOW MIGHT COUNTER-URBANIZATION
AFFECT RURAL AREAS?

Advantage Disadvantage
City
Village
Do you think an older person would think the same as
you do about the advantages and disadvantages?

TEXT BOOK PAGE 55 #9 A-D
WORKBOOK PAGE 44 & 45 TASKS 1-4

Mega-Cities
• Cities with
populations over 10
million.
• China has the largest
rural-to-urban
migration in history
– Began in late 1980s
– Planning to merge 9
cities to create a
mega city with
population of 42
million

Factors Influencing Size, Growth, &
Functions of Urban Settlements
Nodal Points (Route Centers)
• Where natural route
ways, like river valleys,
meet.
• Can become the most
accessible points in the
area
• i.e. Khartoum in Sudan-
Blue Nile and White Nile
meet

Agricultural Centers
• Rich agricultural areas have
become marketing points
for the area, and these
create transport links
• Example: The Prairies in
Canada- Cereal Farming

Ports
• Presence of deep water
close to shore
• Shelter from strong winds
and rough seas
• A gap where ships can pass
• Presence of large area
connected to the port
• Good transport links
• Strategic position on world
shipping routes.

Administrative Towns & Cities
• Capitals of different
countries and towns and
cities where the
government and civil
service are based
• Often located centrally or in
strategic locations.

Administrative Towns & Cities
• During European
colonization, seaports were
set up as capitals and
moved inland once
independence was gained.

WHAT FACTORS SHOULD BE
IMPORTANT WHEN DECIDING
WHERE TO MAKE A CAPITAL CITY?

Central Business District (CBD)
• GOV’T buildings
• High order services in
the middle; specialist
shops on the outskirts
• Offices and hdqtrs.
• Few residents
• Old historic buildings
• Public transport
• High number of
pedestrians

Why CBDs Develop
• CBD was the original
core of a settlement
• The point where roads
from the outskirts
converged; most
accessible part of town
• Attracted variety of
services making land
prices higher causing
buildings to be built
taller to accommodate.

Residential Areas
High-Density Housing
• Small dwellings and little
open space between them.
• Found in older parts of
towns; closer to the center
Low-Density Housing
• Fewer dwellings per sq. km
• Open space btwn. housing
• More modern and further
from the city or town center

Residential Areas
Flats(Apartments)
• Multi-storey buildings found
in any part of town or city
• Can be high quality and
expensive
• Called condos when
privately owned
Shanty Houses
• AKA favelas (S. America) or
bustees (Asia)
• Slum housing built from any
available material & may
lack sewage or water
• In LEDCs located in the
outer areas
• https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=mS_PjwaqZYE

Open Spaces
• Found in most towns
and cities
• Usually planned
features (parks, sports
grounds) in MEDCs
• Unkempt areas in LEDCs

Industrial Areas
• Present in most towns &
cities
• Older industries located
near railways and close to
city centers
• Industries associated with
sea or river ports
(import/export)
• New industrial areas
closer to the outskirts of
cities & have good access
to road transport

Transport Routes
• Key feature in land use
• High density cities are
easier to serve by public
transport

Pop Quiz Time!!!!!!
Yayyyyy!!!

Questions
• What are the 5 urban land uses?
• What is urbanization?
• Where is the largest megacity located?
• What’s another word for shanty
houses?
• Name a city with high-density housing.

Urban Structures in MEDC Cities
• Urban
structure/morphology-
the distribution of
different types of land use
in a town or city
• The different types of
land use usually are in
different zones because:
– Cost of land is different
– Certain types of land use
don’t mix
– Land use, once established,
continues to be used for
the same purpose

Burgess Concentric Zone Model
• Developed in 1925
• Based on Chicago
• The CBD is the original growth
point
• Manufacturing zone
• New immigrants move into inner
city areas (cheap housing and
employment)
• Housing quality and social class
change the further from the
center you get
• As the city grows the circles push
outwards
• The transition zone is where
residential areas change to
commercial use

Concentric Zone Theory
• Timeframe
• 1920’s
• Class conscious
society
• Housing
segregated
according to
income
• Lack of transport
infrastructure
• Assumptions
• Older buildings in city centre
• Newer buildings at edge of city
• Land values highest in city centre
• Strong economic and ethnic
segregation
• Low income groups lack
transport and live close to city
centre.
• Cities develop on a flat plain with
equal access to transport

Problems with Burgess Model
• Old
• Doesn't consider car ownership
• Landscape not considered
• Impact that industry and transport could
have on land use not considered.
• Zones are never as clear-cut

Hoyt’s Sector Model
• Developed in 1939
• Based on transport routes
& the idea that certain
types of land use repel
each other
• Industry develops along
major roads and rivers
• High-class residential
areas are never next to
each other
– There’s always a buffer
zone

Sector Theory
• Timeframe
• Late 1930’s
• Income and status
divided society
• Housing areas reflect
social segregation
• Assumptions
• Settlement develops
along transport routes
• Towns radiate out from
the CBD
• Low-income and
industrial areas lie next to
each other
• Wealthy people choose
the best sites

WHAT MIGHT BE SOME PROBLEMS
WITH THE GROWTH OF URBAN AREAS?

