Urban Morphology Urban Morphology

When thinking about Urban Morphology or shape (pattern) it is important to remember that we use urban models to identify and compare the shapes of the settlement.

For AS level Geography you only need to know 2 main types of urban model but it is useful if you are familiar with some of the others also.

Urban Model 1:Burgess’ Concentric Zone Model

Burgess suggested that towns grew outward from the centre in a concentric pattern. This means that buildings become more recent closer to the edge of a city. It is possible that up to 5 rings may develop:

A - Central Business District (CBD):- most accessible to the largest number of people- contains services such as shops, offices, banks, etc.- multi-storey buildings as land is very expensive (build upwards to save cost)

Urban Model 1:Burgess’ Concentric Zone Model

B - ‘Twilight Zone’ - has 2 sections:

1 - wholesale light manufacturing (transitional)2 - low class residential (old inner city areas):

- 19 Century terraced buildings- no gardens- cheap, dirty slum areas- GRID IRON street pattern- high rise blocks were built after slums were pulled down - attract crime- old industries found here

Urban Model 1:Burgess’ Concentric Zone Model

C - Council Estates: Semi-detached housing with gardens in large estates. Less expensive private estates also here. Not top quality (medium class residential). INTER WAR AREA

D - Commuter Zone: High class residential area. Private, top quality housing. Detached and semi-detached on cheap land. People can live here as are prepared to pay to get to work.

Urban Model 1:Burgess’ Concentric Zone Model

E - Countryside Areas (suburb / exurbs): Countryside surrounding the urban area. Can also contain villages / hamlets in which town / city workers live.

A key point to remember A key thing to remember is

that different text books and resources will use different labels for the different parts of the

model. It is very important that you are

familiar with them all so make sure that you use

Essential Geography and Integrated Geography as a

basis for your notes

Urban Model 2:Hoyts’ Sector Model

A – Central Business DistrictB1 – Wholesale Light ManufacturingB2 – Low Class ResidentialC – Council EstatesD – Commuter Zone (Suburbs)E - Countryside

Hoyt proposed the idea that towns grew as sectors or "wedges". That means that if, for example, industry grew up in one part of a 19th century town, future industry would then develop in that sector. As the town grew, so would the area of industry and therefore it would grow out in a wedge shape.

City Transect

This city transect shows a cross section through a city. The CBD is located in the centre of the diagram and the other areas are clearly marked. On your diagram, add 10 labelled arrows which show changes in the three quality of life environments towards and away from the centre of the city. Examples: traffic, costs, vegetation, etc.

Increase in vegetation

City TransectExamples of labels

Increase in crimeDecrease in traffic congestion

Increase in housing cost

Decrease in land costs

Decrease in services

Increase in building heightIncrease in vegetation

Decrease in space

Increase in competition for land

Decrease in car ownership

Urban Model 3:LEDC Model

Cities in LEDCs have a very different land use pattern to those in MEDCs. The CBD is dominated by modern administrative and commercial activities. Richer people live in modern high-rise apartments around the CBD. Recently arrived migrants from rural areas live in derelict land and on the outskirts. Housing quality decreases with distance from the CBD, unlike in MEDCs, where quality increases with distance from the CBD.

Bid Rent Theory

• (From Essential Page 278) • These models all share common the idea

that land use in cities results from economic forces. It is based on the idea that most landusers want to maximise their profit that they gain from a particular location. Accessibility is the key idea for businesses, shops, offices and people

Bid Rent Theory 2

• Different land users compete for accessible sites near to the city centre. The amount that they are prepared to pay is the bid-rent.

• Generally, the closer that a piece of land is to the CBD – the dearer it will be

Other Models

Mann Harris and Ullmann