Urban change in British cities

1. URBAN PLANNING AND
CHANGE

2. WHAT CHANGES HAVE TAKEN
PLACE IN THE CBD?
AS WE ALREADY KNOW, THE C.B.D. IS THE COMMERCIAL AND
BUSINESS CENTRE OF A CITY.
THE C.B.D. HAS BEEN THE CENTRE FOR:
• SHOPPING: LARGE DEPARTMENT STORES AND SPECIALIST SHOPS
• OFFICES: THEY ARE LOCATED IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS
• SERVICES: BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, ESTATE AGENTS
• PUBLIC BUILDINGS: CITY HALL
• CULTURE: MUSEUMS, MONUMENTS...
• ENTERTAINMENT: CINEMAS, COFFEE SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, PUBS...

3. HOWEVER, THE C.B.D. IS CHANGING ALL THE TIME BECAUSE IT IS
THE REFLECTION OF THE SOCIETY.
THUS, WE CAN SEE NEW TYPES OF SHOPS AND SHOPPING
CENTRES, TALLER BUILDINGS AND NEW TRAFFIC PLANS
WHY HAVE CBDs CHANGED?
1. CBD IS BUSIER  INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND POLLUTION  SHOPS MOVE FROM
THE CBD TO THE RURAL-URBAN FRINGE AND IN THE CBD THERE ARE MORE
TRAFFIC FREE AREAS
2. NEW SHOPPING CENTRE IS OUT OF THE CITY  SHOPPERS IN THE CBD
DECLINE
3. AS A RESULT, THE FORMER SHOPS HAVE CHANGED THEIR FUNCTION TO NON-RETAILING
ACTIVITIES
4. THERE ARE LESS SHOPPERS BECAUSE PEOPLE PREFER TO BUY ON-LINE
5. PEOPLE WANTED A SAFER PLACE IN THE CBD  UNDERCOVER MALLS,
PEDESTRIAN STREETS, STREETS WITH TREES...
6. THE DEMAND FOR LEISURE ACTIVITIES HAS INCREASED  MORE PLACES FOR
EATING (RESTAURANTS), DRINKING (PUBS) AND ENTERTAINMENT (CINEMAS,
THEATRES...)
7. NEW TALLER BUILDINGS  DUE TO THE HIGH PRICE OF THE LAND VALUE

4. HOW HAVE CBDs CHANGED?
INCREASE IN:
1. PEDESTRIAN STREETS
2. SHOPPING MALLS  THEY ARE GOOD FOR SHOPPERS
BECAUSE:
• They are protected from traffic and pollution
• They are protected from the weather
• Shoppers reduce the distance between shops
THESE SHOPPING CENTRES ARE VERY POPULAR IN THE UK AND
OTHER COUNTRIES. FOR THAT REASON WE TALK ABOUT
“CLONE TOWNS”
THESE CITIES HAVE IDENTICAL SHOPS OWNED BY A SMALL
NUMBER OF POWERFUL NATIONWIDE CHAINS
(SUPERMARKETS, COFFEE SHOPS, BOOK SHOPS...)
HOWEVER, BIG CITIES HAVE MORE CHAIN SHOPS THAN TOWNS
AND BIG CITIES ALSO HAVE CHAIN SHOPS WITH A BETTER
QUALITY OR POPULARITY (E.G.: STARBUCKS)

5. HOW HAVE CBDs CHANGED?
DECREASE IN:
1. SMALLER SPECIALIST SHOPS (OFTEN FAMILY FAMILY BUSINESS).
THESE SHOPS USUALLY SOLD FOOD. THE COMPETITION WITH THE
SHOPPING CENTRES IS VERY HARD AND THE RENT IN THE CBD IS
VERY HIGH
2. SOME STORES LIKE FURNITURE STORES HAVE MOVED FROM THE
CBD TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY (INNER CITY OR RURAL-URBAN
FRINGE) DUE TO THE HIGH RENT IN THE CBD

