Summary Overview of AQA Contemporary Urban Environments
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Course
Contemporary Urban Environments
Institution
AQA
This document in a holistic overview of Contemporary Urban Environments (AQA) with detailed and up to date statistics as well as definitions and case studies (with a focus on London). Fantastic for aiding essays and deepening understanding
Sustainable urban development
Impact of urban areas on local and global environments. Ecological footprint of major urban areas. Dimensions
of sustainability: natural, physical, social and economic. Nature and features of sustainable cities. Concept of
liveability.
Urban areas have a significant impact on local climate (wind, weather, temperature) as well as physical
environment including the transformation from green/rural areas to heavily urbanised, impermeable and built
up areas. On a global scale cities take up 2% of the Earth’s surface area but use up to 75% of global energy
and resources and contribute to 80% of pollution. This is contributing to the enhanced greenhouse effect,
radiative forcing and therefore global climate change and sea level rise.
They significantly reduce biodiversity by destroying the natural environment e.g. deforestation. Most are
unsustainable in terms of waste production too with London producing 751,000 tonnes of municipal waste/year
ending up in landfill and produces 18 mill tonnes in totaland up until 2016 putting 85% in landfill however,
has recently significantly reduced to 35% as incineration use increases (excpected to run out of landfill space
by 2026). In 2016 London City Council collected 1.8 million tonnes of waste for incineration but this produced
560,000 tonnes of CO2. By 2030 aim to recycle 65% of waste produced
● To increase natural sustainability we need to: more green rooves, increase shade, build energy
efficient housing/buildings, use low J appliances and white rooves (to increase cities albedo).In
Mumbai, eating into the Northern National Park after expanding 4 fold. Extremely vulnerable to
flooding.
● Physical: think of more sustainable ways of dealing w waste e.g. prevention, plant more trees.
● Social: more accessible for disabilities, more green space (currently only 5% of urban space is green)
decrease inequality e.g. segregation and polairsation. In Mumbai 60% of the population live in slums
such as Dharavi with the average income of the population being less than $10/month whilst some of
the mansions in the city are built for the super rich and would cost the average Indian 250 years to
afford. Everyone should have access e.g. British Musuem
● People should consult and support development
● Economic: decrease polairisation between top and bottom earners (TH is home to 10% richest in
England and 10% poorest). Everyone should have access to housing and plenty of well paying jobs
● Enviornmental: more safe and accessible green space, less air pollution
● Public ogvernance: public transports should be reliable and viable resource
Sustainable cities should meet the needs of current population without compromising future generations. A city
is liveable if people can have a high standard of living and quality of life whilst in an urban environment.
The City limit Report suggest that ‘cities of the future’ should have 4 key futures:
● Net carbon absorbers
● Collect and recycle water within city
● Process wast within the city
● Energy efficient
BedZed: located in Sutton Is a complex of 82 100 % energy efficient homes. 777m^2 solar panels They were
built using 50% locally sourced materials (no further than 35km from the estate), 25% of which is recycled
material. It has solar panels to build up energy reserve as well as a self regulating temperature through the
use of insulating windows (triple glazed)/ blinds and air distribution chanel requiring no heating unit. Water-
efficient appliances mean they use 40% less water than average household. However, this is only small scale
and has received complaints from residents that it’s too cold in winter and too hot in summer so may not be
ready for wider society yet. Generates enormous amounts of waste wich we’re running out of room to deal
with and incineration is still expensive.
Contemporary opportunities and challenges in developing more sustainable cities:
● Opportunities for sustainable cities:
● Regeneration of abandoned , historic buildings e.g. Battersea
● Building more compact cities (e.g. up not out)
● Carbon neutral buildings e.g. BedZed
Challenges: in post modern western cities the population is becoming increasingly diverse but increasingly
polarised.
, ● Global shift in manufacturing = unemployment
● Climate change
● Changing peoples habits e.g. recycling more/public transport
● Don’t have money to invest
● Hard to change pre-existing infrastructure e.g. narrow streets
Strategies for developing more sustainable cities.
● more green rooves, increase shade, build energy efficient housing/buildings, use low J appliances and
white rooves (to increase cities albedo).
● Improve public transport e.g. The Mumbai Metro or The Hopper Bus Fare, ULEZ
● Increase incineration usage
● Change human behaviour e.g. decrease single use plastic use, getting people to reduce their
ecological footprint = area a person needs to maintain their lifestyle, is a decisive factor in energy
consumption and utilization of resources in every day life. Ecological footprint has decreased by 30%
since 1960 but the UK has been exceeding our biocapicty/person 3 fold since 2015.
Concept of livability:
Extent to which people can live a happy and high quality lifestyle within an urban area. Can be measured
objectively e.g. is it safe/low crime rates? Is the climate acceptable? Is there good access to public
transport/healthcare and education? As well as ubjectively: does a person feel connected to a place and their
neighbours? Are they happy to be there?
Social and economic issues associated with urbanisation
Issues associated with economic inequality, social segregation and cultural diversity in
contrasting urban areas.
LDN:
Economic inequality:
● Tower Hamlets home to riches 10% and poorest 10% = fragmentation and
poverty 27%
● gentrification in which the locals are pushed out e.g. London Olympics in
Stratford 3,500 ‘affordable homes’ supposed to be built however, even these
were out of the price range of the locals despite having their own homes knocked
down to be built.
● Polarisation
● Unemployment
Social segregation:
● ‘White flight’ in past 15years the white population in Newham has halved as ‘don’t
want to live’ around ethnic minorities = hurtful B.
● Prejudice
● Discrimination
● Feeling of being unsafe/under attack
● Becomes even more segregated e.g. living in certain areas to feel protected and
at home such as Banglatown/Brick Lane where 47% of the population are Muslim
and much greater diversity especially for Bangladeshi community.
● Limiting opportunities e.g. only building cultural/religious facilities in certain areas
confines groups to areas e.g. Orthodox Jews have to commute to Synnegogues
on Sabath,
Cultural Diveristy:
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