SETTLEMENTS AND SERVICE

PROVISION
 A settlement can be defined as a place in which people live and where they carry out a
variety of activities such as trade, agriculture and manufacturing.
 Settlements can be rural or urban.
 Rural refers to the country side.
 Urban refers to towns or cities.

Rural settlements

Settlement patterns

 A settlement pattern is a shape that a settlement forms on a map and how clustered or
scattered it is.
 Three common rural settlement patterns are nucleated, dispersed and linear.

Nucleated pattern

Houses are clustered together as villages especially around a central feature such as a church or
shop.

Reasons for this pattern

 People enjoy the social benefits of living close to neighbours.

 They have easy access to services such as shops and schools.
 Living close to others is helpful for defence in times of attack.
 The pattern is also common were there is availability of fertile soils for agriculture.
 The culture of people may favour this pattern.
 People may also cluster near a water source.
 They also cluster near important junctions or crossroads as these favour trade and
communication.

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Dispersed pattern

This is when there are scattered isolated dwellings.

Reasons for this pattern

 This develops where the agricultural land is poor and people need large areas eg for grazing.
 Low population density also occurs where it is too hot or cold , too wet or dry.
 Poor transport network also discourages settlement.
 Establishment of huge farms eg on the Canadian Prairies also causes dispersed settlements.
 Some cultures have a tradition not to live grouped together in villages.

Linear pattern

Settlements are in long thin rows often along a geographical feature eg a river valley or road.

Reasons for this pattern

 Each dwelling has access to road for transport.

 The settlements might be along a river or a line of springs, for water supply.
 Settlements may also be in a line just above the flood plain of a river.
 In other cases, people do not waste good farming land for buildings but place their houses
in a line next to the fertile land.

Site and situation of a settlement

Site

 This is the actual land on which a settlement is built.

 The site’s features include altitude, gradient of the slope, water supply.
 A dry point site is an elevated point in an area of otherwise poor drainage.

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  A wet point site is a point with a reliable supply of water from springs or wells.

Situation

 This is the position of the settlement in relation to the surrounding area.

 Features of a situation include transport routes, agricultural productivity of the area,
position of the settlement in relation to other settlements.

Factors which influence sites and growth of settlements

The relief, soils,

drainage and accessibility of the site had to allow agricultural landuse to take place.

Physical factors

Relief

This includes altitude, gradient and aspect.

1. Altitude
 In mountainous regions, highest areas might be very cold, covered with snow, that
agriculture is difficult so these may be left uninhabited.
 Lowest areas are sometimes sparsely populated because of poor drainage or
flooding and diseases.
2. Gradient
 Gentle slopes are well drained, easy to cultivate and easier to build on.
 It is difficult to build on steep slopes.
 Steep slopes make transport more difficult and also prone to landslides which can
destroy roads and buildings.
3. Aspect
 This is the direction in which slope faces.
 Some slopes are warm and sunny and others are cold and shaded.
 Agriculture and settlements tend to be concentrated on the sunny slopes (north
facing slopes).

Soils

 Areas with fertile soils are often more densely settled eg alluvial soils found in in river valleys
for example Nile valley and areas with rich volcanic soils eg the island of Java in Indonesia.

Water supply

 Many settlements were first established next to a river, spring or well that could supply
water for drinking, washing and in some cases irrigation.

Climate

 Moderate rainfall which support crop farming favour growth of settlements.

 Cool temperatures also attract settlements.

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Economic factors

Transport

 Availability of transport networks such as roads and railway lines promote growth of
settlements since these will be accessible.

Markets

 This reduces transport costs for farmers or traders so market places tend to attract clustered
settlements.

Availability of minerals

 This attracts dense population since employment is created and clustered settlements
develop eg Zvishavane.

Industrial development and urbanisation

 Development of industries creates employment for many people and this results in urban
growth creating a clustered settlement.

Functions of settlements

The function of a settlement relates to its to its economic and social development and refers to its
main activities. Larger settlements have more functions than smaller settlements. The types of
functions include:

 Administrative : these are developed to control or govern areas eg capital city.

