Land use in urban areas varies depending on the zone. The central business district (CBD) has the tallest buildings and is the main area for offices, shops, and work but few residences. It experiences high congestion. The inner city has older high density housing like terraced homes and high rise flats that are sometimes abandoned. Suburbs have lower density housing like detached homes that grew due to improved transportation and wealth. The rural-urban fringe is a mixed use area with industry, business parks, recreational areas, housing, and some remaining farms under development pressure.

1. How does land use vary in urban
areas?

2. HOMEWORK
• Complete the urbanisation handout

3. Alien Landing in Kingston!
• If Zorg walks out of the centre of town, what would he
see?
• Can you describe his surroundings to your partner.
• Use housing, businesses, roads, shopping areas etc.
• Use the model to help you

4. Key terms
• Land use: What the land in an urban area is
actually being used for.
• Function: The main purpose of an area of
land. E.g. The CBD is there as an area for
people to buy and sell things.

7. TASK
• In four groups
• Write on your mini white board
1. Your zone.
2. What are the characteristics of your zone.
3. What function you think it had originally.
4. Which ariel photograph you think it is.

8. CBD Inner City Suburbs Rural – Urban
Fringe
Write on your mini white board
1. Your zone.
2. What are the characteristics of your
zone.
3. What function you think it had
originally.
4. Which ariel photograph you think it
is.

9. 1. CBD

10. 1. The Central Business District

11. What typical
characteristics of a
CBD are shown
here?
The Tallest Buildings
Why? Public Buildings eg Town Hall
Busy – lots of pedestrians
Markets

12. What typical
characteristics of a CBD
are shown here?
Purpose built shopping
centres providing undercover
shopping experience
Big Department Stores and
National Chain Stores – why?

13. What typical
characteristics of a CBD
are shown here?
Very accessible – public
transport & traffic
management required due
to congestion.
Historic/ old street pattern –
often some narrow streets
Some of the oldest
buildings

14. What typical
characteristics of a CBD
are shown here?
Entertainment – e.g.
restaurants
Entertainment e.g. cinemas
(although increasingly these are
moving further out of town)
Entertainment e.g. pubs

15. 1. The Central Business District
• Largest amount of offices & shops
• Widest variety of goods on sale
• High accessible
• Highest land values and rent – hence so tall
• Main area of work by day – leads to traffic
congestion
• Few people actually live here.

16. 2. Inner City

17. 2. Inner City

18. 2. Inner City

21. 2. Inner City
• Old, high density terraced housing. May be
converted to flats now and in poor condition
• High rise flats – 1960’s
• Abandoned factories and warehouses
• Areas of derelict land, next to railway lines
• Pockets of smart new developments around
old docks e.g. Docklands in London

22. 3. Suburbs

23. 3. Suburbs

24. Reasons for Growth of the Suburbs
1. Better public transport and increased
car ownership meant people could
separate work from where they live.
2. Building societies provided mortgages
making it easier to buy homes
3. People were wealthier and looking for a
better living environment.
3. THE SUBURBS

26. 4. Rural Urban Fringe

27. 4. Rural Urban Fringe

30. 4. Rural Urban Fringe
• Huge mixture of land uses.
• Often business parks and industrial estates locate in the rural-
urban fringe as the land is cheaper, there is room for expansion
and they are closer to transport links to allow export and import
of goods.
• Motorways
• Recreational land-uses such as golf courses and leisure parks
have been established in the rural-urban fringe.
• Housing has also encroached into the rural-urban fringe, as more
people move out of the cities and commute to work.
• Out-of-town shopping centres also find that the space available.
• Farming still occurs in the rural-urban fringe, although the
farmers often come under great pressure to sell their land for
development.

32. • 1. Answer A and d from p197

33. Homework – TASK
• Use the internet to find a city and then copy
the map into word and label each area and
briefly decribe what it is like.
• Good example is Cambridge