Suburbs - the growth and characteristics of

THE INNER SUBURBS

Since the early 20th century, cities have continued to grow outwards into the countryside. This is the process of suburbanisation as new residential areas are created at the edge of the city. This new growth surrounded the old industries and low-class residential areas giving them an inner-city location. In the 1920s/30s many of the middle classes moved out of the inner city areas buying houses along main roads / railway routes from the centre (ribbon development)

Reasons for Suburban Growth:

1. Better public transport and increased car ownership meant people could separate work from where they live
2. Building societies provided mortgages making it easier to buy homes
3. People were better off and looking for a better living environment

The continued outward growth of cities is also known as urban sprawl. Early suburban growth (1920s/30s) forms the inner suburbs, as it has now been encircled by further growth (1960s/1980s) which form the outer suburbs.

Characteristics of the Inner Suburbs

Although some inter-war housing was built as estates, ribbon development, laong main roads into the city was common. The photograph below is a typical example of a inner suburban landscape (with housing dating back to the 1920s/30s). Compared to the inner city there is much greater owner-occupancy as people bought their own homes.

The typical characteristics associated with the inner suburbs are shown below (photo courtesey of freefoto.com) :

THE OUTER SUBURBS

Urban Sprawl has continued to enlarge towns and cities, with continued growth at the rural-urban fringe (where the countryside meets the urban area). Residential development on thsi outer fringe forms the outer suburbs. As a result of policies in the 1960s to clear inner city slums, some outer city council estates can be found in these areas.

There are also many private residential estates. Many of these estates were built between the 1960s and 1980s and provide high-quality, low density housing. There is more open space avaialble and a much higher quality living environment. The houses are large and usually either semi-detached or detached. The houses have gardens and garages and are modern in design as well as the amenities they provide. The photograph below highlights the main characteristics that are typical of housing in the outer suburbs.

The typical characteristics associated with outer suburb areas are shown below (photo courtesey of freefoto.com) :

Follow up Links:

Urban Land-use Model (GeoBytes)

Key Term Check:

Inner Suburbs - residential area surrounding the inner city, characterised by semi-detached houses and tree-lined streets
Outer Suburbs - residential area towards the edge of a city, characterised by larger often detached houses and modern housing estates.
Urban Sprawl - the uncontrolled growth of an urban area into the surrounding countryside
Residential - an area of housing

Urban Land Zone 2: The Inner City

What is the Inner City?
The Inner City is the land-use zone which grew up around the city centre, it is also known as the twilight zone or zone of transition.

When did the Inner City grow up?
Inner city areas grew up in the 19th century as towns grew rapidly due to industrialisation and the demand for workers in the industries that had grown up. Large numbers moved to the city for work and needed low cost housing close to work due to the lack of public or private transport. This led to the growth of factories and low-cost terraced housing around what is now the city centre.

What were the characteristics of the Inner City?

* crowded areas with little open space
* high density housing (overcrowding)
* mainly terraced (some used to be back to back houses (back wall of one house being the back wall of another)) in long straight rows
* front doors opening straight on to the pavement
* no front or back gardens (just a small back yard)
* few amentities
* factories providing employment for residents

Advantages of living in the Old Inner Cities:
1. Houses were cheap to buy / rent
2. There was a strong community spirit
3. Houses were close to places of work

Problems in the Old Inner Cities
1. Housing - decayed terraces and in places poorly built tower blocks
2. Pollution - air, land and water pollution, graffiti and vandalism and derelict buildings (old factories etc.)
3. Lack of Open Space
4. Social Problems - high crime rates, above average concentrations of low-income citizens
5. Economic Problems - declining industry, povery and low income and increasing unemployment as factories closed.

The Changing Inner City
By the 1950s/60s, many inner cities were in series decline as the traiditional industries has closed, resulting in high levels of unemployment and a subsequent spiral of decline (see diagram for explanation). Since the 1960s, the Inner City zone has been one of change (hence the terms twilight zone / zone of transition) with a number of schemes (urban renewal, urban regeneration and urban redevelopment) put in place to address the issues of decline and to improve the quality of life in these areas. (see next post for more details)

Follow up Links:
GeoBytes Land-use model: Inner City

Key Term Check:
Inner City - part of an urban area next to the central area / CBD (characterised by housing and industry) - also known as the zone of transition or twilight zone.

Photograph Source: Geography Photos (www.geographyphotos.com)