Urban Planning & City Development: Layouts, Zones, Functions

Understanding Urban Concepts

What is a City?

There is no single factor that universally defines a city. Key characteristics often include:

• Number of Inhabitants: While there's no universal number, in Spain, it's typically more than 10,000 people.
• High Population Density: A concentration of buildings, a compact shape, and a continuity of the built environment.
• Way of Life: Often implies a way of life that is tolerant, dynamic, and anonymous.

Types of Urban Layouts

Different types of urban layouts exist, with three being more common:

• Orthogonal Layout: An urban layout consisting of streets that run at right angles to each other in a grid pattern. This pattern was also used when building expansion zones in cities during the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Radial Layout: An urban layout consisting of a central point with streets running from and around it like a spider web. It is typically found between the outskirts of a city and its center.
• Irregular Layout: Often found in historic centers, characterized by an irregular shape and made up of narrow, winding streets.

Urban Zones and Functions

Urban Zones

• Historic Center: Consists of a network of winding streets in the center of the city, often leading to problems with road traffic.
• Expansion Zones: Planned areas of urban expansion, characterized by straight and wide streets, where traffic flow is generally good.
• Outskirts: Feature ring roads and a radial street network, providing quick access to the city center.

Urban Functions

• Residential Function: Occupies a large area of urban land. Public spaces and services are needed to support the large number of people that live in cities.
• Industrial Function: Developed thanks to the large workforce available in cities. However, many industries have moved from cities to surrounding areas.
• Commercial and Financial Function: Can extend beyond a city's limits, thus forming an area of influence or market.
• Political Function: Exists in cities where political power is concentrated or that have a local government.

Key Urban Terminology

• Central Business District (CBD): The commercial and business center of a big city, also known as the financial district.
• Conurbation: A large urban area created when two or more nearby cities expand and merge together.
• Megacity: A very large urban area created by a succession of conurbations and metropolitan areas, typically housing more than 10 million people.
• Shanty Town: A deprived residential area of a city, consisting of very cheap and badly-built housing.