2. 1.1. THE CONCEPT OF A CITY
Definitions of what a city is vary around the world.
There is no single factor that explains whether a
place is a city or not (number inhabitantats, funtions…)
However, it is possible to tell if we are living in a
rural or urban settlements by looking at a number
of aspects.
3. Village (pueblo): small town
Hamlet (aldea): small village
Lower number of
inhabitants and a low
concentration of people.
Its structure: low buildings.
Economic activities: primary
sector (to obtained natural
resources): agriculture and
livestock farming.
The way of life of its
inhabitants is characteristics
by close and family-
orientated social behavior,
with a strong sense of
belonging to a community.
4. Large number of
inhabitants.
Structure: tall buildings
that are very close
together.
Main economic activities
of cities are related to
secondary (transform raw
materials) and services
sector (commerce,
education, banking…).
The way of life is
characteristic by less
intense relationships.
Town: small city
City: large town
5. Number of inhabitants. There is no universal
number (Japan settlements with more tan 50.000
are cities; in Netherlands the figure is 20.000) but
in Spain all urban areas with more than 10.000
people are classified as cities (ciudades) .
Economic activity. Cities are identified by
secondary and tertiary sector.
Concentration of many activities and functions
(residential, commercial, political…)
6. Many activities, known as functions, take place in urban areas. Cities are, in
general, multifunctional spaces and many of these activities are interrelated. The
main functions of the city are:
Residential. Although the residential function is common to all cities, it is the
predominant function in some urban settlement, such as satellite cities or
dormitory towns. These are urban settlement on the periphery of major
cities, inhabited by people who travel to work in the city every day. Dormitory
towns rely on transport networks that communicate them with a major city.
Commercial. Comercial cities are also centres of exchange for all types of
products and services. Transports networks (land, air and sea) and the flow
of money from banks and multinational companies converge in these cities.
Example: the city of Shanghai (China), whose port is the most important one
in the world.
Industrial. This function is helped by the availability of labour and the
communication network. Nowadays, the industrial areas are being moved to
industrial estates on the outskirts of the city.
Tourist. This function is related to a rich historical or artistic heritage (Rome
or Athens), to natural attractions (Cancun) or to leisure (Las Vegas or
Monaco).
Political and administrative. Some cities are home to the headquarters of the
main political bodies (Madrid, Brussels…). They are usually the state capitals,
carrying out administrative functions that affect the entire country.
Cultural and religious. This function takes place in most cities, as they have
museums, universities or spaces for cultural leisure activities, such as
cinemas and theatres (Bologna, Mecca, Jerusalem…).
7. 1.3. THE MORPHOLOGY OF CITIES
The morphology of a city refers to the factors that influence
its external form. The distribution of urban elements, such as
streets, buildings and green spaces, generates an urban plan,
which is the graphical representation of the structure of a
city. We can distingue different types of urban plans:
Grid, Linear, Radial, Irregular
GRID (also known as chequerboard or
orthogonal plan): in this type of urban
planning, the streets intersect at right
angles and the space is divided into
blocks. For example: New York, Madrid
(barrio de Salamanca) Turin, Lima,
Montevideo and Barcelona.
8. Linear: the city is organised according
to a main road, and the buildings and
public spaces are distributed around it.
For example, Castrillo de los
Polvazares (León) or Burgo de Ranero.
Radial: in a radial plan, we can
distinguish the central core form which
several roads branch out. These roads
are intersected by others streets that
form concentric rings. For example,
Palmanova (Italy) or Camberra.
Irregular: this type of plan is caused by
a lack of planning. It is characteristic
by a very complex and disorderly
network of streets. For example,
Venecia or Toledo.
9. 1.4. URBAN STRUCTURE
It refers to the internal organization of space in a
city. We can differentiate:
The city centre: where the main business, financial and
commercial areas are found. In older cities, it usually
coincides with the old town, which is also where most of
the historic monuments are located. The residential
function is also important. In modern times, residential
areas have increased due to the construction of new
neighborhoods with large green areas.
Peri-urban areas: areas around the centre. It is mainly
characterised by its residential function. In many cities,
this area has many streets, parks and squares.
Outskirts: is the outer area of the city. It emerged more
recently as a result of the city´s expansion. The
majority of the population lives on the outskirts.
Industrial areas and commercial areas have also
appeared over recent years.
10. To work this section, YOU WILL HAVE TO DO A PROJECT OR CLASS WORK,
TITLED “URBANISATION”, WHICH WILL HAVE TO CONTAIN THE NEXT
PARTS:
1. A Cover: the title, the author and, if you want, an image.
2. An Index
3. An Explanation of the EVOLUTION OF THE CITY OVER TIME.
4. An Explanation of the CITY AND ITS TERRITORY.
5. A Conclusion.
IMPORTANT: THIS PART OF THE UNIT WILL NOT BE PART OF THE EXAM.
BUT THE MARK OF THE REPORT WILL BE PART OF THE EXAM MARK.
You have to be creative, for instance, including pictures.
Book information (p. 50, 51, 52) is very clear, so I recommend you to
use it.
DELIVERY DATE: 11/05/2017
11. The growth of cities creates a large number of disadvantages and urban
problems that affect their population. On the other hand, cities also offer a
world of opportunities that attract a large number of inhabitants.
We can talk about advantages and disadvantages of urban life.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
A lot of educational and cultural
activities
Problems with traffic and parking
Centres of trade In poor countries, many inhabitants do
not have a guaranteed supply of
drinking water and energy
Healthcare is more accessible Large amounts of solid waste and
wastewater
More extensive labour market Pollution
Wide range of leisure options Live in depressed areas or build slums
Different backgrounds and
cultures come together
Problems with integration different
social classes
