URBAN PLANNING AND

CHANGE

WHAT CHANGES HAVE TAKEN

PLACE IN THE CBD?

AS WE ALREADY KNOW, THE C.B.D. IS THE COMMERCIAL AND

BUSINESS CENTRE OF A CITY.

THE C.B.D. HAS BEEN THE CENTRE FOR:

• SHOPPING: LARGE DEPARTMENT STORES AND SPECIALIST SHOPS

• OFFICES: THEY ARE LOCATED IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS

• SERVICES: BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, ESTATE AGENTS

• PUBLIC BUILDINGS: CITY HALL

• CULTURE: MUSEUMS, MONUMENTS...

• ENTERTAINMENT: CINEMAS, COFFEE SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, PUBS...

HOWEVER, THE C.B.D. IS CHANGING ALL THE TIME BECAUSE IT IS

THE REFLECTION OF THE SOCIETY.

THUS, WE CAN SEE NEW TYPES OF SHOPS AND SHOPPING

CENTRES, TALLER BUILDINGS AND NEW TRAFFIC PLANS

WHY HAVE CBDs CHANGED?

1. CBD IS BUSIER INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND POLLUTION SHOPS MOVE FROM

THE CBD TO THE RURAL-URBAN FRINGE AND IN THE CBD THERE ARE MORE

TRAFFIC FREE AREAS

2. NEW SHOPPING CENTRE IS OUT OF THE CITY SHOPPERS IN THE CBD

DECLINE

3. AS A RESULT, THE FORMER SHOPS HAVE CHANGED THEIR FUNCTION TO NON-

RETAILING ACTIVITIES

4. THERE ARE LESS SHOPPERS BECAUSE PEOPLE PREFER TO BUY ON-LINE

5. PEOPLE WANTED A SAFER PLACE IN THE CBD UNDERCOVER MALLS,

PEDESTRIAN STREETS, STREETS WITH TREES...

6. THE DEMAND FOR LEISURE ACTIVITIES HAS INCREASED MORE PLACES FOR

EATING (RESTAURANTS), DRINKING (PUBS) AND ENTERTAINMENT (CINEMAS,

THEATRES...)

7. NEW TALLER BUILDINGS DUE TO THE HIGH PRICE OF THE LAND VALUE

HOW HAVE CBDs CHANGED?

INCREASE IN:

1. PEDESTRIAN STREETS

2. SHOPPING MALLS THEY ARE GOOD FOR SHOPPERS

BECAUSE:

• They are protected from traffic and pollution

• They are protected from the weather

• Shoppers reduce the distance between shops

THESE SHOPPING CENTRES ARE VERY POPULAR IN THE UK AND

OTHER COUNTRIES. FOR THAT REASON WE TALK ABOUT

“CLONE TOWNS”

THESE CITIES HAVE IDENTICAL SHOPS OWNED BY A SMALL

NUMBER OF POWERFUL NATIONWIDE CHAINS

(SUPERMARKETS, COFFEE SHOPS, BOOK SHOPS...)

HOWEVER, BIG CITIES HAVE MORE CHAIN SHOPS THAN TOWNS

AND BIG CITIES ALSO HAVE CHAIN SHOPS WITH A BETTER

QUALITY OR POPULARITY (E.G.: STARBUCKS)

HOW HAVE CBDs CHANGED?

DECREASE IN:

1. SMALLER SPECIALIST SHOPS (OFTEN FAMILY FAMILY BUSINESS).

THESE SHOPS USUALLY SOLD FOOD. THE COMPETITION WITH THE

SHOPPING CENTRES IS VERY HARD AND THE RENT IN THE CBD IS

VERY HIGH

2. SOME STORES LIKE FURNITURE STORES HAVE MOVED FROM THE

CBD TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY (INNER CITY OR RURAL-

URBAN FRINGE) DUE TO THE HIGH RENT IN THE CBD

WHAT CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT THE

RURAL-URBAN FRINGE?

