Changing HIC Cities
The Changing Nature of the Rural Urban Fringe
Source: geocases sample
The rural-urban fringe has become increasingly under pressure from a number of competing economic interests, including, industry and commerce, leiue and tourism, utilities and construction. Competition for land in these areas increased signficantly during the 1990s as space within cities became more expensive ad scarce and greenbelts restricted development in some areas around the city. The land in the RUF is much cheaper and allows companies better access to transport networks and space for expansion. As well as industrial estates and residential use, these areas attract shopping centres, business parks and recreation facilities such as golf courses. Large hypermarkets and shopping complexes now choose their location not where people live but on where it easiest to transport their goods. There are many benefits to the rural urban fringe, which can be seen in the diagram below.
The Environmental Argument
Due to the problem of urban sprawl, where cities just continue to grow outwards unchecked, environmental interest groups have become increasingly concerned. If urban sprawl continues unchecked, many wildlife habitats would be lost. Conservationists and farmers want to protect the countryside and farmland. As a result the UK government have established many National Parks with strict restrictions on development. To prevent urban sprawl green belts have been established around the the country's major cities. These green belts have stricter controles on construction and development, but due to housing shortages and industry needs they continue to be put under pressure. The map of English green belts links to an interesting BBC article on housing construction.
Activity
Read the BBC article and describe:
1. the role of green belts
2. Why houses may need to be built on the green belt
3. The difference between a greenfield site and a brownfield site.
Due to the problem of urban sprawl, where cities just continue to grow outwards unchecked, environmental interest groups have become increasingly concerned. If urban sprawl continues unchecked, many wildlife habitats would be lost. Conservationists and farmers want to protect the countryside and farmland. As a result the UK government have established many National Parks with strict restrictions on development. To prevent urban sprawl green belts have been established around the the country's major cities. These green belts have stricter controles on construction and development, but due to housing shortages and industry needs they continue to be put under pressure. The map of English green belts links to an interesting BBC article on housing construction.
Activity
Read the BBC article and describe:
1. the role of green belts
2. Why houses may need to be built on the green belt
3. The difference between a greenfield site and a brownfield site.
There is debate between conservationists and developers and within authorities and government on how to manage the needs of the economy and the environment. Urban sprawl is a problem and endless construction on greenfield sites does destroy natural habitat and threaten wildlife. The biggest pressure on green belt land is coming from house construction. Some places around the UK experiencing a chronic shortage of affordable houses. his debate is based on greenfield or brownfield. Brownfield sites are limited in number and of course expensive to develop on compared to greenfield sites. Brownfiled sites also fail to provide for housing needs at the local scale becaue they are fixed in the certain places in the city.
|
|
In Belgium far less thought and consideration has been given to urban sprawl. Belgium is now over 97 percent urbanised. with the vast maority of people living in small and medium sized urban centres rather than large cities. In Belgium green belt restrictions have seldomly been used and as a consequence a vast network of small setlements that just have spread out along roads has developed. The image below shows the development of ribbon settlements near the town of Roselare near Gent.
The Brussels Rural Urban Fringe
The Brussels rural urban fringe in under massive pressure from housing and industrial developmant that at first glance appear to be almost completely unchecked and unregulated. The following screenshot of the ribbon developments growing outwards from the ring road along transport routes show development at an alarming speed. The second map shows the growth of Brussels at different stages in time. This type of urban sprawl may be cultural. There is a common saying in Belgium that a Belgian is born with a brick in their belly, which reflects the cultural norm of building your own home. This inevitably leads to a constant pattern of settlements growing outwards.
The major threats/develpments to the Brussels Urban fringe are as follows:
- Continued house building forming ribbon developments in commuter settlements like Tervuren and Waterloo
- Loss of agricultural land, habitat and traditional wine production in Overijse and Neerijse
- Continued road building to support growing population, N2, Tervuren
- Completion of the orbital ring road - not approved but always in the news
- Loss of forest, some ancient hunting woodland
- Extension of Zaventum airport and industrial parks
- Out or town shopping complexes, such as Zaventum Zuid and Carrefour hypermarkets
The map below shows changes due to commercial and industrial developments in a lot more detail.
