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Launchpad Edexcel IGCSE Geography Revision Notes

Urban Land Use Patterns River Environmen…

Written by: Jacque Cartwright

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Coastal Environm…

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Hazardous Enviro…

Urban Land Values Economic Activit…

All urban settlements have recurring features:

A central core or central business district (CBD)
Industrial areas Rural Environmen…
Di"erent residential districts
Shopping centres
High-rise buildings Urban Environme…
Cultural and leisure areas
Multi-storey car parks
Bus and railway stations
The Rise & C…
These features have created segregated land use over time

Land Values Challenges t…

Segregation of land use is due to the urban land market
Land that has 'purpose' will be valuable and cost more to buy or rent
Urban Land Use
Usually retail shops can make money and seek prime positions
Segregation is formed by retailers that can a"ord to be in those prime Patterns
locations
Therefore, land uses of similar activities will come together creating
'peaks' and 'troughs' of land values across the urban landscape Urban Challenges in
There are two points to consider:
Developed Cities
The value of the land:
Land value varies across the urban areas
Value usually decreases from the centre, outwards
Urban Challenges in
Higher land prices are also found along main roads, urban
hubs and around ring roads Emerging Cities

The location of the land:

Location is important to value
The closer to key functions, the higher the value Managemen…
Accessibility and desirability increase land value

Fragile Environm…

Globalisation & …

Development & …

River Fieldwork

Coastal Fieldwork

Distribution of Urban Land Value Hazardous Field…

Economic Activit…

Patterns of Urban Development

Cities can be segregated into zones Rural Fieldwork
Zones will have similar land values and locational needs such as
access for customers, employees, etc. or space for expansion or
privacy Urban Fieldwork
All towns and cities grow outwards, in a series of rings, from a historic
centre or core to an urban fringe
Each zone grows due to the needs of the city during its development,
General Fieldwor…
over time
As a general rule, all towns and cities, regardless of place or level of
development, show the same four features:
A central core: the oldest part of a city Extended Respo…
Home to the central business district (CBD) e.g. banks, retail
and commercial o$ces

An inner-city ring: also known as the twilight zone

Older, terraced 'worker' housing
Older industrial areas
Areas are centred around transport links and access

A suburban ring: residential area

Semi and detached housing with gardens
Tree-lined avenues and cul-de-sacs
Smaller retail premises

An urban fringe: outer edges of the city

Countryside is eroded through the urban spread
Housing is clustered into estates
Some industrial land use
Accessibility is best

Other similar characteristics of modern urban settlements include:

Age of the built-up area decreases from the core to the fringe
Density of building developments decreases from core to fringe
Grandeur, function, design and style changes across the zones

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Remember that whilst the four zone model is simple and applies to
virtually all urban areas across the globe, each zone varies in
character, use and people depending on circumstances.
In emerging cities, the urban-fringe has slums or shanty towns as the
'housing estates', with industry being informal.
Whereas, in developed cities, the poorer areas are usually within the
inner city and industry is on the fringes for ease of access to
motorways.
Same features but di"erent characteristics/uses.

Four Zones of a City

Bid-Rent Theory
Also known as 'distance decay theory', where the price and demand
for land change as the distance from the CBD increases
Di"erent land uses will compete for desirable plots to maximise their
profits
Accessibility increases the potential for more customers
There is a trade-o" between accessibility and the cost of the land
The closer to the CBD the more desirable land is to retail and the
higher the price charged/paid
Industry cannot compete with high prices moving further away from
CBD
Residential land is outpriced across the zones, but competition is less
so value decreases as more space becomes available

Bid-Rent Theory

Residential Pattern
People are also zoned or 'sorted' within an urban area
People will live near to others they consider the same: ethnicity,
religion, occupation etc.
This creates an urban pattern of self-organised segregation
The largest segregation is created through personal wealth
The wealthiest people can buy smart, large homes in the best
locations
This forces the less well-o" to live in cramped or sub-standard
housing in the worst areas
Many have to pay high rental prices with little to no security
Due to their limited means, many are forced to live in small, cramped
spaces creating high-density residential areas and unequal sorting
across the urban area

Worked Example

Study the photograph.

Explain one piece of evidence that shows this is a central urban area

(1 Mark)

An urban area in Amman, Jordan

Answer:
1 mark for a piece of evidence, 1 mark for developing the point,
e.g.
The housing in the picture is very high density (1) which is typical
of city areas where land values are high (1)
The image shows multiple-storey houses (1) which are likely to
house large numbers of people (1)
There is little green space (1), indicating the built-up nature of the
area since land values are so high (1)

Last updated: 10 October 2024

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