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- Urban land use and the rural-urban fringe
Urban land use and the rural-urban fringe
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Why are shops in the centre and houses on the edge? Land values and accessibility explain much of a city's pattern.
What decides land use
So land values are highest there. Only uses that make a lot of money from little space, such as shops and offices, can afford it (the bid-rent idea). They build upwards.
Further out, land is cheaper, so housing, industry and large stores that need lots of space locate there.
Each use also has its own locational needs, such as factories needing good road links.
The rural-urban fringe
It attracts housing estates, retail parks, business and science parks, golf courses and airports, because land is cheaper and road access is good.
Greenfield vs brownfield: building on greenfield sites is cheaper and quicker but loses countryside; building on brownfield sites saves countryside but may need costly cleaning.
Many UK cities have a green belt, a zone of protected land around the city that limits urban sprawl.
Who manages urban change
Politicians set policies and budgets.
Developers build housing, shops and offices for profit.
Industrialists want sites with good access and cheap land.
Their views often conflict, for example over building on the green belt.
Explain why the CBD has the tallest buildings in a city.
- The CBD is the most accessible part of the city, so land values are highest.
- Businesses make the most of expensive land by building upwards.
- This gives more floor space on a small, costly plot.
Answer: High land values make it worth building upwards.
Accessibility makes central land the most valuable, so shops and offices outbid other uses there (bid-rent). Housing and industry locate further out on cheaper land. The rural-urban fringe attracts housing, retail and business parks; greenfield versus brownfield is a key debate; green belts limit sprawl. Planners, politicians, developers and industrialists manage change.
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