Hoofdstuk 4, sectie 2 & 3

2 Life in the large city

Mega city = more than ten million inhabitants (London)

Metropolis = big influence in the world regards to economy, culture and politics. (Metropolises are extremely well connected to the rest of the world.) (Paris)

Capital city = the most important city in the country.

Sometimes a city has all these 3 descriptions, for example Tokyo and Paris.

The difference between a mega city and a metropolis is that with a mega city you look to inhabitants, and with a metropolis you look to the influence.

Problems in mega cities: not enough houses, not enough work, pollution, traffic chaos.

Solutions: build houses, make electric cars, stricter traffic rules, rules about pollution of factories

Urban network = network of big cities, cities working together (mostly in developed countries)

Primate city = one mega city, 10x bigger than the second biggest city in the country (mostly in developing countries)

In rich countries cities are specialized on one thing, all cities have their own quality so you need to go to another city for something. In a poor country one city is specialized in one thing so that’s why there is no urban network there.

Corridors (links) are very important in the formation of urban networks, without corridors there wouldn’t be a urban network.

Site= characteristics of the area the city is in

Situation = characteristics of the site in relation to other places.

In modern times, the situation is much more important than the site.  Due to globalisation it is really important that the city can be accessed in various ways.

Many cities in developing countries are along the coast, because in colonial times they were a gateway for the colony to the fatherland.

Narrow curling lanes = old historic part of the town.

Straight wide streets = Western, European part of the town

Colonial twin city = city with an old historic part and a Western, European part (source 7)

The 25 largest cities in the world are mainly in Asia and at the coast, in general on flat land and in sea climate.

Cities in poor countries develop differently to cities in rich countries because rich people draw the city on paper before the people come, and in a poor country the people first come and then the city is built.

The structure of a city is constantly changing because of new technology and more inhabitants.

What is a mega city?

What is a metropolis?

What is a capital city?

What is the difference between a mega city and a metropolis?

What are the problems in mega cities?

What are the solutions?

What is an urban network?

What is a primate city?

Why does a primate city occurs in developing countries and an urban network in richer countries?

Are corridors important for the formation of urban networks?

What is a site?                                           

What is a situation?

What is in modern times more important, the site or the location? Why?

Where are most cities in developing countries located? Why there?

What is the difference between the old historic part of a town and the Western, European part?

What is a colonial twin city?

Where are the 25 largest cities in the world mainly located?

Why do cities in poor countries develop differently to cities in rich countries?

Why is the structure of a city constantly changing?

3 Changing cities

More people are living in the cities than in the country side.

Degree of urbanisation = percentage of people living in the cities

Rich countries have a higher degree of urbanisation, but the number of inhabitants is not increasing.

Sub-urbanisation= people are moving from the cities to the country side. (in rich countries)

Urbanisation = people are moving from the countryside to the cities. (in developing countries)

A primate city is growing so fast, because of urbanisation, surplus of births and surrounding villages are being swallowed up by the city.

Study source 9, the different circles where they are laying. Western city structure.

CBD = Central Business District, chic shops, offices and recreational facilities (ontspanningsmogelijkheden). Almost no people live here

Older residential neighbourhoods = older neighbourhoods, mostly densely populated. People with a lower income and foreigners live here. These are real problem areas.

Varied residential area (middle class) = varied neighbourhoods, the people who live here are not rich but also not poor, they are middle class.

Exclusive residential area = very rich, mostly villa’s.

Industrial area = factories

Hypermarkets = supermarkets

Satellite town = a small city near the big city, and depends on that city but still is a separate city

Suburbs = neighbourhood with low buildings, rich people live here.

Amusement park = pretpark

In a non-Western city there is no structure because the cities  have developed really fast, without planning. The people first came and then the city was built. Then you get many slums.

A non-Western city has: at least one business centre, one mainly industrial area, luxury housing estates. The rest of the space are slums.

Do most people live in the city or in the countryside?

What is degree of urbanisation?

What is sub-urbanisation? And where?

What is urbanisation? And where?