Canon Slade School Geography Department Unit 2 Revision Case Studies 1
Changing Urban Environments Case study of the problems and solutions to issues in UK cities. Issues Problems Solutions Housing The UK s population has increased by 7% since 1971 and households have risen by 30% It is believed that 240,000 new houses are needed to be built each year to meet demand. There is a big debate about where these new homes should be built. The need isn t equally distributed- the greatest demand is in the south east of the UK More people now live alone 1. Build on more greenfield sites (land that hasn t been built on before) Land doesn t need to be cleared, new transport infrastructure can be built, the environments are pleasant, and the land is much bigger and cheaper. 2. Build on more brownfield sites (land that is derelict and unused) Planning permission is easy, ugly land is used up, infrastructure already exists, close to cities, reduces commuting time) Inner cities Housing is often old terraces or cheap tower blocks There are many derelict buildings There is a shortage of open space There are difficult police- community relations (these areas often have lots of crime) There is lots of unemployment (industries and docks have closed) Traffic Increased car use has an impact on urban environments There is more air pollution which damages health Health and education action zone Areas given extra money for school and health facilities. City Challenge Projects involving private, public and voluntary services working together on improvements e.g. New Islington, Manchester Urban Development Corporation large developments aimed at renovating huge areas of land like the LDDC (London Docklands), private investments encouraging development. Single regeneration budget putting all money from different sources into one fund so a larger regeneration scheme is possible. Many cities such as York have park and ride schemes (visitors park on the edge of the city and are bussed into the centre) London has introduced a congestion charge 2
Ethnic segregation There is an increase in traffic accidents Air pollution discolours buildings There are more traffic jams and congestion. Why do people of the same ethnic minority live near each other? Support from friends/relatives of same ethnic groups In areas with services providing their particular needs e.g. religious centres, community centres, ethnic food shops. Near to people speaking the same language so support from each other. Security against racial attacks. Discrimination means often in areas with lower quality housing which is all they can afford. CBDs As very few people live in the CBDs they often become empty at night and can be dangerous to go into because of the crime and vandalism. Many shops are closing down because of growth of out-of-town shopping parks. There may be a great deal of traffic congestion due to the accessibility of the CBDs leading to air pollution. Land is expensive (high rates and rents) so developers prefer out of town developments in the rural urban fringe. (traffic has to pay to enter the zone- this encourages people to car share or use public transport) More bus lanes can be built- this encourages more people to use public transport. Centres can be pedestrianized- this removes traffic from the main shopping streets. Providing English classes immigrants who can speak better English are more likely to get a job. Developing ethnic areas as tourist attractions Immigrants can carry on with their traditional way of life and earn money from visitors who come to eat the food or visit the buildings. Encouraging an ethnic mix The more people of all cultures and ethnic group live together there is less likely to be racial tension. Encouraging people to open their own businesses the more the immigrants are able to enjoy a better standard of living from profits from their own businesses the less likelihood of discrimination. Cultural activities such as dance days. Building mosques Giving money to build indoor shopping centres allow people to shop in the warm and dry whatever the weather. They often have parking spaces provided making them accessible and so encouraging more people to shop in the city center. Encouraging people to live in flats above the shops if people live above the shops there will be more people in the city centre at night and so the shops and other land-uses like entertainment are likely to gain more custom. Introducing security cameras may reduce crime or at least make people less frightened and so they are more likely to use the city centre especially at night. Pedestrianise the main streets- people will feel safer walking around the shops, and traffic congestion is reduced. Q: Describe two problems that cities in rich countries have to deal with. Q: Describe two solutions to these problems. Q: Describe the reasons why some CBD s need revitalizing. Q: Describe one solution to the problems in inner cities. Q: Describe why ethnic minorities tend to group together. Q: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of building on brownfield and greenfield sites. 3
