CONTEMPORARY URBAN ENVIRONMENTS: Urban Forms

Urban Form: the physical characteristics of built-up areas including the shape, size, density and makeup or configuration of settlements.

Contemporary Characteristics of Megacities

Urban Sprawl: expansion of an urban area

Peripheral Growth: development of new growth poles and dispered settlements.

Edge Cities: surrounded by new forms of retail, leisure, industrial and business parks.

High Density Living: small 3-storey family homes and one-room studio appartments.

Residential Differentiation: housing shortage forcing the poorest into inadequate housing units

Redevelopment and Conservation: protection of historic cores; redevelopment of former industrial sites.

Infrastructure: ageing infrastructure likely to dominate with some areas poorly served.

Transit-Oriented Development: urban areas around railway stations and major road routes.

Car Dominated Urban Forms: makes edge-city facilities more accessible.

Environmental Problems: includes increased levels of pollution, health and waste concerns.

Factors in Urban Forms:

- Globalisation has brought increased migration.

- Established physical infrastructure such as sewage systems or water treatment works.

- Industry has tended to locate in centres of populations.

- Some industries will be pulled towards to hardware of wired networks or data and processing hubs where there is high speed access to the internet.

- Government policies affecting housing, planning, transport and the economy will restrict or encourage changes at different times and in different urban locations.

Pre-Industrial Cities: cities that were left unaffected by industrialisation and have retained their urban layouts and characteristics. Often are populated with historic buildings e.g. churches and castles likely to dominate the centre e.g. Lincoln and France.

Modern/Industrial Cities: homogenous areas dominated by a particular land use or social group. These have a dominant CBD, residential zoning and the industrial zone is likely…