Poverty in the City
As already described cities all over the world show a polorised society. Rich and poor live sometimes side by side, especially in LICs. However, HIC cities, are more segregated along the lines of socio-economic and ethnic groups. Low income groups choose to live in the inner city. The innner city offers affordable housing and proximity to low skilled service jobs in the CBD and manufacturing jobs in the industrial sectors. However some areas of the inner city are in social and economic decline. This is due to closure of industry. This has already been described in the Economic Section for Newcastle. As industry closes a cycle of decline takes place as shown in the diagram. This economic decline develops socila problems, including social exclusion, boredom, failing schools, crime, vandalism and fly tipping. All of this contributes to a loss of community.
Exam Hint!
Be careful not to generalise. Not all areas of the inner city fall
into cycles of decline. Some areas are very wealthy.
Activity
Watch the video below by Mr Hodder on the inner city and make notes on the problems and causes that develop in the inner city.
Exam Hint!
Be careful not to generalise. Not all areas of the inner city fall
into cycles of decline. Some areas are very wealthy.
Activity
Watch the video below by Mr Hodder on the inner city and make notes on the problems and causes that develop in the inner city.
Urban Regeneration
The main way of improving a declining inner city is through urban regneration. Urban regeneration is essential to revitalising impoverished areas, developing communities and improving the infrastructure of society. It is generally achieved through large-scale renewal and redevelopment projects for housing, public buildings and transport. It is best achieved through both public and private investment. In the UK the government has achieved urban regeneration through a number of schemes with mixed success. these include:
1. Urban Development Corporations - They were set up to regenerate selected inner city areas with large amounts of derelict land/vacant land. This is known as property led regeneration. They were given planning powers over & above local authorities & were given public money to spend on improving buildings and infrastructure to attracy private investment, which was expected to be five times greater. they were run by a board, made up mostly by local business community. The main critisisms were that they were unimaginative and didn't create jobs and services for the local community.
2. City Challenge Partnerships - Local authority led and through competing bids with other local authorities. LA's had to come up with an imaginative projects and form a partnership with the private sector and local communities. The partnership then submitted a 5 year plan to the government in competition with other inner city areas. They were considered far more successeful and imaginatove and were needs driven. ln total, 40000 houses were improved, 53,000 jobs created, 3,000 new businesses started and 2,000ha derelict land reclaimed.
3. Enterprise Zones - Enterprise zone policies generally offer tax concession, infrastructure incentives, and reduced regulations to attract investments and private companies into the zones. Improvements in transport and clean-ups fo old industrial sites create the conditions for private enterprise.
1. Urban Development Corporations - They were set up to regenerate selected inner city areas with large amounts of derelict land/vacant land. This is known as property led regeneration. They were given planning powers over & above local authorities & were given public money to spend on improving buildings and infrastructure to attracy private investment, which was expected to be five times greater. they were run by a board, made up mostly by local business community. The main critisisms were that they were unimaginative and didn't create jobs and services for the local community.
2. City Challenge Partnerships - Local authority led and through competing bids with other local authorities. LA's had to come up with an imaginative projects and form a partnership with the private sector and local communities. The partnership then submitted a 5 year plan to the government in competition with other inner city areas. They were considered far more successeful and imaginatove and were needs driven. ln total, 40000 houses were improved, 53,000 jobs created, 3,000 new businesses started and 2,000ha derelict land reclaimed.
3. Enterprise Zones - Enterprise zone policies generally offer tax concession, infrastructure incentives, and reduced regulations to attract investments and private companies into the zones. Improvements in transport and clean-ups fo old industrial sites create the conditions for private enterprise.
The following two videos on Liverpool are interesting in terms of how they place the importance on the viewpoint of local people their efforts to rengenarate the city.
|
|
Problems and Urban Policy in Brussels
Brussels like many big cities has many problems. Whilst claiming to be the greenest capital city in Europe Brussels can also claim to be the most congested. It's problems are not just confined to the environment however, they extend deep into the social and economic fabric of the city. As the silent video produced by Contrat de Quater shows, through its train journey transect of the inner city, Brussels appears run down and and in a state of decay. There is a real social segregation in Brussels with visible poverty, such as homelessness and inadequate housing for immigrants as well hidden poverty within the inner city slums of Molenbbek, Andelechte and Schaarbeek.
|
|
The main cause of the urban decay finds itself in poverty. The poorest communes of Brussels also have the lowest tax revenues, such as Sint-Joost-ten-Node. As gentrification has taken place, parts of the inner city have been turned into trendy entertaining spaces. This has only served to push up rents and force the poorest people out to the poorer and older industrial sites of the city and from there to the older industrial places within the country. Another problem is with city property developers, who for many years have bought up large tranches of property speculating that land value will rise. In the mean time very little investment has been put into the property allowing it to fall inot a state of decay.
