Urban Land Use (Leaving Cert Geography): Revision Notes
Urban Land Use
Understanding urban growth and land use
Cities worldwide are experiencing rapid expansion, with projections indicating that by 2030, more than 60% of the global population will reside in urban areas. Most of this population growth will be concentrated in cities and towns within developing countries. This increasing pressure on urban land has created significant challenges for urban planning and placed additional strain on local and national governments.
This rapid urbanisation trend represents one of the most significant demographic shifts in human history, fundamentally changing how societies organise space and resources.
Modern cities are systematically organised into distinct districts, each designed to serve specific needs and activities. Understanding these different land use patterns helps explain how cities function and develop over time.
Types of urban land use districts
Urban areas are typically divided into five main types of districts: commercial, industrial, residential, transport, and recreational areas.
Commercial land use
Commercial land use refers to areas designated for retail shops, offices, banks and a wide range of personal services such as beauticians and hairdressers.
The most significant commercial zone in any urban area is the Central Business District (CBD), which occupies the central position of the city or town. The CBD can be recognised by several distinctive characteristics:
- Central location - The CBD is typically positioned where all major roads converge, making it the most accessible part of the city
- Limited space and high costs - Due to intense demand for office and business space, rents are extremely high, resulting in predominantly multi-storey buildings
- High customer threshold businesses - Companies that require access to large numbers of customers tend to locate here because of the excellent accessibility
Beyond the central core, commercial areas often extend along main streets and roads, forming what are known as commercial ribbons. These ribbons frequently contain commercial centres such as shopping centres. Shopping centres are multi-retail outlets that typically locate on the outskirts of urban areas where land prices are more affordable and there is adequate space for parking facilities and future expansion.
Industrial land use
Industrial location patterns have undergone dramatic changes since the Industrial Revolution began in 1750. Initially, factories were constructed close to railway links and canals, becoming the economic heart of cities. Residential areas developed around these industrial sites, positioned close enough for workers to walk to their places of employment.
This historical shift from city-centre industrial locations to peripheral sites reflects broader changes in transportation technology, labour patterns, and urban planning philosophy.
Today, most modern industries have relocated to the perimeters of cities for several practical reasons:
- Lower land costs - Industrial operations require substantial space, which is more economical on city outskirts
- Superior transport access - Ring roads and motorways provide efficient distribution networks
- Space for expansion - Peripheral locations offer room for future growth and development
- Reduced urban congestion - Heavy industrial traffic is diverted away from busy city centres
Heavy industries such as oil refineries, petrochemical plants, steelworks and cement plants often locate in areas where bulky goods can be easily exported and raw materials imported efficiently.
A brownfield site is land that was previously used for industrial activity but has now been abandoned for more favourable locations elsewhere in the city.
When large industries relocate from city centres, they leave behind brownfield sites, which become targets for urban planners seeking opportunities for urban redevelopment. Modern industrial estates also provide opportunities to create industrial links with other industries, promoting economic efficiency.
Residential land use
Residential areas represent one of the largest land use functions in urban areas due to high population densities in cities and towns. Residential housing varies significantly in density throughout urban areas, influenced by two main factors: the cost of land and the age of the area.
Areas closer to the city centre have the highest land values, which results in increased housing density. High-density housing such as multi-storey apartments and terraced housing is constructed near the CBD to maximise land use efficiency. Conversely, low-density housing tends to be located further from the city centre in the suburbs and urban fringes where land prices are lower. These houses are typically detached or semi-detached properties offering more spacious living conditions.
Urban fringes are the outer boundaries of a city where urban development transitions into surrounding rural areas.
An important spatial pattern emerges: the further you move from the city centre, the younger the residential areas become. This pattern developed because from the 1950s onwards, car ownership became more widespread, enabling workers to commute longer distances. As a result, residents began choosing to live in areas further from the congested city centre, creating commuter zones along the edges of cities.
Transport infrastructure
Transport land-use zones encompass essential infrastructure including roads, railway lines, airports, navigable rivers and canals, car parks, railway stations and bus lanes. Although transport links occupy substantial amounts of urban space, they are absolutely necessary as well-developed transport systems enable the efficient movement of people and goods in and out of cities.
Many European cities originated during mediaeval times, which explains why streets close to these city centres are often narrow. In contrast, more modern cities, particularly those in the United States, feature much wider streets capable of accommodating higher volumes of traffic.
To address congestion issues, many cities have developed ring roads around their centres to improve traffic flow and reduce central area congestion.
Recreational areas
Recreational areas serve as vital land use in all urban areas, contributing significantly to the health and wellbeing of residents. Modern city development plans require that a specific proportion of land must be designated for recreational facilities.
Greenbelts are areas of land surrounding a city in which building is restricted, helping to preserve open spaces and prevent urban sprawl.