THE RURAL-URBAN FRINGE WAS THE AREA WHERE HIGH

CLASS HOUSING, OUTER CITY COUNCIL STATES AND GREEN

AREAS WERE LOCATED

HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW TYPES OF LAND USE IN

THE LAST DECADES

NEW TYPES OF LAND USE AT THE RURAL-URBAN FRINGE:

• HOUSING DEVELOPTMENT DUE TO THE URBAN SPRAWL

• NEARBY VILLAGES BECOME SUBURBANISED

• HYPERMARKETS AND SUPERSTORES

• HOTELS AND COFERENCE CENTRES

• NEW MOTORWAYS AND URBAN BY-PASSES

• SEWAGE WORKS AND LANDFILL SITES

• RECREATIONAL AREAS SUCH AS NEW SPORTS STADIUMS

• SCIENCE AND BUSSINESS PARKS

WHICH ARE THE REASONS FOR THESE

CHANGES?

1. THERE IS A CHEAPER LAND VALUE THAN IN THE CITY. EVEN

THOUGH, THIS VALUE IS INCREASING

2. LESS TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND POLLUTION

3. THERE IS A EASIER ACCESS AND A BETTER ROAD

INFRASTRUCTURE THAN DECADES AGO

4. A PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT WITH MORE OPEN SPACE (THIS IS

VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE NEW RESIDENTIAL AREAS)

WHY DO THE NEW SHOPPING CENTRES ARE

LOCATED IN THE RURAL-URBAN FRINGE?

RÍO-SHOPPING IN CASTILLA Y LEÓN IS A GOOD EXAMPLE

LET’S SEE WHY THESE SHOPPING CENTRES HAVE

DECIDED TO SETTLE IN THIS AREA

1. PRICE AND RENTS ARE CHEAPER DUE TO THE LOWER LAND

VALUES. AS A RESULT, THE FLOOR AREA CAN BE BIGGER

2. NEAR TO SEVERAL LARGE URBAN AREAS (CITIES, TOWNS,

VILLAGES...) FOR CUSTOMERS

3. NEAR TO SUBURBAN ESTATES WHICH PROVIDE WORKERS

4. NEAR TO MAIN ROADS AND MOTORWAYS INTERSECTION. THIS IS

GOOD FOR:

• EASY DELIVERY OF GOODS

• EASY ACCESS FOR SHOPPERS

5. FAR FROM THE CBD AVOID THE COMPETITION WITH THE SHOPS

OF THE CITY CENTRE

6. THE BIG SPACE AVAILABLE ALLOWS:

• LARGE SINGLE STOREY BUILDINGS FOR SHOPS

• LARGE FREE CAR PARKS

• HYPERMARKETS CAN STOCK A LARGE VOLUME AND A WIDE

RANGE OF GOODS

• PLENTY OF SPACE FOR A FUTURE EXPANSION

WHAT ARE THE SUBURBANISED VILLAGES?

DEFINITIONDEFINITION: Dormitory or commuter villages with a

residential population who sleep in the village but

who travel to work in the nearby large urban area.

The suburbanised village has increasingly adopted

some of the characteristics (new housing estates,

more services) of urban areas.

Suburbanised villages were quiet places with basic services such

as church, small shop, post office and school. They were located

near to large urban areas. However, those places were quite

independent and their inhabitants had a job in the village or near

places

Nowadays, since the beginning of the counter-urbanisation. These

villages have changed a lot. Urban workers and retired people

decided to move from their cities to these villages to improve their

quality of life.

As a result, these places have changed a lot.