6. WHAT CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT THE
RURAL-URBAN FRINGE?
THE RURAL-URBAN FRINGE WAS THE AREA WHERE HIGH
CLASS HOUSING, OUTER CITY COUNCIL STATES AND GREEN
AREAS WERE LOCATED
HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW TYPES OF LAND USE IN
THE LAST DECADES
NEW TYPES OF LAND USE AT THE RURAL-URBAN FRINGE:
• HOUSING DEVELOPTMENT DUE TO THE URBAN SPRAWL
• NEARBY VILLAGES BECOME SUBURBANISED
• HYPERMARKETS AND SUPERSTORES
• HOTELS AND COFERENCE CENTRES
• NEW MOTORWAYS AND URBAN BY-PASSES
• SEWAGE WORKS AND LANDFILL SITES
• RECREATIONAL AREAS SUCH AS NEW SPORTS STADIUMS
• SCIENCE AND BUSSINESS PARKS

7. WHICH ARE THE REASONS FOR THESE
CHANGES?
1. THERE IS A CHEAPER LAND VALUE THAN IN THE CITY. EVEN
THOUGH, THIS VALUE IS INCREASING
2. LESS TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND POLLUTION
3. THERE IS A EASIER ACCESS AND A BETTER ROAD
INFRASTRUCTURE THAN DECADES AGO
4. A PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT WITH MORE OPEN SPACE (THIS IS
VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE NEW RESIDENTIAL AREAS)

8. WHY DO THE NEW SHOPPING CENTRES ARE
LOCATED IN THE RURAL-URBAN FRINGE?
RÍO-SHOPPING IN CASTILLA Y LEÓN IS A GOOD EXAMPLE
LET’S SEE WHY THESE SHOPPING CENTRES HAVE
DECIDED TO SETTLE IN THIS AREA
1. PRICE AND RENTS ARE CHEAPER DUE TO THE LOWER LAND
VALUES. AS A RESULT, THE FLOOR AREA CAN BE BIGGER
2. NEAR TO SEVERAL LARGE URBAN AREAS (CITIES, TOWNS,
VILLAGES...) FOR CUSTOMERS
3. NEAR TO SUBURBAN ESTATES WHICH PROVIDE WORKERS
4. NEAR TO MAIN ROADS AND MOTORWAYS INTERSECTION. THIS IS
GOOD FOR:
• EASY DELIVERY OF GOODS
• EASY ACCESS FOR SHOPPERS

9. 5. FAR FROM THE CBD AVOID THE COMPETITION WITH THE SHOPS
OF THE CITY CENTRE
6. THE BIG SPACE AVAILABLE ALLOWS:
• LARGE SINGLE STOREY BUILDINGS FOR SHOPS
• LARGE FREE CAR PARKS
• HYPERMARKETS CAN STOCK A LARGE VOLUME AND A WIDE
RANGE OF GOODS
• PLENTY OF SPACE FOR A FUTURE EXPANSION

10. WHAT ARE THE SUBURBANISED VILLAGES?
DEFINITION
DEFINITION: Dormitory or commuter villages with a
residential population who sleep in the village but
who travel to work in the nearby large urban area.
The suburbanised village has increasingly adopted
some of the characteristics (new housing estates,
more services) of urban areas.
Suburbanised villages were quiet places with basic services such
as church, small shop, post office and school. They were located
near to large urban areas. However, those places were quite
independent and their inhabitants had a job in the village or near
places
Nowadays, since the beginning of the counter-urbanisation. These
villages have changed a lot. Urban workers and retired people
decided to move from their cities to these villages to improve their
quality of life.
As a result, these places have changed a lot.