 Commercial : these provide the needs of industry and business eg they have banks and
financial institutions.
 Residential : this is where the majority of people live but do not work there.
 Tourist resorts : these have features which attract visitors eg coastal and mountain resorts.
 Cultural or educational : these attract people for educational and other religious purposes.
 Market towns : these service and process agricultural machinery and produce.
 Mining towns : these are developed to exploit local minerals or fuel.
 Industrial-manufacturing : where raw materials are processed into manufactured goods.
 Ports : these are located on coasts, rivers for movement of goods and people from land to
sea or vice versa.
 Route centres : these are found at the convergence of several natural routes or at nodal
points resulting from economic development.

Settlement hierarchy

The term hierarchy refers to the arrangement of settlements within a given area in an order of
importance. Isolated farms and small hamlets form the base of the hierarchy pyramid with the
largest or capital city at the top. Three different methods to determine the order of importance in
the hierarchy have been based on:

1. The population size of a settlement.

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  The lower the population size the lower the order of settlement, the bigger the
population size the higher the order of settlement.
2. The range and number of services provided by a settlement.
 Services or functions are anything that is provided in a settlement for the
population.
 Smaller settlements usually provide a limited range of services. These are likely to be
low order functions eg school or shop selling bread, milk and vegetables.
 Large towns provide a wider range of services including higher order functions like
furniture and cars. People travel long distances for some of these services but less
frequently.
 The table below shows hierarchy based on services:

Settlement Function
Capital Cathedrals, government buildings, banking HQs ,museums, shopping
centres, railway termini, several universities, international airport.
City Large railway station, large shopping complex, cathedral, opticians and
jewellers, large hospital, university, airport, large football team.
Large town Several shopping areas, hypermarket, railway station, bus station, hotels
banks, small hospital, small football team.
Small town Town hall, doctor, several churches, restaurants, secondary school, railway
station, several shops.
Village Church, post office, shop for daily goods, primary school, village hall.
Hamlet Perhaps none, public telephone

3. The sphere of influence or market area of a settlement.

 The sphere of influence or market area is defined as the area served by a particular
settlement.
 Hamlets and villages have a low spheres of influence whereas larger towns and cities
have a large sphere of influence.

The settlement hierarchy pyramid

Describe the settlement hierarchy shown by the pyramid above.

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  In an area there are more low order settlements (villages) than high order settlements
(cities).
 Distance apart is greater between higher order settlements (cities) compared to low order
settlements such as villages.
 Higher order settlements have larger populations compared to low order settlements.
 A variety of services are found in higher order settlements whereas low order settlements
have fewer services.

NB: The relationship between population size and number of services in that settlement is that as
the size of population increases, the number of functions also increases. The greater the size of the
the fewer the settlements or the smaller the size the more the settlements. This can be illustrated by
the graph below:

Explain why some settlements have bigger spheres of influence

 People are prepared to travel further for cheaper or affordable goods.

 They travel further for better quality products.
 People may travel further for higher goods which may not be available in their area.
 People may travel further for less frequent services eg specialist doctors.
 They have a wider variety of goods and services.

Investigation of Sphere Of Influence /Catchment Area: Of A Shopping Centre

Sphere of influence can be determined by

 use of a questionnaire –administered randomly /systematically to find out about the origins of
shoppers and the distance they travel.
 using the address book of a local clinic/surgery

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 determining the distance a postman from the local post office travels delivering letters
 observing commuter omnibus destinations
 asking shoppers where they come from
 finding out how far a local shop delivers goods (bread, furniture e.t.c......)
 determining the range of services of a local telephone exchange
A desire line diagram is the most appropriate mapping technique to show a sphere of influence.

Construction Steps

 locate the shopping centre on the map.

 locate each respondent’s home on the map
 draw a straight lines from each home to the shopping centre
 draw a line or frame around furthest distances to show sphere of influence.
 give an informative key and title of the map.