CHANGES

New large and expensive private housing estates To

accommodate the new residents

Sometimes, the former inhabitants are swamped by the new way of

life in these villages. They sometimes miss the calm of their villages

before the arrival of the new residents and the changes related

New services have been provided As a result, these village

become to look like the suburbs of the cities (For that reason they

are known as suburbanised villages)

Since the new residents usually are commuters Sometimes there

are new roads and railways to link these settlements with the city

New business like restaurants, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and

conference centres have been opened

SHOULD PLANNERS FAVOUR

GREENFIELD OR BROWNFIELD

DEVELOPMENT?

UNITED KINGDOM AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE SHORT

OF HOUSES

The problem

The solution

TO BUILD MORE HOUSES

Second problem

WHERE WILL THESE HOUSES BE BUILT?

Second answer

ON DISUSED LAND IN THE CITIES (IN THE INNER CITY): BROWNFIELD SITES

ON THE COUNTRYSIDE OR IN GREEN BELTS: GREENFIELD SITES

IN THE U.K., THE GOVERNMENT INITIALLY DECIDED TO BUILD THE

50% OF THE HOUSES ON GREENFIELDS AND THE OTHER HALF ON

THE BROWNFIELD SITES

HOWEVER, PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE HARMFUL FOR

THE ENVIRONMENT. SO THE AUTHORITIES SET ANOTHER BALANCE:

60% ON THE BROWNFIELD SITES

40% ON THE GREENFIELD SITES

BRITISH AUTHORITIES AND PLANNERS HAVE TO FACE ANOTHER

PROBLEM.

THE SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND NEEDS MORE HOUSES BUT THE

BROWNFIELD SITES ARE LIMITED

THE NORTH AND THE MIDLANDS NEED LESS HOUSES BUT THERE

ARE MORE BROWNFIELD SITES AVAILABLE

THIS SITUATION MAKES A MISMATCH AND THE SITUATION IS

GETTING MORE COMLICATED WHEN WE ANALYSE THE ARGUMENTS

BETWEEN THOSE PEOPLE WHO PREFER NEW HOUSES ON THE

BROWNFIELD SITES AND THE PEOPLE WHO PREFER NEW HOUSES

ON THE GREENFIELD SITES

WHO WANTS TO BUILD ON

GREENFIELD SITES?POLITICIANS AND PROMOTERS

WHY?

1. THEY THINK THAT MOST BRITISH PEOPLE PREFER TO OWN THEIR

OWN HOME IN A SEMI-RURAL LOCATION

2. PEOPLE WILL BE HEALTHIER IN A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT LIKE THE

GREENFIELD SITES

3. PEOPLE ARE STILL OVERCROWDED. SO IT IS GOOD TO SUPPORT

THE COUNTER-URBANISATION MIGRATION

4. THE LAND VALUE OF THE GREENFIELD SITES IS CHEAPER AND

THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE CLEANED AS THE URBAN LAND

5. ONLY THE 11% OF BRITAIN IS URBANISED.

WHAT IS MORE, ONLY THE 12.5% OF THE NEW HOUSES ARE

ACTUALLY BUILT ON GREENFIELD SITES

WHO WANTS TO BUILD ON

BROWNFIELD SITES?

ECOLOGISTS AND SOME

ORGANISATIONS FROM THE

COUNTRYSIDE

WHY?

1. THERE ARE A MILLION OF UNOCCUPIED HOUSES IN CITIES

AND THE 75% OF THOSE HOUSES COULD BE UPGRADED

2. ONE MORE MILLION OF HOUSES COULD BE CREATED BY DIVIDING

LARGE HOUSES OR USING EMPTY FLOORS ABOVE SHOPS AND

OFFICES

3. THERE ARE MANY DERELICT LAND FROM THE FORMER

FACTORIES. 1.6 MILLION OF HOUSES COULD BE BUILT IN THAT

SPACE

4. LIVING IN THE URBAN AREAS REDUCES RELIANCE UPON THE CAR

(LESS POLLUTION), MAINTAIN PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND LOCAL

SHOPS IN THE CITIES

5. THE 80% OF THE SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE

PREFER TO LIVE IN CITIES