Unit 4: Modern day cities

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Rural and urban settlements

Population settlement is the way in which people occupy a territory

number, size and spatial distribution of human settlements

rural settlements (agrarian areas)

urban settlements (industrial and service activities)

Rural settlements

Europe

where most of the population is employed in agrarian activities

population lives in small-scale, single family dwellings

Spain

municipalities of under 10,000 inhabitants

Rural settlements can be found in different patterns

dispersed settlements

houses are spread out with no set pattern

More typical on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Europe

Typical of the periphery and Canary and Balearic Islands in Spain

clustered settlements

houses are located close to each other

form hamlets and villages

Europe

central and eastern part of the continent

Spain

inland regions

Urban settlements

Includes cities and large scale settlements

most of the population works in the industry and service sectors

live in high-rise apartments

Europe: minimum size to be considered a city varies

in Denmark and Sweden 2000 people make a city

Spain: over 10,000 inhabitants make a city

79.2% of the population live in urban settlements

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The urbanisation process

The urbanisation process has taken place over many years. We can divide them in to different periods

Antiquity

Europe

urbanisation began around the third millennium BC (trading civilizations ie. Crete)

urbanisation increased in the 8th century BC

Greek colonisation

Roman rule

Spain

first cities (Cadiz and Ampurias) appeared in the 8th century BC

colonization by the Greeks and Phoenicians

urbanisation increased during Roman rule

Tarragona, Mérida, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Sevilla

Roman cities were based on a grid plan with public spaces and buildings

After the fall of the Roman Empire cities went into decline

majority of inhabitants moved to the countryside

Middle Ages

Europe

old cities declined during the early Middle Ages

feudalism imposed an agrarian economy

urbanisation increased in the 12th century

development of trade reinvigorated old cities

new cities were founded

Spain

The Muslim conquest of the peninsula brought both Muslim and Christian cities

Muslim

transformed already existing cities

founded new cities such as Madrid, Almería and Murcia

Christian

created new cities along the Camino de Santiago

created cities in the territories conquered from the Muslims (Segovia, Ávila, Salamanca)

Both Muslim and Christian cities were walled for protection

irregular plans

buildings such as mosques and cathedrals

markeplaces

Modern Period

Growth of cities the European states chose as their capitals (Paris, Berlin, Vienna)

Cities began to grow because of the influence of trade in the colonial empires (Sevilla, Antwerp, Amsterdam, London)

Renaissance

Ideal cities were designed

Adopted the grid plans of the Classical period

Baroque period and the Enlightenment

remodeling and embellishing of cities by absolute monarchs

squares

gardens

monumental fountains

sewerage networks

paved streets

The industrial city

The development of industry led to growth between the 19th century and 1980, this is referred to as the period of industrial urbanisation.

began in the 19th century

modern industry came to the cities

migrants came from the countryside (rural exodus)

Infrastructure reform projects were undertaken

water

sanitation

street paving

cities tore down ancient city walls to create new districts

better quality for the middle class

poorer areas for the factory workers

lack of urban services like paving and sewers

in the 20th century

urban growth increased due to the Second Industrial Revolution

cities continued to grow with new infrastructure

large peripheral zones

residential areas

industrial estates

urban facilities

increase of urban agglomerations

The post industrial period

Since 1980, services have been the main factor of urban growth

Characteristics:

slower growth of urban areas in Europe and Spain

surface areas of cities continue to grow

expand into rural areas

Causes:

slower demographic growth

less migration to cities

people move to rural areas

property prices are cheaper

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Structure of a city

The city centre

Pre-industrial city

historic center

defensive, on hills

good for commerce, confluence of rivers, crossroads, ports, pilgrimage routes

urban plan

irregular

surrounded by wall

low buildings built close together

Industrial city

expanded on pre-industrial cities

cities became denser

walls were torn down for cities to expand

urban plan

new neighborhoods were built for the bourgeois

regular plans,

working class lived in the outskirts near factories

The central business district (CBD)

Old city centers have been renewed

industry moved to the periphery

new uses for the centre

upper-middle-class residents

corporate headquarters

offices

cultural and entertainment activities

The outskirts

The outskirts developed in the most recent period of urban expansion

Suburbs

rural-urban areas

Suburbs: developed between the 1950s and 1980s and zoned into different areas

residential zones

segregated based on buying power

slums: disadvantaged or marginalized groups

tower block neighborhoods: middle and lower classes

single-family housing developments: upper classes

industrial zones

location of factories displaced from the cities and industries looking for lower land prices and better infrastructure.

industrial estates (poligonos): traditional industry

business parks: industries and offices

technology parks: high-tech industry

service-sector zones

benefit from cheap land, good connections and presence of consumers from neighborhoods in the outskirts

large retail stores

shopping centres

hospitals

rural-urban areas: transition areas between the country and the city

low density growth

urban sprawl

dormitory towns, people live in the country and work in the city