Changing Urban Environments

The United Nations has a useful World Urbanisation Prospects page.

1. Global trends in urban populations.
Interactive FT page showing how the location of the world's major cities has changed since 1975.
A spreadsheet of data from the UN on the same theme.

2. Functions and land uses in urban areas.

Urban areas can be divided-up into different land use zones, that have distinctive characteristics.  These land use zones, and their features, can be identified from maps and photographs.  Poole is a local town that contains good examples of these land use zones and is a place that you will visit for your A-level fieldwork.

CBD (Central Business District)

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Lower quality residential zone

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Medium quality residential zone

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High quality residential zone (suburb)

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Suburbs (medium quality residential zone)

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Zone of light industry (industrial estate)

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Other key ideas:

Issues and management in richer parts of the world.

Squatter settlements and the informal economy.

Management of environmental problems in poorer parts of the world.

Sustainable urban living.