Rural areas have experienced population declines as people migrate to urban areas for opportunities. This document discusses rural to urban migration in China and the characteristics of rural and urban settlements. As populations shift, the area between rural and urban, called the rural-urban fringe, grows as suburbs extend into countryside. The rural-urban fringe is a transitional zone with a mix of land uses and populations that access services in both areas.

1. How have
settlements
changed?

2. Learning objectives
 To know the characteristics of rural and urban
areas
 To understand the links between them
 To be able to describe their change over time
– using China as example

3. Spot the difference…how many can you get?!!!
p.106 NWW

4. Keywords
Rural
Urban
Push
factors
Pull
factors
Migration
MEDC
LEDC
Something that makes people want to leave an
area or country. E.g. natural hazards, no
jobs or disease.
More economically developed country
The movement of people from one place to another in
order to live and work.
Area of open country with a low population density
A built up area with a high population density
Less economically developed country
Something that attracts people to an area or
country. E.g. higher wages, doctors and hospitals
or good schools.
Keyword pen!

5. Rural or urban?

6. Recap
 The Burgess model!
 What happens as we move out of a city
 To land price?
 Demand?
 Space?
 Accessibility?
 Population?

7. The Rural Urban Fringe
 The rural urban fringe is the transitional zone
between the countryside (rural) and the city or
town (urban); where the suburbs extend into rural
areas.
 The edge of a town or city is not clearly bordered
by a clear line. Density and land use changes
gradually. The urban area still has a great impact
on the rural area and equally, the rural population
travel to use these urban services.

8. Beijing
Tasks:
1)Identify the land uses of the rural-urban fringe.
2)Pick these out on your map by drawing an arrow to each land use.
3)Then annotate the reasons why these land uses are found in the
rural-urban fringe…think about SPACE and MONEY

9. Reasons for the growth of the rural-urban
fringe.
 Why have people moved out to live in rural
areas, in close proximity to the city?
 Better quality of life – quieter, less polluted
 ‘More house for your money’
 Increased car ownership and mobility
 Communication improvements mean people can
work from home
 Commuter links improved
 How would these changes affect the function
and layout of these areas?

10. How have settlements
changed?
Create a list of all the changes you can
think of.