Case Study of the characteristics of a squatter settlement: Kibera, Kenya Kibera is built on a flood plain. There is a real threat of flooding. The houses in Kibera are made from materials that people have found so there is no electricity, sewage disposal, toilets or proper roads. People are caught in a poverty trap, which means that they have more children so that the children will provide an income for them. The smell of the slum is terrible because there isn t a sewage system and people defecate in plastic bags which are thrown away (flying toilets). There is no clean water so lots of people die of water borne diseases such as dysentery. Many people work in the informal sector, which means that there are no fixed contracts or hours and no regular pay. Infant mortality is high at 60 per 1000 and over 10% of the people have AIDS which means that there is a life expectancy of 35. Over 1 million people live in Kibera, which means that houses are very overcrowded. Many roads in Kibera are narrow and unpaved making it difficult for waste trucks to collect people s waste. Q: Describe the characteristics of squatter settlements. Q: Describe how the characteristics of squatter settlements affect people s lives. Case Study of redevelopment of a squatter settlement: Kibera, Kenya How do people attempt to improve Kibera themselves? Neighbours share out leftover building materials. People try to replace flimsy temporary materials with more permanent brick and concrete. People illegally tap into nearby electricity supplies. People of Kibera have developed a strong, community spirit. They all pull together to make improvements. Homes are kept clean and visitors are welcome. 4
Examples of self help schemes in Kibera Practical Action, a UK charity, have introduced low- cost roofing tiles made of sand and clay, and have added lime and natural fibres to building blocks which are cheaper than concrete. Communities will come together to build and install waste digesters for 300 people that will produce methane. The Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) have built huge water tanks to sit on roofs to collect rainwater The charity Peepoople provides biodegradable bags that people use as toilets. Local governments grant legal ownership of the land to encourage improvements to take place. Examples of site and service schemes in Kibera e.g. Dandora site and service scheme Kibera residents had to put their name down to go on the scheme If chosen they agreed to go to evening classes at a college to learn construction skills If they passed the exams they were given rented a small plot of land connected to running water, sewerage and electricity. On this site the family can then build a house with building materials they are given. Examples of local authority schemes On 16 September 2009 the Kenyan government and UN- Habitat (a UN settlement programme), began a long-term movement scheme which will rehouse the people who live in slums in Nairobi. The clearance of Kibera is expected to take between two and five years to complete. The entire project is planned to take nine years and will rehouse all the slum residents in the city. It is expected to cost $1.2 billion. The new communities will be close to Kibera, and are planned to include schools, markets, playgrounds and other facilities. The first batch of around 1,500 people to leave the slum were taken away by truck on 16 September 2009 and were rehoused in 300 newly constructed apartments with a monthly rent of around 6. Q: What is the difference between a self-help and site and service scheme? Q: Name a project that has improved a squatter settlement. Q: Using a named example, give one environmental improvement, one social improvement and one economic improvement that have happened in a squatter settlement. Q: Use a named example to describe how problems of squatter settlements in the poor world can be reduced. 5
Case Study of sustainable urban living: Curitiba, southern Brazil Curitiba is working towards sustainability in many different ways. The Curitiba Master Plan was developed in 1968 to make the city sustainable. 1. Reducing car use 1.4 million passengers use the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system daily. There are 1.8 million people who live in Curitiba. It has pre- pay boarding stations that reduce boarding times, and bus- only lanes on the roads that speed up journeys. In fact, it was the first Brazilian city to have bus lanes. The same cheap fare is paid for all journeys, which benefits poorer residents who tend to live on the outskirts of the city. There are inter- district buses, which join up districts without crossing the city centre. Mini feeder buses pick people up from residential areas. There are 200km of bike paths in the city. The bus system bike paths are so popular that car use is 25% lower than national average and Curitiba has one of the lowest levels of air pollution in Brazil. 2. Plenty of open space and conserved natural environments Green space has increased from 0.5m 2 in 1970 to 52m 2 in 1990. It has over 1000 parks and natural areas. Residents have even planted 1.5 million trees along the city streets. Builders are given tax breaks if their building projects include green space. 6
It has also provided 50,000 homes for the poor people of the city to limit the development of squatter settlements. 99% of people have said that they enjoy living in Curitiba. 3. Good recycling schemes 70% of the rubbish is recycled. Paper recycling schemes saves the equivalent of 1200 trees a day. Residents in poorer areas where the streets are too narrow for a weekly rubbish collection are given food and bus tickets for bringing their recycling in to local collection centres. Q: Use a named case study to describe the features of sustainable urban living. Q: Using one or more named case studies to describe the features of a sustainable settlement. 7