Problems of the CBD
• Decline in retailing-no longer
the most accessible place
due to increase in traffic
• People move to cheaper land
areas on the outskirts of
town
• Decentralization of
companies and
administrations
• CBD in the evening can be
unsafe
• The twilight zone is used to
describe problem areas in
the transition zone on the
edge of the CBD

WHAT ARE SOME SOLUTIONS TO THE
PROBLEMS FOUND IN THE CDB?

Solutions to the CBD
Pedestrianisation
• Traffic free areas
• Aim to create a safe &
relaxed environment free
from air and noise pollution
Shopping Malls
• Undercover shopping areas
• Shoppers can compare goods
without worrying about the
weather
• A major department store
attracts other stores to locate in
the mall

Solutions to the CBD
Visual Improvements
• Planting flowerbeds, seated
areas, trees and hanging
baskets
• Filling vacant buildings
• Street cleaning
Security
• Regular patrols to make
shoppers feel safe either by
police or private security
• Deters pickpocketing and
shoplifting

Crime and Racial Conflict
• Low poverty areas usually
have higher levels of
crime and less safe places
to live
• Cities attract immigrants
who live in the same
areas
• Ghetto-area of poverty
with people from a
particular immigrant
community
• Natives vs. immigrants or
immigrants vs.
immigrants conflicts arise

Solutions to Crime & Racial Conflict
• Provide social facilities i.e.
sports clubs
• Job-creation schemes to
provide jobs
• Special projects that bring
communities together
• Zero tolerance on crime
• Adequate policing of
streets
• Language lessons for
immigrants

Housing Shortages
• Due to population
increases through
immigration & natural
growth
• High property prices for
unemployed/low wage
workers
• Older properties require
renovation & renewal

Housing Shortages-UK
• Between 1930 & 1970
major slum clearance
schemes occurred
• Older housing replaced by
new flats/houses in the
suburbs & owned by local
gov’t.
• Now those properties are
private owned and gov’t-
owned housing is not
allowed
• Is this good or bad?

Squatter Settlements
• Housing often located in the
outer areas of cities and
towns in LEDCs
• Difficulties faced:
– Land is not owned & the
people have no right to stay
there
– Houses aren’t weatherproof
and can be cold in winter
– Lacks proper sanitation/water
supply/electricity
– No local employment
– Extreme Overcrowding
– High crime and drug/alcohol
abuse
– Long journeys into the center
for work

Squatter Settlements
Favelas of Rio de Janeiro are
built on steep slopes and
landslides and mudslides often
destroy housing (April/May
2010-250 people were killed)

Solutions to Squatter Settlements
• Low-cost housing for
employed workers where
they pay a small part of
the rent
• Self-help tools provided
to help people build
houses with the proper
materials
• Provision of basic
services, water, sewerage,
electricity by city
authorities

Effects of Urbanization on the
Environment
Air Pollution
• Major sources: motor
vehicles, industry, power
stations, and open fires
• MEDCs have strict vehicle
and industry emission laws
to help reduce pollution
• Highest levels are in LEDCs
cities that are rapidly
industrializing i.e. China and
India

Air Pollution
• Occurs when pollutants
like dust & smoke are
released into the
environment
• When particles are
suspended in the air it
can cause a haze
• If particles combine
with water vapor &
toxic gases forming
smog

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WA
TCH?V=SW7FXGG9CEM

Human Causes of Air Pollution
Industries
• Power stations &
manufacturing industries
release large amounts of
dust & smoke into the air
• Burning fossil fuels releases
waste into the air
• The waste includes fine,
black carbon-based smoke
(soot) and poisonous gases
like sulphur dioxide

Motor Vehicles
• Greatest source of air
pollution in urban areas
• Estimated that 90% of dust
& smoke present are
emitted by vehicles
• Emissions contain harmful
gases i.e. carbon monoxide
and nitrogen oxides

Construction Work
• Clearing land, construction
of buildings &
transportation of
construction materials
pollute the air with dust &
smoke
• Wind may carry these
particles to nearby
residential areas

Extent of Pollution
• Air pollutants, such as
dust smoke & harmful
gases can be carried by
winds from their source
to other parts of the
country or to other
countries
• i.e. burning forests in
Indonesia have caused
hazy skies in Singapore,
Malaysia & Brunei

WHAT KIND OF
PROBLEMS CAN OCCUR
BECAUSE OF POLLUTION?

