Covers AQA spec point: 3.2.3.2 Urban forms - New urban landscapes: town centre mixed developments, cultural and heritage quarters, fortress
developments, gentrified areas, edge cities. The concept of the post-modern western city.
Summarises all key new urban landscapes as well as including rel...
Urban morphology refers to the spatial structure and organisation of an urban area. Traditionally
this may have been affected by physical factors such as relief and drainage. Early industrial
areas developed close to rivers which were important for trade. Flat land was important for the
transportation of goods via road or rail.
Relief still plays an important role today as flat land is easier to build on. In poorer cities,
informal settlements are often found on undeveloped steep land.
As humans have been able to overcome the limitations imposed by physical factors, urban form
today is more strongly influenced by human factors.
The main factor affecting land use in developed countries is land-value and this is traditionally
higher in the centre of the city where accessibility is greatest. The Peak land value intersection
is the point with the highest land value and from here, land prices decline with the theory of
distance decay. It is only very profitable businesses who can afford the high prices of the PLVI.
In UK cities, this site has often been occupied by the like of Marks and Spencer.
Other retailers tend to occupy most of the Central Business District but not all can afford to pay
the high prices required for the most accessible locations. Consequently smaller retailers and
businesses are more likely to be found towards the edge of the CBD.
Taking a transect from the CBD to the suburbs, land values fall significantly as the different land
users are less reliant on accessibility and unable to pay the higher prices associated with this.
New Urban Landscapes
Moving from the centre outwards, there have been a number of changes to the urban landscape
in recent years.
Some city centres in the UK have experienced a decline. Reasons for this include
deindustrialisation but also the decentralisation of business and residential areas drawing
people away from the CBD. But also having a negative lived experience of a city such as
through the high parking costs, congestion and noise.
, A number of strategies have been devised to help reverse the decline of city centres such as
improving shopping centres, improving public transport links and running special events.
Town Centre Mixed Developments
This involves encouraging the development of functions other than retail to increase the
attractions of the city centre. These include:
● A wider range of leisure facilities.
● The availability of spaces e.g squares, gardens and plazas.
● Developing nightlife such as clubbing.
● Developing flagship attractions.
● Constructing new offices, apartments, hotels and convention centres.
● Providing flats and redeveloping old buildings.
The combination of these strategies above and the stricter planning controls placed on
out-of-town developments has meant that many large cities in the UK have successfully
attracted shoppers and visitors back to the city centre.
In 2007, Exeter in Devon saw the opening of a mixed-use city centre redevelopment scheme
which replaced a dated and unattractive area for modern retailers. The Princesshay
redevelopment contains more than 60 retail units, 122 flats and 10 cafes and restaurants.
The development of cultural and heritage quarters
Many cities across the UK have initiated the planning and development of cultural and heritage
quarters. A condition for the presence of a cultural quarter is the presence of cultural production
or consumption. Heritage quarters focus more on the history of an area. The most successful
quarters are those that are still making something actually associated with a product such as the
Birmingham Jewellery Quarter. Areas like these have built up a regional and in some cases
national reputation which attracts visitors.
Some critics have argued that not all towns and cities need cultural quarters and that in some
areas they have simply increased property values. Experiences of different quarters show that
some have been more successful than others. However as a tool for regeneration, improving
perceptions of place, preserving history and culture, quarters tend to be viewed in a positive
light.
Gentrified areas
Gentrification is defined as the buying and renovating of properties generally in more run-down
areas. It is an important process of housing improvement which has helped to regenerate large
parts of cities over the last decade. Gentrification is carried out by individuals or groups rather
than by large organisations.
Gentrification can happen because:
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