The city does not have a great record in regard to sustainable ways to tackle the problem of poverty. A lot of its regeneration projects follow the lines of public-private investment in large flagship projects that don't tend to address the main problems of poverty. The first video below based in Molenbeek shows a good example of how regeneration projects can work. It's run by Contrat de Quatier and shows how regneration can improve the physical environment of the city and bring real social benefits. The PowerPoint below right (Spiderman) shows how buildings in Brussels have been renewed with modern façades as well as façade conservation to maintain the historical value of important buildings. These improve the physical environment and this helps attract further investment.
The city does not have a great record in regard to sustainable ways to tackle the problem of poverty. A lot of its regeneration projects follow the lines of public-private investment in large flagship projects that don't tend to address the main problems of poverty. The first video below based in Molenbeek shows a good example of how regeneration projects can work. It's run by Contrat de Quatier and shows how regneration can improve the physical environment of the city and bring real social benefits. The PowerPoint below right (Spiderman) shows how buildings in Brussels have been renewed with modern façades as well as façade conservation to maintain the historical value of important buildings. These improve the physical environment and this helps attract further investment.
Another strategy used by Brussels is to invest in projects as cultural plants to attract tourism as well as incentivising big employers to locate in areas of decline. This was the main strategy of the World fair in 1958 and the construction of the Atomium. Since then other tourist attractions and such as Mini Europe (now closing though)have been located in the same place
|
In addition to these attractions large employers like Decathlon and Ikea have been established in run down and poorly accessible places of the city scuh as Andelechte. This location is clearly not ideal for these shops due to the lack of a full orbital road but they have created many jobs ofr local peole in in low income zone of the city. As part of this improvements in public transort to Andelecht have been developed. Other examples of regeneration in Andelecht include the redevelopment project Parc de la Rosee. |
Some €106 million has been earmarked under Objective 2 for the revitalisation of the Brussels industrial zone. This is a district with major social and economic problems. It extends over the seven municipalities of Sint-Gillis/Saint Gilles, Anderlecht, the City of Brussels, Molenbeek, Vorst/Forest, Schaarbeek/Schaerbeek en Sint-Joost-ten-Noode/Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. The European Union is providing almost half of the total budget (€46 million). It is being invested in the following areas: |
1. Encouraging sustainable economic development in deprived areas: setting up enterprise centres; offering loans for start-up companies and the self employed; encouraging the development of the social economy and providing new information and communication technology for local businesses and residents.
2. Improving the quality of life in deprived areas: renovating public spaces (such as parks) and helping to provide community services (such as crèches, cultural centres, community centres and sports centres).
3. The development of the Dansaert quarter in central Brussels.
4.Setting up an economy incubator in Sint-Gilles/Saint Gilles.
5. Supporting the Recyclart Project in a deprived quarter in the City of Brussels.
6. Renovating the St Francis Park in Sint-Joost/Saint Josse.
2. Improving the quality of life in deprived areas: renovating public spaces (such as parks) and helping to provide community services (such as crèches, cultural centres, community centres and sports centres).
3. The development of the Dansaert quarter in central Brussels.
4.Setting up an economy incubator in Sint-Gilles/Saint Gilles.
5. Supporting the Recyclart Project in a deprived quarter in the City of Brussels.
6. Renovating the St Francis Park in Sint-Joost/Saint Josse.
Change in Brussels - an overview map
|
Brussels Rebranding
In order to manage how the city is perceived by different groups such as multinationals and tourists who combined bring €billions into the local economy each year it is important for Brussels to present itself as a modern and forward thinking city. It needs to have state of the art infrastructure, modern business facilities, great hotels and cultural and entertainment opportunities to attract visitors. This method of managing the image of a city is called rebranding. The following video shows how Brussels has attempted to present itself to a variety of target audiences. Th
|
|