10.1 Urban growth patterns and land use

Urban growth patterns shape cities through economic, social, and environmental factors. From central business districts to suburban sprawl, these patterns determine how cities develop and expand over time.

Land use types, like residential, commercial, and industrial, form the building blocks of urban areas. Understanding these uses and how they interact is crucial for grasping urban land economics and city planning principles.

Urban Growth Patterns

Economic and Social Factors

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• Urban growth patterns shaped by economic, social, technological, and environmental factors determine spatial structure of cities
• Employment centers and job opportunities act as magnets for population growth
  • Lead to development of central business districts and suburban office parks
  • Example: Silicon Valley tech hub attracting workers and spurring residential growth
• Historical development patterns and cultural preferences impact urban form
  • Result in variations between cities in different regions or countries
  • Example: European cities often have compact historical centers vs. sprawling North American suburbs
• Government policies significantly affect spatial structure of cities
  • Urban growth boundaries contain outward expansion
  • Incentives for specific types of development guide growth patterns
  • Example: Portland, Oregon's urban growth boundary promoting denser development

Infrastructure and Technology

• Transportation infrastructure plays crucial role in shaping urban form
  • Roads, public transit, and airports influence direction and intensity of growth
  • Example: Highway systems enabling suburban expansion in post-WWII America
• Technological advancements reshape urban growth patterns
  • Alter relationship between residential and employment locations
  • Telecommunications and remote work capabilities reduce need for physical proximity
  • Example: Rise of "Zoom towns" during COVID-19 pandemic as remote workers relocate to smaller cities

Natural and Environmental Influences

• Natural features constrain or direct urban expansion
  • Coastlines, rivers, and topography influence overall shape and structure of cities
  • Example: San Francisco's growth limited by bay and ocean, resulting in high-density development
• Environmental factors impact urban development patterns
  • Climate considerations affect building design and urban layout
  • Availability of natural resources influences industrial locations
  • Example: Desert cities like Phoenix emphasizing water conservation in urban planning

Urban Land Use Types

Residential and Commercial Uses

• Residential land use encompasses various housing types
  • Single-family homes to high-rise apartments, each with distinct density and spatial requirements
  • Example: Suburban subdivisions vs. urban apartment complexes
• Commercial land use includes retail, office, and service-oriented spaces
  • Often concentrated in central business districts or along major transportation corridors
  • Example: Downtown financial districts or suburban shopping malls
• Mixed-use developments combine multiple land use types within single area or building
  • Promote walkability and efficient use of urban space
  • Example: Ground-floor retail with apartments above in urban neighborhoods

Industrial and Institutional Uses

• Industrial land use comprises manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution facilities
  • Typically located in designated zones with good transportation access
  • Example: Port-adjacent industrial parks for shipping and logistics
• Institutional land use covers government buildings, educational facilities, healthcare centers, and cultural institutions
  • Often dispersed throughout urban areas
  • Example: University campuses or government complexes

Open Space and Transportation Uses

• Recreational and open space land use includes parks, sports facilities, and natural areas
  • Provide environmental and quality of life benefits to urban residents
  • Example: Central Park in New York City or the Emerald Necklace in Boston
• Transportation land use encompasses roads, railways, airports, and ports
  • Form circulatory system of urban areas and connect different land uses
  • Example: Major highway interchanges or international airports

Bid Rent Theory

Core Principles and Urban Structure

• Bid rent theory explains spatial distribution of land uses within urban areas
  • Based on principle that different land users compete for locations through willingness to pay rent
• Theory posits land users with highest willingness to pay for particular location will outbid others
  • Results in pattern of concentric zones around city center
• Central business districts typically command highest rents
  • Due to accessibility and agglomeration benefits
  • Attract high-value commercial and office uses
  • Example: Financial district in Manhattan with high-rise office towers

Land Use Patterns and Rent Gradients

• Residential land use tends to form rings around center
  • Higher-density housing closer to core
  • Lower-density housing in outer areas
  • Example: Apartment buildings near downtown transitioning to single-family homes in suburbs
• Industrial land use often locates in intermediate zones
  • Balances need for accessibility with lower land costs compared to central areas
  • Example: Light industrial parks along highway corridors
• Slope of bid rent curve for each land use type reflects rate at which willingness to pay declines with distance from city center
  • Steeper slopes indicate greater sensitivity to location (retail)
  • Flatter slopes suggest less location-dependent uses (warehousing)

Modern Applications and Adaptations

• Modern applications of bid rent theory account for polycentric urban structures
  • Recognize multiple centers of economic activity within metropolitan areas
  • Example: Edge cities or suburban employment centers
• Influence of transportation networks on accessibility and land values incorporated into theory
  • Transit-oriented development alters traditional concentric pattern
  • Example: Higher land values near subway stations in transit-rich cities

Zoning Regulations and Development

Types of Zoning Approaches

• Zoning regulations control land use, density, and building characteristics within specific areas of city
• Euclidean zoning separates land uses into distinct zones
  • Minimizes conflicts and promotes orderly development
  • Example: Residential neighborhoods separated from industrial areas
• Performance-based zoning focuses on impacts of land uses rather than strictly separating them
  • Allows for more flexibility in development patterns
  • Example: Permitting light industrial uses that meet noise and pollution standards in mixed-use areas
• Form-based codes regulate physical form of buildings and public spaces
  • Emphasize urban design and relationship between structures and streets
  • Example: New Urbanist developments with specific architectural and streetscape guidelines

Impacts and Criticisms of Zoning

• Zoning regulations significantly influence property values, development patterns, and overall character of urban neighborhoods
• Exclusionary zoning practices contribute to spatial segregation and housing affordability issues
  • Large minimum lot sizes or restrictions on multi-family housing
  • Example: Suburban communities prohibiting apartment buildings, limiting housing options
• Zoning variances and special use permits provide mechanisms for flexibility
  • Allow for case-by-case exceptions to regulations
  • Example: Granting height variance for innovative architectural design
• Critics argue overly restrictive zoning can hinder economic development
  • Exacerbate housing shortages
  • Limit adaptability of urban areas to changing needs
  • Example: Rigid single-family zoning preventing construction of needed multi-family housing in growing cities