These recreational facilities include parks, smaller greens, woodlands, walkways, sports fields, playgrounds and ornamental gardens. These areas are collectively referred to as 'greenbelts' and cannot be rezoned for any other use, ensuring their permanent protection for future generations.
Excellent examples include Phoenix Park in Dublin, which covers just over 7 square kilometres making it one of the largest urban parks in Europe, and Central Park in New York, which demonstrates the importance of preserving substantial recreational space within major cities.
Planning and zoning
Zoning refers to the division of urban land into areas designated for specific social and economic activities.
To prevent uncontrolled development within cities, local authorities must develop comprehensive long-term plans that control the zoning of land for specific social and economic activities.
Rezoning occurs when the original land use designated to an area of land is changed for another use.
Sometimes local authorities may decide to rezone land within cities, thereby changing its original designated land use. Examples include the Dublin Docklands development and Georgian houses that have been converted for office use.
Effective planning and zoning ensures that cities develop in a logical and sustainable manner. Proper zoning prevents inappropriate developments, such as preventing a sewage treatment facility from being built in residential areas. Examples of logical zoning include:
- Constructing residential areas close to recreational areas such as parks and playgrounds
- Locating industrial areas with high traffic volumes near well-developed transport links
Case study: Dublin City land use zones
Central Business District
Worked Example: Dublin's CBD Commercial Concentration
Dublin's CBD demonstrates typical CBD characteristics through its concentration around three primary commercial streets: Grafton Street, O'Connell Street and Henry Street. These streets contain the majority of the city's retail businesses and services.
Key indicators of CBD status:
- Office space rents currently average €520 per square metre due to exceptionally high demand
- Buildings are predominantly multi-storey with space maximised to such an extent that even basements are utilised for additional shop space
- Insurance companies and offices occupy the upper floors where rents are more affordable compared to ground-floor retail space
Urban redevelopment success: Dublin's CBD has extended to the Docklands area, where the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) now operates alongside restaurants and hotels along the River Liffey, demonstrating successful urban regeneration.
Industrial areas
Worked Example: Dublin's Industrial Location Shift
Dublin exemplifies the typical pattern of industrial relocation from city centre to urban periphery:
Historical pattern: Some of Dublin's older, traditional industries remain in the city centre, such as the historic Guinness Brewery at St James's Gate.
Modern pattern: The majority of industries have relocated from the city centre to newly constructed industrial estates along the urban fringes.
Reasons for relocation:
- Cheaper land costs
- Space for future development
- Modern transport links such as the M50 motorway
- Quick and efficient distribution of goods throughout the country
- Reduced costs and travel time for businesses
Residential land use
Social stratification refers to the tendency of people of certain age, class or education levels to live in certain areas of a city or town.
Worked Example: Social Stratification in Dublin
Dublin's residential areas clearly demonstrate social stratification patterns:
Higher-income areas: Many middle and higher-income earners live in the east of the city near the coast, in affluent areas such as Blackrock, Dalkey, Sandymount, Clontarf and Portmarnock, or north of the city in areas such as Swords.
Lower-income areas: Lower-income workers tend to concentrate along the west of the city in areas like Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan, Blanchardstown and Ballymun.
Celtic Tiger impact: During the Celtic Tiger period of economic growth, increasing housing prices led many young workers to seek more affordable areas along the urban fringes. Consequently, Dublin's commuter belt expanded significantly, with many workers choosing to live in towns and villages in counties within the Greater Dublin Area.
Infrastructure response: To facilitate this large population living in dormitory towns, shopping centres and other services and facilities were developed to serve these communities.
Open space
Worked Example: Dublin's Green Space Network
Dublin provides a comprehensive network of open spaces serving different scales and functions:
Small-scale spaces: Numerous small open spaces throughout the city allow residents to escape the stresses of daily urban life.
Large-scale spaces: Large open spaces are strategically located close to the city centre, including Phoenix Park and St Stephen's Green. These greenbelt areas are maintained by the local council and provide essential respite from built-up areas.
Historical preservation: Ornamental gardens exist close to the city centre and represent remnants of walled gardens that were formerly owned by wealthy landlords during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Merrion Square serves as an excellent example of these preserved historical green spaces that contribute to the city's character and quality of life.
Key Points to Remember:
- Modern cities are organised into five main districts: commercial, industrial, residential, transport, and recreational, each serving specific urban functions
- The Central Business District (CBD) forms the commercial heart of cities, characterised by high rents, multi-storey buildings, and maximum accessibility
- Industrial areas have shifted from city centres to urban peripheries since the Industrial Revolution due to land costs, transport requirements, and space needs
- Residential patterns show clear density gradients from city centre to urban fringe, influenced by land costs and historical development patterns
- Effective zoning and planning prevent inappropriate land use combinations and ensure cities develop logically and sustainably
- Dublin exemplifies typical urban land use patterns with clear social stratification, successful CBD redevelopment, and industrial relocation to the urban fringe