The Segregation of Urban Land Uses
There are recurring features in the built up area of most towns and cities – a central business district (CBD), industrial areas, residential districts, small shopping centres etc.
The main cause of the segregation is the urban land market. Sites are sold to the highest bidders. Usually retail shops make the best financial use out of the land and property.
Land values vary within the urban area. Generally they decline as you move from the centre, from the peak land-value intersection. High value property is also found around main roads from the centre and ring roads. Locations with good accessibility, such as where radial and ring roads cross each other, will be high valued
.
Similar activities or land uses come together because:
• They have the same location needs. This could include space or accessibility or markets.
• Similar businesses have similar budgets
It is for these reasons that retail and commercial businesses will cluster around the centre, this helps define the CBD. This is the most accessible area of the CBD.
Manufacturing and industry also needs accessible locations; however it is less capital-intensive so it has less buying power. Hence often manufacturing is found outside the CBD and is common along major roads.
Housing is even less competitive on the land market. So it tends to be further away from the centre, land comes cheaper and more spacious on the urban fringe.
Towns and cities grow out from a historic nucleus, they show concentric zoning. There are four main features:
• Core – Oldest. CBD
• Inner-city Ring – old housing. Non-residential land uses
• Suburban Ring – suburbs. Housing
• Urban fringe - countryside being eroded by outward spread of cities.
There are also 3 more generalizations as one moves outwards from the core:
• Age of built up area decreases
• Style of architecture and urban design change
• Density of development decreases
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