Case study: Functions of Harare, Zimbabwe

Harare is the capital city of Zimbabwe. The capital city has administrative functions from government
ministries such as Home affairs, Local government and Public Service. There are manufacturing
companies in Harare, for example, Delta which is into beverages and Lafarge which processes
cement suggesting that it has industrial functions. Harare has also some commercial functions such
as retailing and banking. Financial institutions include the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Barclays,
Standard Chartered Bank and Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe. Harare is also known for its
educational functions, for example, it has higher institutions of learning such as the University of
Zimbabwe and Harare Poly-technical University. Another important function in Harare is health
service provision as evidenced by many health institutions such as Parirenyatwa and Harare
hospitals. Harare provides residential functions too. There are high class residential areas such as
Borrowdale and low class residential areas such as Mbare.

Urban settlements

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Urban land use zones

The zones include Central Business District (CBD), residential areas, industrial areas and open spaces.

Central Business District (CBD)

This is the heart of commercial activities within the city.

Characteristics of the CBD

 It has government buildings.

 It consists of high order retail services (department stores, specialised shops).
 It has offices including major company Head Quarters.
 There are theatres, hotels and restaurants.
 There are many multi-storey buildings, developed in response to high land values.
 There is concentration of public transport services, including buses and underground
railways.
 There vertical zoning eg retail on the lower floors, offices on the upper floors.
 There is high number of pedestrians.
 There is low residential population.
 The is functional zonation, that is, similar shops and similar functions tend to locate
together.
 Traffic restrictions are greatest in the CBD.

Reasons for the development of the CBD

 The CBD was original the ‘core’ of the settlement and the town expanded outwards from
that point.
 The CBD was also the point where roads from outskirts converged.
 This made it a desirable place for services like retailing to locate themselves.

Factors leading to CBD decline

 Investors and businesses find peripheral sites cheaper.

 City centres are perceived dirty, unsafe with ageing infrastructure.
 Costs of development and upkeep of CBDs are high.
 Congestion reduces accessibility of CBD.
 Increased car ownership leads to increased personal mobility and rise in leisure shopping.
 Planning policies can encourage urban expansion and provide out of town developments.
 Peripheral sites are near customers and staff who live in the leaf suburbs.

Counting traffic or pedestrians to and from the CBD.

 Counts are a tool for investigating volume of traffic and pedestrians.

 analysis of information obtained from traffic or pedestrian counts can be used by town
planning authorities to solve problems of congestion among others.

Examples of hypotheses that can be formulated

Hypothesis 1.Volume of traffic varies with time of the day.

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 here you count different types of vehicles during different times of the day
Hypothesis 2. The volume of traffic varies with distance from the city centre .
 here you count the number of vehicles at different sites from the city centre.

Other aspects of traffic that may be investigated

 Noise of traffic
 Atmospheric pollution caused by traffic
 Types of vehicles using different roads e.g. bicycles.
 Place of origin traffic

How to prepare for carrying out the traffic count

 obtain a base map of the route network
 design a recording sheet
 collect all the equipment required for the investigation
 recruit a team to assist with the investigation for it is not possible to do such a task alone
 plan on what time to do the counts and for how long.
 Plan on how many times to do the counts per day.
 conduct a pilot survey to test all the survey tools and to select sites.

TRAFFIC SURVEY RECORDING SHEET

DATE…………………………… TIME…………………………… LOCATION………………………

INBOUND TRAFFIC ………. OUTBOUND TRAFFIC ………..

TYPES OF
BUSES LORRIES CARS MOTORCYCLES
VEHICLES

TALLY

TOTALS

Actual collection of data/ traffic count

 station helpers at selected counting sites eg one student on either side of the road.
 One student counts one way while the other students counts the other.
 Counting at each site starts and finish at same time so timing should be synchronized.
 Counting is done for a specified time eg ten minutes so a watch or time is used for that.
 tallies are used and then totals are given at the end

NB: Planning and carrying out of a pedestrian survey are the same as what is done for
traffic survey.
Why counts should not take a long time
 students lose concentration or they become bored or tired.
 Students may be affected by weather problems such as rainfall or dehydration from too much
heat.
 They may fall sick or breathing difficulties from exhaust fumes.

