KEY ISSUE 2 Where Are People Distributed Within

KEY ISSUE 2 Where Are People Distributed Within Urban Areas?

Squatter settlements mostly exist off of the official ‘grid’ of a city. They often lack schools, paved roads, public safety services, and sewers. Power is often stolen by tapping a line, and water is delivered via tanker truck. Unemployment is nearly universal in some

Geographers have developed models to help explain the structure of cities in different parts of the world. These include: • a LATIN AMERICAN model • a SOUTHEAST ASIAN model • a SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN

LATIN AMERICAN city model • The Latin American model combines concentric rings and sectors. • The rich live in a sector around a commercial corridor/’spine’ extending from the CBD.

LATIN AMERICAN city model • The poor are concentrated in squatter settlements on the periphery of the city. • Industrial activities located far from the wealthy.

Application- SANTIAGO, CHILE Santiago’s commercial spine extends from the CBD to a desirable part of town called Providencia. INDUSTRY hy s t l ne a We dence ial Spi i c Res mmer Co CBD INDUSTRY lthy es a e W denc i Res

SOUTHEAST ASIAN city model • Also combines RINGS and SECTORS • Cities in S. East Asia have grown rapidly in recent years; most center on a PORT • No defined CBDactivities are spread across

SOUTHEAST ASIAN city model • Often feature both ‘Western’ and ‘Alien’ (Chinese) commercial zones near the port. • Sector for wealthy close to gov’t zone • Surrounded by

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA city model • Also called DE BLIJ MODEL • Many SS African cities have 3 distinct CBDs (see picture) • Very little vertical development compared to many CBDs- reflecting underdevelopment in Africa • Many (but not all) lack a defined zone for the wealthy

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA city model • Mining & Manufacturing zones around CBD reflect African primary/secondary economic focus • Surrounded by ‘informal townships’ - aka squatter settlements.

Nairobi, Kenya CBD Manufacturing

STAGES OF CITIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES The similarities between cities in Europe and the developing world is not coincidence; most are the result of European colonialism. Downtown Mexico City looks like any city in Spain

For cities that endured colonialism, development can be discerned in THREE SPECIFIC WAVES: • PRE-COLONIAL • POST-INDEPENDENCE

PRE-COLONIAL CITIES Before colonialism arrived, most world settlements were RURAL. Those cities that did exist were usually PRIMATE CITIES. Entire societies were focused on the activity and culture of these

PRE-COLONIAL CITIES These cities had widely varying layouts, but some similarities did exist. Precolonial section of Fez, Morocco Most were centered around important PUBLIC buildings, like temples or palaces. Many were also relatively chaotic, with central avenues surrounded by congested streets

PRE-COLONIAL MEXICO CITY: TENOCHTITLAN Tenochtitlan, located on a man-made island, was centered around a huge temple complex celebrating the Aztecs’ two main gods. Large avenues radiated out from these central temples, which became bridges

COLONIAL CITIES When Europeans colonized an area, they dramatically altered the structure of cities. Existing city centers were often either destroyed or rebuilt; sometimes a new city center was built alongside the old one.

COLONIAL CITIES The ‘renovation’ of conquered cities often followed standardized plans. Spanish Colonial City Plan The Spanish ‘LAW OF THE INDIES’ required all colonial cities had to have a central plaza with a cathedral and government buildings, surrounded by an orderly GRID street

COLONIAL CITIES Today, cities in former Spanish colonies around the world have a similar central design, centered around a public space often called ‘Plaza de las Armas. ’ Santiago, Chile – Plaza de las Armas

SANTIAGO- CENTRAL PLAZA AND SURROUNDING GRID

COLONIAL MEXICO CITY After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, they immediately took to remodeling Tenochtitlan. The great temples were destroyed, and the city’s canals were filled. A standard central plaza was built, and streets were straightened into grids.

MEXICO CITY - CENTRAL PLAZA AND SURROUNDING GRID

POST-COLONIAL CITIES Cities are often where the most dramatic changes have occurred in post-colonial counties. Santiago @ night While rural life might still hold some resemblance to an earlier age, postcolonial cities have evolved rapidly as millions have

POSTCOLONIAL CITIES The social arrangements established during the colonial era have been reinforced in many modern postcolonial cities. Parts of cities where administrators and local elites once lived are now home to the wealthy and powerful.