GGY201 Urban Land Use, the CBD and Suburbs (Part 1), Lecture Notes PDF

GGY201 – URBAN STRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY. LECTURE NOTES: URBAN LAND USE, THE CBD AND SUBURBS (PART 1)  We are now shifting our focus to the internal aspects of the city with a focus on urban functions and the distribution of these functions.  We can understand urban functi...

GGY201 – URBAN STRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY. LECTURE NOTES: URBAN LAND USE, THE CBD AND SUBURBS (PART 1)  We are now shifting our focus to the internal aspects of the city with a focus on urban functions and the distribution of these functions.  We can understand urban functions distribution through the concepts of land value and bid rent.  Land value and bid rent is how market forces drive the cost of land and how the land is used.  There are different models of urban land-use. 1  We are concerned with; o Functions: the sort of features present in the city. o Distribution: where these features are located. o Intensity: how intensively are these features used.  Urban functions: the modern city is composed of different functions; o Retail function – exchange of goods and services (e.g., shopping districts and malls). o Industrial function – manufacturing of goods (e.g., industrial areas with factories and warehouses). o Commercial function – offices and headquarters, business services, financial services, etc. o Residential function – residential areas, inner-city vs suburban o Public space and recreational areas o Educational function, etc.  Each of these urban functions occupy a specific place in the city and have different density levels.  Model of land-value; o Land-use is often determined by land-value. o Highly valued land will be used differently to cheaper land. o Land-value also impacts the intensity of land-use. o One way to define land-value is as bid rent – the amount of money a particular parcel of land could expect to receive. 2  o The “site” and “internal situation” are important for determining land- value / bid-rent. o Site – the physical attributes of the location. For example, factories need flat land and most people would prefer to live in hilly areas. Views of the ocean, mountains or parks will command a higher price. o The internal situation – the location compared to other parts of the city. E.g., how accessible and what other features are located nearby. o The prime-value intersection (PVI) – a point in the city with the greatest access and highest land value (used to be the CBD) – all other land value is determined based on distance and access to the PVI. o Access to PVI is solely based on distance (importance of transportation). o For example, corporate offices and headquarters and specialised retail need to be close to the PVI (Sandton / Menlyn). o Land value decreases the greater the distance from PVI. o Greater intensity of land use in PVI, because of expensive land (skyscrapers).  The Central Business District (CBD); o Often the most distinguishing feature of a city. o It doesn’t have the importance it used to (decentralisation and decline). o Still plays an important role in many cities. o Centrality is central to the placement of the CBD. o Often where there are transportation breaks (break-of-bulk-points). o The CBD has several roles; central market place, entertainment and cultural services, major transportation node, administrative centre, corporate offices, etc. o CBDs often have higher land-value and therefore intensive land-use. o Higher density and pedestrian traffic. o Traditionally less residential. o The CBD-frame / fringe (zone just outside the CBD) – often less intensive zone and could house several disamenities such as rail road tracks, public housing, warehousing, etc. 3  Residential users; o Decreasing intensity as you move from CBD (apartments > semi-detached > detached single family homes). o In many American (and SA) cities, poorer households tend to live in or close to the CBD and wealthier households in suburban and exurban areas. o Why? Space for larger residential homes in suburbs and escaping negative externalities such as noise and pollution. The proportionate cost of access is higher for the poor than the wealthy. o There are positive externalities of living near CBD – access to retail, entertainment and cultural amenities. o Density gradient, night-time density vs. day time density.  Urban transportation and changes in land-value and use; o The concept of land value and bid rent has a lot to do with the expansion of cities. o Transportation = access, and access = land value. o The walking city (pre-1850);  A lot of functional integration (mixed use neighbourhoods).  Retail actively scattered throughout residential areas.  Far greater social integration.  No real CBD 4 o Horse car and electric street car era (1850-1920);  Expansion of the city.  Division by social class.  Creation of a CBD.  Increased mobility.  Proximity to transit line affected land value.  Growth of street car suburbs. o Recreational auto era (1920-1945);  Automobiles became available to a larger number of people.  Increased private mobility expanded the radius of the city.  Emergence of far flung bedroom suburbs.  Great deal of agricultural land converted for urban use.  CBD still prominent. 5 o Freeway era (1945-present);  Post WW2 population boom (baby boomers).  Widespread suburbanisation.  Emergence of out of town shopping centres (malls).  Decline of the CBD.  Cities transformed from monocentric to polycentric (multiple nodes). 6