Ways of improving traffic surveys

 Students should do the surveys more frequently eg more than 3 times during the day.
 There should be more survey sites to give greater coverage.

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 Surveys may be done on different work days to see if there is a consistent pattern.
 Another survey can be done on a non work day such as weekend for comparison.
 More students should do counting to minimize tallying errors.
 Students can use clickers.

How to portray the collected information

Flow Diagrams
 used to show the movement/flow from place to place of items e.g. traffic, people or items that are
being moved e.g. goods / petroleum from area of production to market etc.
 flow diagrams show:
1. quantities passing through a series of check points where counts are made or rates of flow
measured e.g. traffic , pedestrians
2. quantities passing along a given route in a particular time e.g. bus service, telephone calls
 The information collected can be portrayed as a flow line map or diagram as shown below
 flow line maps are used to show the volume (quantity) of anything (vehicles, pedestrians, fuel) that
moves along a specific route.
 a line is drawn along the road or from a country of origin to a country of destination. The line
should be proportional in width to the volume of flow.

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Method of constructing a flow line map
 obtain a base map of the area concerned showing the routes along which the movements are
taking place
 examine the range of data and decide on the scale of width e.g. 1mm to 50 cars per hour, where
the width remains too large adjust using a constant e.g. square root
 mark out points of related widths on either side of the line/road using a pair of dividers
 join the marked points
 shade either the IN or OUT flow
 show direction of flow
 provide a descriptive title (e.g. Flow Line Diagram Showing Traffic Flow In and Out Of a Town)
 insert an informative key

Advantages
 can help to identify points where there are problems of movement e,g, traffic congestion,
shortage of parking space e.t.c.
 visually impressive
 quantitative in nature
 can easily show a route used

Disadvantages
 one has to keep referring to the key/scale
 drawing of parallel ‘double- track’ flow lines that remain parallel to each other along curves is
difficult
 choice of scale can be difficult if the volumes involved are too big

Importance of traffic flow diagrams to town planners

 shortage of parking space can be identified and addressed by putting in place parkades and by-
laws on parking restrictions
 areas experiencing traffic congestion can be identified and addressed by
1. dualising (widening) roads
2. constructing :
 ring roads to circumvent the CBD
 by-pass roads
 traffic lights ,give ways, stop signs and round abouts at intersections
 cycle tracks
 foot bridges

The inner city

 This is a zone of transition between the CBD and residential zone.

 It consists of deteriorated housing, factories and abandoned buildings.
 The inner city areas are declining in terms of population and employment.

Why some people prefer to stay in the inner city

 Accommodation in the inner city is cheaper.

 There is easy access to transport to the CBD.

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  There is easy access to shops.
 There is community spirit in the inner city.
 Some people have a strong attachment to the old character of the city.

NB : some inner cities are undergoing urban renewal. Urban renewal to repairing of structures or
houses closer to the CBD. Urban renewal ensures that land is used more intensively. Houses are
renovated and new amenities installed. CBD offices are also spread.

Residential areas

These can be categorised into: high class residential (low density), medium class residential (medium
density) and low class residential (high density).

High class residential (low density)

 It is a place where land owners, merchants, directors, CEOs, people with high paying jobs
live.
 Houses a very big and are fewer per sq km.
 There is open space between buildings usually in form of garden plots for recreation.
 Areas are usually away from city centre and industry to avoid noise and air pollution.

Medium class residential (medium density)

 The size of houses is medium.

 People with moderate incomes stay here.
 Distance between buildings is moderate.
 The area is also away from the CBD.

Low class residential (high density)

 People who live here earn low incomes and some are not employed.
 Houses are small and there is little space between them.
 They are often close to the CBD and industrial areas to reduce transport costs to work
places.

Industrial areas

 Large factories tend to develop along main roads leading out of the city.
 In the past industry concentrated around the centre of the city nearby routes for access of
cheaper transport of raw materials but congestion resulted in relocation of industries.
 Heavy industries moved out of the city to the outskirts where there is plenty of space to
reduce congestion.