Problems Caused by Air Pollution
Health Problems
• Dust & smoke can cause
difficulty breathing
• Can irritate throat and eyes
• Can develop respiratory
problems like bronchitis &
asthma

Health Problems
• Cities with smog and that
have toxic gases like carbon
monoxide can cause serious
health problems and
sometimes death!
• Sulphur dioxide & nitrogen
oxides can increase risk to
lung & heart diseases and
cancer
• Life spans can be shortened
by 1-2 years

Traffic Hazards
• High amounts of dust &
smoke make it difficult to
see distant objects
• Airports may have to stop
flights
• Can be inconvenient and
dangerous to those driving

Environmental Problems
• Acid rain can cause air
pollution, destroy forests,
kill fish in rivers and lakes
and corrode buildings
• Common in places with
heavy industries
• Industries will release large
amounts of sulphur dioxide
& nitrogen dioxide and mix
with water vapor

Air Pollution
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebi
tesize/science/21c/air_quality/impro
ving_air_qualityact.shtml

Water Pollution
• Pollutants are
discharged directly into
water bodies like rivers,
seas, and oceans
• Pollutants of land are
blown by wind or
washed by rain into
bodies of water

Water Pollution
• Some pollutants are
poisonous and can
affect the health of
animals that live in the
water and people who
drink the water

Causes of Water Pollution
Improper disposal of sewage
• Sewage- solid or liquid
waste produced by
households or industries
• If not treated before
released into rivers or lakes
they become polluted
• Sewage contains human
waste, detergent, and
chemicals

• Industrial waste contains
toxins and is especially
dangerous
• If dumped illegally into
rivers or seas it can cause
heavy pollution

• Sewage is treated at sewage
treatment plants to remove
waste from water before
being released into water
bodies
• Some substances are non-
biodegradable (can’t be
broken down easily)
• These substances remain in
the water and cause water
pollution

Oil Spills
• Can occur when an oil
tanker is torn by sharp rocks
or if it collides with another
ship, causing oil to spill into
the sea
• Difficult to clean because
they spread over large areas
and aren’t easily broken
down

http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=lgLIMaZAJj0

Do you know where the most polluted
river in the world is?

Extent of Water Pollution
• Water pollution triggers
off a chain reaction
• Has serious
consequences for all
living things

Endangering Plant and Animal
Species
• Oil spill can endanger lives
of animals
• When animals come into
contact with the polluted
water the oil sticks to their
feathers or fur
• This removes the air
trapped by the feathers &
fur, which acts as insulation,
and causes them to freeze
to death in the cold

Species
• Oil cogs the birds’ feathers
and prevents them from
flying or floating on the
water
• May cause them to drown

Species
• Improper disposal of everyday household waste can destroy aquatic
life
• Chemicals from detergents will encourage algae to grow and prevent
sunlight from reaching plants beneath
• The plants will die and animals dependent on these plants will be
affected.

Negative Impact on Human
Health
• Poisons in industrial waste
can accumulate in the
bodies of fish/shellfish
• These poisons may be
passed to us when we eat
the contaminated animals
• May also suffer from
cholera & typhoid when
they drink water that’s
contaminated

Economic Loss
• May affect the economy
• i.e. oil spills affect
fishermen’s livelihood as
well as fishing industry
• Tourists don’t want to visit
beaches with dirty water or
water with oil in it

Economic Loss
• Cleaning up oil spills
requires a lot of effort and
money
• Oil can spread over large
areas and isn't easy to break
down

Exxon Valdez
• ≈10,000 workers
involved
• 2.1 billion dollars
spent to clean it up
• Took more than 4
years to complete!

Effects of Urbanization on the
Environment
Visual Pollution
• Things in the urban area
look ugly or offensive

Noise Pollution
• People living in cities face
another pollution
• Occurs when unwanted
sounds are added to the
environment
• A lot of noise is created
from vehicles, industrial
activities, household
gadgets, & loud music
• Some noises are annoying
& can affect your quality
of life

Causes of Noise Pollution
Traffic
• Common cause especially in
cities
• Cars on busy roads can
produce 60-90 decibels
• Cars aren’t the only thing
that create traffic noise. Can
you think of some others?
– Aircrafts
– MRT
– Trains

Causes of Noise Pollution
Construction & Other Human
Activities
• Noise from drilling, piling,
knocking and the use of
heavy machinery during
construction work all
contribute to noise
pollution
• People talking loudly, events
i.e. concerts

Extent of Noise Pollution
• Affects our quality of life
• Causes discomfort & has
negative impact on our
health
• Long term exposure to
noise pollution can:
– damage hearing
– Increase heart rates
– Lead to poor performance
in school/work b/c
concentration is affected

Noise Effects
Healthy Ear hair bundle
Hair Bundle after loud sound
exposure

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WAT
CH?V=UG5M_CZR1RI

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WAT
CH?V=Z7DCKPH9DHK

NOISE POLLUTION FROM SHIPS EFFECT MARINE LIFE
http://poopy.org/noise-pollution/noise-pollution-from-ships-effect-marine-life/

Measures to Reduce Noise Pollution
National Efforts Enforcing laws & regulations
• Governments can set limits
on acceptable noise levels
• i.e. NEA in Singapore and
the police have set limits &
deal with noise in
residential areas if
necessary

Noise Reduction Methods
• Sound barriers, like tall
fences, are built along busy
roads to help reduce noise
levels to nearby homes
• Planting trees and shrubs
• Walls may be covered with
sound proof materials
• Mufflers can be placed on
noisy equipment or car
engines

Individual Efforts
• Be more considerate to our
neighbors by minimizing the
amount of noise we create
• Refrain from noisy activities
(playing loud music, talking
loudly late at night)
• Install sound-proofing
equipment in rooms where
musical instruments like
drums are played

Urban settlements

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