Sample question
Look at these diagrams and try to answer the questions.
Question
The two urban models shown in the diagram are thought to be typical of the structure of UK towns and cities from 1850 - 1950.
Look at model A (Burgess)
- a. Describe the location of each type of land use.
- b. Give one reason to explain why each type is located there.
Urban model A - Burgess
This is a very simple urban model. As the city grows newer buildings are built further away from the centre.
- Zone 1 - Business is attracted to the centre to be easily accessible. When different companies share the same customers. for space leads to high prices.
- Zone 2 - Industry developed in the UK in the 19th century, and factories were built around the CBD. Housing for workers was built close to the factories.
- Zone 3 - People then moved further out into newer residential areas as transport links developed.
- Zones 4 and 5 - Today many people prefer the space and cleaner environment on the edge of the city and often commute to work, or work in new out-of-town (greenfield) sites.
Here are some answers to the questions. Notice how they are laid out.
(a)
Zone 1 is the city centre or the central business district, mainly made up of shops and offices. This is surrounded by Zone 2, which is factories and industry. Zone 3 is working-class housing. Zone 4 is the outer residential zone. Zone 5a is outside these rings and is often an area of commuter housing, in large villages.
(b)
- Zone 1 - CBD - is a central location for accessibility. Housing developers cannot usually afford the high land prices found here.
- Zone 2 - Factory zone - industry located here in the 19th century (which was then the edge of the city).
- Zone 3 - Working class housing - built close to the factories so people could get to work easily (they could only really afford to walk to work).
- Zone 4 - Residential zone - as transport links developed people who could, moved away to bigger houses near the edge of the city.
- Zone 5 - Commuter zone - many people now live outside the city in cleaner environments, either commuting to work or working at new greenfield sites.
Question
Urban model B (Hoyt)
- (a) Describe the main differences between model B and model A
- (b) Give two reasons to explain these differences.
Model B has developed from the simple concentric rings in model A. There are now wedges or sectors of land use. Many UK cities have structures similar to this one.
- This model takes into account physical features like rivers or transport links like roads (Zones 2, 3 and 5b).
- Industry may have developed in a sector following a good transport link, helping it get goods in and out (Zone 2), eg along the River Clyde in Glasgow.
- A new housing development may have been built because of a new road linking it to the rest of the city.
(a)
The main differences are:
The sectors or wedges of different land uses, which stretch out from the CBD.
Different types of housing are located on different sides of the city, eg working class to the west and middle class to the east.
(b)
These differences are explained by:
Physical features have been included in the model, eg river floodplains were not always suitable land for housing, so industry was built there.
Transport features, eg industrial areas followed the railway lines or a major road to allow the development of new housing on the edge of cities.
- You should use the key of the diagrams to help you write your answer.
- Part (a) in the question is describe and part (b) is explain - don't mix them up.
