Urban Environments

Global Urbanisation

Case Studies found here...

Causes of Urbanisation

Urban Models

Land Use Zones

Issues in Urban Areas

Case Studies:

Issues in Urban Areas

Traffic Info

Issues in LDCs

Squatter Settlement Summary

Dharavi, Mumbai, India

Characteristics of squatter settlements?

•Squatter settlements or shanty towns are those built by people of any materials they can find. (makeshift). They are high density.

•Illegal - They build on unoccupied pieces of land but do not have legal rights to the land.

•Built on marginal land – land that is not really fit for living on. They are often found on the outskirts of the town (set up on first land they can find), or on land not fit for standard use (eg. close to a river, very steep slopes).

•May be near a road (so can work informally eg. windscreen washing), or close to factories or CBD in hope of getting work.

•People living in the squatter settlements often do not have formal employment, but create their own employment eg. selling items, gardeners, shoe-shining, doing washing. This is the informal sector where people create their own jobs, and these are not counted in official figures.

•As they are illegal and spontaneous the local authority the local authority does not provide any roads or infrastructure (eg. water or electricity). The local authority may decide to demolish them if they want to sell the land for a more profitable development.

•Conditions are poor and unhealthy because of lack of sewerage and clean water. Electricity supplies may be illegal and dangerous.

Problems caused by Urbanisation

Difficulties of disposal of waste including toxic waste:

•Poisonous gases eg from chemical plants (eg Bhopal 1984, killed 3000 and caused damage to 50000).

•Electronic waste eg. in India from computers (as attempt to recycle components) creates toxic chemicals like cadmium and lead (can cause brain damage)

•Ganges River contains untreated sewage, cremated remains, chemicals.

•China- in Shanghai the construction boom is creating 30,000 tonnes of waste a day. 73% of China’s electricity is generated from coal fired power stations – may of them from an old design which allows carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter to go into the atmosphere. In Shanghai it is estimated that 40,000 deaths a year a related directly to atmospheric pollution - cancers, breathing problems. In Shanghai – R Huangpu is the main water supply to the city – water quality has fallen as 4 million cumbic metres of human waste enters it every day.

•Carbon dioxide emissions produced by coal-fired power stations. 52% of Indian cities have air pollution at critical levels; includes particulate matter, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide.

Summary of Urban Issues LEDC

Curitiba Case Study

Mumbai Case Study

Sustainable Cities

A sustainable city is an urban area where residents have a way of life that will last a long time, because the environment is not damaged by what people do.

Curitiba Case Study

Characteristics of a sustainable city. (THINK SUSTAIN)

S – Self-sufficient in provision of food

U - Use of brownfield sites (improves environment and more sustainable

S - Space without buildings: for play and enjoyment of natural areas

T - Transport system which minimises use of car; cycling provision

A - Adequate recycling and minimise waste

I - Involving local people in decision making process, so strong sense of community and ownership of ideas and feel involved

N - Natural energy resources eg wind, solar so they are RENEWABLE

What is a sustainable city?

Sustainable cities

Exam Questions:

Air pollution is one problem caused by high levels of road traffic in towns. Describe one other problem caused by high levels of road traffic in towns.(2)
Use a case study to describe the main features of sustainable urban living. (8)
Explain why people of the same ethnic group often live near to each other. (4)
Describe one strategy that tries to support multicultural communities in urban areas. (2)
Use an example to describe how problems of squatter settlements in the poor world can be reduced. (6)
Describe how pollution problems could be reduced in cities in poor parts of the world. (4)
Explain why the Central Business Districts of some towns need to be improved. (4)
Use one or more named case studies to describe the features of a sustainable settlement. (8)
Describe one way in which increased traffic can affect settlements such as Cambridge. (2)
How does a traffic solution you have studied help to reduce the problem of traffic in settlements? (4)
Use a named example to describe how local people living in squatter settlements have tried to improve their own lives. (8)