URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

KS3 GEOGRAPHY
MR. WAMBUA
Settlement in urban areas
Settlements can range from small hamlets to very large cities. They can be identified by their
pattern or the functions they offer. Some settlements have altered over time.

Site and situation

Settlements are places where people live. Many settlements have things in common and so they
can be grouped to make it easier to study them.

Site - this is the place where the settlement is located, eg on a hill or in a sheltered valley.

Situation - this describes where the settlement is in relation to other settlements and the
features of the surrounding area, eg is the settlement surrounded by forest or is it next to a
large city?

Early settlements

Early settlers often looked for certain features in an area to make life easier:

• flat land, to make building easier and safer

• local raw materials, eg wood and stone, to build homes
• a local water supply for drinking, washing, cooking and transport
• dry land, so that people could build on areas that don't flood
• a defendable site, eg a hilltop or river bend, to protect from attackers
• good farm land with fertile soils, so people could grow crops
• shelter, eg to protect from bad weather
• transport links, eg a ford or low crossing point of a river

Settlement types

Settlements can vary in size and shape. Some people live alone or with their family in single
properties, eg farmers, but most group together in towns and cities.

The table shows one way of dividing settlements into different types. It is worth remembering,
though, that a village in one part of the world may be considered to be a town in another.
 Settlement patterns
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Land use patterns within urban areas
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Towns and cities are often complex but it may be possible to see how some land uses group

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together in zones.

The diagram shows a simple version of the concentric or Burgess model. It shows a simple land
t pattern that can be identified in some towns and cities, particularly in countries like the
use
UK. In general, the oldest parts are in the centre and the newer parts on the edge.
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Urban change and regeneration
As towns and cities have grown, some areas have become run down. This is particularly true of
some old inner-city areas. Governments have tried to improve conditions in these areas.

Problems of old inner-city areas and the city centre include:

• overcrowding
• poor-quality housing
• traffic congestion
• lack of open space
• old industrial areas (brownfield sites)
• competition from out-of-town shopping centres
• expensive land
This has encouraged some people and industries to move out of central areas and has
contributed to urban sprawl. This can put pressure on greenfield sites on the edge of the city.
Some people are concerned about losing green open spaces. Green belts are protected areas
that have been set up around some cities to help prevent urban sprawl.

Not everyone is moving out

Central areas of cities still remain very popular places to live for many reasons:

• close to amenities
• good transport links, eg buses and train services
• close to shops
• good choice of cafes, pubs and restaurants
• a variety of entertainment, eg cinema, parks and theatres
• close-knit communities
• more job opportunities
• local schools
• colleges and universities
There has been an increase in the number of people living in central parts of cities in recent
years. This is called reurbanisation.
Case study: regeneration in central Bristol

As patterns of world trade have changed, some cities in the UK have seen the decline of
dockland areas, where merchant ships would collect or deliver goods. Planners have tried
to regenerate some of these areas. For example, dockland areas in Cardiff, London, Salford and
Bristol have changed a great deal in recent years.

In the past Bristol docks was an important industrial area with shipbuilding and warehouses
right in the centre of the city. Over time the docks became outdated and too small for big
container ships. This led to the decline of the area around the docks.

During recent years the dockland area has undergone a big transformation. It is now known
as Bristol Harbourside and contains many new functions. This is an example of regeneration.

Industrial Bristol Harbour 1871

During Victorian times Bristol docks was an industrial area closed to the public.
Bristol docks in the past contained:

• warehouses and storage facilities

• railway sidings
• dry docks for shipbuilding and maintenance
• areas closed off to the public
Bristol Harbourside today contains:

• expensive loft apartments and waterside housing

• bars and restaurants
• hotels
• public squares and artwork
• exhibition centres and museums
• leisure functions, eg sailing and a caravan park

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