4. TYPES OF CITIES -
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METROPOLITAN AREAS Advances in transport and communications have increased the influence of cities on their neighbouring areas. Cities have become central hubs, which supply goods and services to their surrounding regions. Many people commute each day between the city and the rest of the area: - They do this for work - To make use of urban goods and services. Creation of industrial parks, commercial centres and residential districts on the outskirts. The city shares a transport network with the area.
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Metropolitan area: - It consists of a densely populated city and all the towns and municipalities that surround it. - When two or more metropolitan areas grow in size they may join together to become a conurbation (some of them have more han 35 million inhabitants)
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A megalopolis (sometimes called megaregion): - It is a huge network of conurbations. - The region is linked together by a transport network of motorways and high-speed trains - It can have more than 55 million inhabitants.
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There are huge cities in developing countries that have grown very quickly and without urban planning. They have contrasts between: - Wealthy people live in districts with excellent infrastructures. - Shanty towns are built with few resources and in a chaotic way. Their inhabitants face poverty, unhealthy living conditions and social exclusion.
4. TYPES OF CITIES THE URBAN HIERARCHY 1.
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Cities can be placed on a scal of impotance following several criteria: their influence, functions and population size. We call this scale the urban hierarchy: Global cities: - Small number of great cities have a huge influence on world affairs. - These financial and economic centres are the headquarters of important multinational companies, stock exchanges and so on. - Examples: london and New York National metropolises: - National capitals are major metropolises with great political and economic influence, especially in their own countries. - Examples: Washington D.C and Madrid. Regional cities: - Many cities have large populationsand are extremely important economic and cultural centres. - They are not national capitals so their political role is less important. - Example: Milan in Italy. Small cities and towns: - They are small urban areas with a few thousando of inhabitants - they only have local influence.