Density and Land Use
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| zoning/ˈzəʊnɪŋ/ | Rules dividing land into areas with specified permitted uses, building forms or development limits. |
| gentrification/ˌdʒentrɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ | The arrival of higher-income residents and investment in a neighbourhood, often raising costs and displacing existing residents. |
| urban renewal/ˈɜːbən rɪˈnjuːəl/ | The redevelopment or rehabilitation of existing urban areas, which can change buildings, services, land use and the communities living there. |
Density falls outward
- Inside a city, density is highest near the CBD and falls toward the edge.
- Tall buildings and high land prices cluster in the centre.
- This is the bid-rent curve applied inside the city.
Inside a city, density and land value are usually highest...
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Bid-rent makes the centre (CBD) the densest and most expensive.
Zoning organises land
- Zoning 分区规划 laws separate land uses (residential, commercial, industrial).
- Zoning shapes where people live, work, and shop.
- Mixed-use development instead combines homes, shops, and offices together.
An informal settlement (favela) climbing a hillside in Rio de Janeiro, built where housing and services could not keep up with fast urban growth
Zoning idea?
Match each example to the land-use concept it shows.
Gentrification can displace poorer long-time residents as rents rise.
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Renewal raises prices, pushing out lower-income residents.
Laws that separate residential, commercial, and industrial land are called ____.
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Zoning laws organise the city into land-use areas.
Match each term to its meaning.
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Zoning = separate; mixed-use = combine; gentrification = upscaling + displacement.
Change and gentrification
- Urban renewal 城市更新 rebuilds decayed areas.
- It can cause gentrification 中产阶级化 — wealthier people move in and prices rise.
- Poorer, long-time residents may be displaced as a result.
Select all possible effects of urban renewal.
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Renewal rebuilds, raises prices, and can displace residents; it does not create farmland.
Gentrification has two faces. It can revive a run-down neighbourhood and push out the poorer residents who lived there, as rents rise beyond their reach. On the exam, give both the renewal benefit and the displacement cost.
A run-down inner-city district is renovated with cafes and lofts (urban renewal). Wealthier residents move in and rents soar — gentrification. The neighbourhood looks better, but the lower-income families who lived there for years can no longer afford it and are displaced.
Inside a city, density and land value are highest near the CBD (bid-rent). Zoning separates land uses; mixed-use combines them. Urban renewal rebuilds decayed areas but can cause gentrification, displacing poorer long-time residents.
Write from rent falling to 8
- Downtown rent is 30 currency units per square metre.
- Rent at the outer edge is 8.
What does the drop from 30 to 8 show?
Land value usually falls with distance from the centre.
What happens to rent from the centre to the edge in this case?
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The edge is cheaper than downtown.