Open spaces

 These are places meant for leisure and recreation eg public parks, sports grounds, civic
centres and gardens.
 Generally, the amount of open space increases towards the edge of the city.
 This is because land value is lower towards the edge and there is more land available.

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Urban land use models

The concentric zone model (Burgess, 1925)

 The model was based on Chicago in the 1920s.

 The city is growing spatially due to immigration and natural increase.
 The area around the CBD has the lowest status and highest density housing.
 Residents move outwards with increasing social class and their homes are taken by new
migrants.

Hoyt’s sector model

 The model emphasised the importance of transport routes and the incompatibility of certain
land uses.
 Sectors develop along important route-ways, while certain land uses, such as high class
residential and manufacturing industry deter each other and are separated by buffer zones
or physical features.

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Comparison of LEDC and MEDC land uses

Similarities

 both have CBD in the middle (area X)

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  have concentric pattern
 Manufacturing industry (area Y) has sectors along roads in both models.

Differences

 in model A centre is surrounded by band of medium quality

housing/model B surrounded by low quality housing;
 model A has squatter settlements/model B does not;
 high quality residential is in a sector in model A while in model B
it is in a band
 model A gets worse as we go out but model B gets better as we go out.

Land value (Bid rent)

 The value of land varies with different land uses.

 Retail land uses are attracted to more expensive central areas.
 Land at the centre of the city is the most expensive for two main reasons:
1. It is the most accessible land for public transport.
2. There is only a small amount of land available.
 Land prices generally decrease away from the central area.

Rural-urban fringe

 This is the area at the edge of the city where it meets the country side.
 There are many pressures at the rural-urban fringe which include: urban sprawl, more
housing, industrial growth, recreational pressures, transport infrastructure and agricultural
developments.

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Urban sprawl

This is the spreading outwards of the city and its suburbs leading to the changes in the surrounding
rural areas. Urban sprawl causes problems such as:

 There is high car dependence and increased vehicle emissions.

 Facilities are inadequate within the spreading suburbs eg entertainment, shops, doctors,
transport.
 There are higher costs to provide facilities.
 The costs of public transport are very high.
 There is lower productivity due to lost work time spent commuting.
 There are high levels of racial and socio-economic segregation.
 The character of the countryside is changed and the rural way of life is lost.

Case study : causes and effects of urban sprawl in Chitungwiza (Zimbabwe)

The built up areas in Chitungwiza are expanding into Seke communal lands. The major reason for the
expansion is the rapid population growth in Chitungwiza due to both natural increase and rural to
urban migration. Rural – urban migration is due push – pull factors. People, especially the affluent
middle classes are leaving the inner city areas for better life styles in the outer suburbs.

Urban sprawl in Chitungwiza has led to effects on both the people and environment. Traffic
congestion has increased since Chitungwiza now has many people and these people commute to
work in the city centre every day. Many farmers in the Seke communal lands have lost their farm
land due to expansion of residential areas. There are inadequate facilities such as health, education
and entertainment in the spreading areas. Atmospheric pollution is on the increase due to many
vehicles on the roads and industries in Chitungwiza. Deforestation in the outskirts is rampant to give
room for settlements. The construction industry harvests pit sand in the Seke communal lands and
this has resulted in land degradation and loss of animal habitats.

The growth of out of town shopping centres

 These are located on sites with good accessibility and plenty of space for parking and future
expansion.
 Out of town shopping centres due to traffic congestion and inflated land prices in the CBD.

Advantages of out of town shopping centres

 There is plenty of free parking.

 Shops are not crowded because of lots of space.
 These are new developments so they are quite attractive.
 They are easily accessible by car.
 Prices of goods are often lower.
 There is a wide range of goods offered since shops are large.
 New jobs may be created eg in construction and retailing.

Disadvantages of out of town shopping centres

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  Construction of these shops causes deforestation.
 Valuable animal habitats are destroyed.
 Pollution increases.
 Increase in impermeable surfaces increases risk of flooding.
 They cause congestion in out of town areas.
 Many of the jobs created are unskilled.