11. CHANGES
New large and expensive private housing estates To
accommodate the new residents
New services have been provided  As a result, these village
become to look like the suburbs of the cities (For that reason they
are known as suburbanised villages)
Since the new residents usually are commuters  Sometimes there
are new roads and railways to link these settlements with the city
New business like restaurants, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and
conference centres have been opened
Sometimes, the former inhabitants are swamped by the new way of
life in these villages. They sometimes miss the calm of their villages
before the arrival of the new residents and the changes related

12. SHOULD PLANNERS FAVOUR
GREENFIELD OR BROWNFIELD
DEVELOPMENT?
The problem
UNITED KINGDOM AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE SHORT
OF HOUSES
The solution
TO BUILD MORE HOUSES
Second problem
WHERE WILL THESE HOUSES BE BUILT?
Second answer
ON DISUSED LAND IN THE CITIES (IN THE INNER CITY): BROWNFIELD SITES
ON THE COUNTRYSIDE OR IN GREEN BELTS: GREENFIELD SITES

13. IN THE U.K., THE GOVERNMENT INITIALLY DECIDED TO BUILD THE
50% OF THE HOUSES ON GREENFIELDS AND THE OTHER HALF ON
THE BROWNFIELD SITES
HOWEVER, PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE HARMFUL FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT. SO THE AUTHORITIES SET ANOTHER BALANCE:
60% ON THE BROWNFIELD SITES
40% ON THE GREENFIELD SITES
BRITISH AUTHORITIES AND PLANNERS HAVE TO FACE ANOTHER
PROBLEM.
THE SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND NEEDS MORE HOUSES BUT THE
BROWNFIELD SITES ARE LIMITED
THE NORTH AND THE MIDLANDS NEED LESS HOUSES BUT THERE
ARE MORE BROWNFIELD SITES AVAILABLE
THIS SITUATION MAKES A MISMATCH AND THE SITUATION IS
GETTING MORE COMLICATED WHEN WE ANALYSE THE ARGUMENTS
BETWEEN THOSE PEOPLE WHO PREFER NEW HOUSES ON THE
BROWNFIELD SITES AND THE PEOPLE WHO PREFER NEW HOUSES
ON THE GREENFIELD SITES

14. WHO WANTS TO BUILD ON
GREENFIELD SITES?
POLITICIANS AND PROMOTERS
WHY?
1. THEY THINK THAT MOST BRITISH PEOPLE PREFER TO OWN THEIR
OWN HOME IN A SEMI-RURAL LOCATION
2. PEOPLE WILL BE HEALTHIER IN A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT LIKE THE
GREENFIELD SITES
3. PEOPLE ARE STILL OVERCROWDED. SO IT IS GOOD TO SUPPORT
THE COUNTER-URBANISATION MIGRATION
4. THE LAND VALUE OF THE GREENFIELD SITES IS CHEAPER AND
THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE CLEANED AS THE URBAN LAND
5. ONLY THE 11% OF BRITAIN IS URBANISED.
WHAT IS MORE, ONLY THE 12.5% OF THE NEW HOUSES ARE
ACTUALLY BUILT ON GREENFIELD SITES

15. WHO WANTS TO BUILD ON
BROWNFIELD SITES?
ECOLOGISTS AND SOME
ORGANISATIONS FROM THE
COUNTRYSIDE
WHY?
1. THERE ARE A MILLION OF UNOCCUPIED HOUSES IN CITIES
AND THE 75% OF THOSE HOUSES COULD BE UPGRADED
2. ONE MORE MILLION OF HOUSES COULD BE CREATED BY DIVIDING
LARGE HOUSES OR USING EMPTY FLOORS ABOVE SHOPS AND
OFFICES
3. THERE ARE MANY DERELICT LAND FROM THE FORMER
FACTORIES. 1.6 MILLION OF HOUSES COULD BE BUILT IN THAT
SPACE
4. LIVING IN THE URBAN AREAS REDUCES RELIANCE UPON THE CAR
(LESS POLLUTION), MAINTAIN PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND LOCAL
SHOPS IN THE CITIES
5. THE 80% OF THE SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE
PREFER TO LIVE IN CITIES