Problems associated with growth of urban areas

Problems for people

 There are high volumes of traffic in the CBD, resulting in traffic congestion especially at peak
hours.
 There is shortage of parking space.
 High land values in the CBD means high rentals for companies and expensive goods for
people.
 Unemployment rates increase.
 High unemployment leads to antisocial behaviour eg theft, robbery, prostitution.
 There is overcrowding due to housing shortages.
 Shortage of housing leads to development of squatter settlements.
 Overpopulation leads to poor sanitation and water supply leading to outbreak of diseases
such as cholera.

Problems on the environment

 There is increase in litter due to high number of people.

 There is increased air pollution from vehicle exhaust fumes and industries.
 Acid rain is formed eg from nitrogen dioxide.
 Acid rain harms vegetation and leads to acidification of water sources.
 There is water pollution from effluent discharges by industries into rivers.
 There is deforestation in high density residential areas for fuel wood and animal habitats are
lost.
 Deforestation leads to soil erosion.

Urbanisation

 This is an increase in the proportion of people who live in urban areas.

 Urbanisation is more rapid in LEDCs than in MEDCs.

Causes of urbanisation

1 Rural – urban migration due to push- pull factors.

Push factors include the following:

 educational facilities are poor.

 health facilities are also poor.
 Natural hazards such as drought force people to move away.
 Unemployment is high in rural areas.

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  Shortage of land for farming forces people to go away.
 transport and communication networks are poor.

Pull factors include the following:

 educational facilities are better in urban areas.

 Health facilities are also improved.
 There are more employment opportunities in urban areas.
 Transport and communication networks are better in urban areas.
 There is provision of better sanitation and clean water.

2 High rates of natural increase

Urban areas in LEDCs are still experiencing high birth rates in high density areas because of the
following reasons:

 Low levels of education lead to early marriages.

 Lack education also leads to low use of contraceptives.
 Children are regarded as economic asserts who help in increasing family income through
vending.
 Many women are not emancipated so they have no say on fertility issues.

On the other hand, death rates are decreasing rapidly due to the following reasons:

 Improvements in medical facilities in terms of drugs, equipment and personnel has ensured
treatment of many illnesses.
 health education is provided about the causes and ways of preventing diseases.
 children are immunised against the killer diseases.
 there is adequate food supply and nutritious diets.

Problems of urbanisation

 rates of unemployment increase due to high influx of migrants.

 High rates of unemployment lead to rise in anti-social behaviour as people seek for a
means of survival.
 There is shortage of accommodation leading to overcrowding.
 Some people end up staying in squatter settlements.
 There is pressure on educational and health services.
 Sanitation and water supplies are overwhelmed leading to outbreak of diseases such
as cholera.
 Traffic congestion increases.
 Pollution increases.

How these problems may be addressed

 Government may sponsor self- help projects to reduce unemployment.

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  Allocation of stands for people on the waiting list may easy the problem of
accommodation shortages.
 Government can build low income housing for people.
 Squatter settlements may up graded.
 More health and educational centres should be constructed.
 Traffic congestion can be reduced by widening roads, constructing ring roads and fly
overs.
 People should be educated on the risks of land, air and water pollution.

URBAN DECAY

 This is the decline of residential areas into slums, with sub-standard housing, derelict
buildings etc. All this is due to age (old age).
 Buildings are marked by outdated architectural designs.

Squatter settlements (slums/ shanty houses)

 These are illegal structures made of any available materials such as poles, plastics,
metal sheets or even card board.
 They are often located in the outer areas of cities in LEDCs.
 In South Africa they are called khayas and Brazil they are called favelas.
 They of lack normal services such as water supply, sewage and electricity.

Difficulties faced by people who live in slums

 The residents have no right to occupy the land so they may be evicted any time.
 Houses are not weather proof.
 There is no proper sanitation and water supply which can lead to outbreak of
diseases like cholera.
 There may be no refuse collection so waste is scattered all over.
 There is no local employment.
 There is extreme overcrowding so fires spread quickly if one structure catches fire.
 There are high levels of crime, for example, theft and drug abuse.

Solutions to problems of squatter settlements

 There should be low cost housing schemes for the poor.

 Government should provide materials for people to build proper houses.
 The city authorities should provide basic services such as sewage, piped water and
refuse collection.

Case Study: Urban Problems in Rio, Brazil

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Rio was formerly the capital of Brazil until the government decided to locate the capital inland in
Brasilia. Approximately 10 million people live in and around Rio. It is a city of contrasts with rich
people living in luxury around Copacabana beach and the vast majority living in poor conditions
around the edge of the city. Problems in the city include housing, crime, traffic and pollution.

An estimated 0.5 million are homeless. Approximately 1 million live in favelas (informal shanty
settlements). Two examples are Morro de Alemao and Rocinha. Another million live in poor quality
government housing . The favela housing lacks basic services like running water, sewerage or
electricity. The houses are constructed from wood, corrugated iron, broken bricks and tiles or other
materials found lying around. Favelas are often found on land that is steep, by the side of roads,
railways etc and flash floods can destroy such houses and take peoples lives. At first the government
tried to bulldoze such communities but now they remain because of the community spirit, samba
music and football etc.
Favelas are thought to be associated with drugs, violence etc. Tourists to Rio are warned not to
enter favela areas or take valuables to beaches etc. Some wealthy people are moving to new towns
to avoid crime rates.
This results in congestion and noise. A vast amount of rubbish is produced and in favelas this is not
collected. Along with open sewerage drains it results in the spread of diseases.
SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS

1. SELF HELP HOUSING ROCINHA

 Most of old temporary wooden houses replaced by brick and tile and extended to use every
square centimetre of land.
 Many residents have set up their own shops and small industries in the informal sector.
 Government have added electricity, paving, lighting, water pipes but the steep hills still
restrict.

2. FAVELA BAIRRO PROJECT

 1990s government chose 16 favelas to improve using 250 million euros.

 Replaced wood buildings with brick and gave each house a yard.
 Widened the streets so that the emergency services and waste collectors could get access.
 Improved sanitation, health facilities and sports facilities.
 Used residents for labour to develop their skills and in return residents paid taxes.

3. NEW TOWN BARRA DA TIJUCA

 Land outside to South of Rio was uninhabited until motorway was built in 1970s
 Rich moved out of Rio to avoid problems of city
 It has 5km of shops, schools, hospitals, offices, places of entertainment etc
 Spacious and luxury accommodation in 10-30 floor high rise apartment blocks with security
and facilities or detached houses.
 Both adults in each family chose to work in high paid jobs tp pay for expensive life.
 Families with own cars but also well connected with public transport.
These areas have own favelas as house keepers, gardeners etc cannot afford accommodation

Bipolar survey/ Environmental quality survey

 This is useful for assessing environmental quality.
 The environment includes physical environment and man made environment.

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 The environment can easily be spoilt or destroyed by our actions.
 We can use environmental quality surveys to try and identify problems or damage on the
environment.
 Environmental quality is recorded by a scoring system.
 On the environmental survey sheet below a score of +3 is the maximum possible for the best
environmental conditions.
 The minimum score is -3.

Environmental quality survey sheet

Place ……………………………… Date ……………………….. Time ………………………..

Importance of a pilot survey when investigating environmental quality

 There is an opportunity to test if descriptions are appropriate.
 There is an opportunity to test if all features are covered in survey.
 It helps students to practise/improve methodology/know what to do.
 Students will experience working as a team.

How students organize themselves when conducting the environmental quality

survey
 They will work in groups. This is so other students check the scores and makes the results
less subjective / biased.

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 They will go to different areas. This is so that they survey as many roads as possible in
each area and make efficient use of time.
 They will do the surveys on same day /at same time / under same conditions. This is so
that comparisons between areas are more consistent.
How students use the environmental recording sheet
 They fill in/circle the location on the environmental survey sheet.
 They look at/observe each feature.
 They make a decision/give opinion about the score for each category.
 They put a tick/record/give score/mark in the appropriate row/box.
 They add up/work out total in column.

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