1. Urban population density
C.2. Urban Landscape
Urban population density

2. Why study urban population density?
Residential land use being the most important land use in a city
Spatial distribution of population
Temporal changes of population distribution
Urban population density curves

3. Distribution of population density within a city

4. Gradients of population density with cities
(Gradient analysis)
Two notable features
(1) Absence of residential population in city center
(Central crater)
(2) Decline of population density from inner parts of the city to its periphery.

5. Distribution of population density within a city
Residential population density：
decline with increasing distance from the city centre
negative exponential decline of density with distance
Temporal changes of population density

6. LDC cities
Rio de Janeiro, Bangkok, Dhaka, Mexico City

7. MDC cities
London, Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles

8. Population density curves
Central density
Peak density
Density gradient
Peripheral density
Areal extent

9. Large-scale rural-urban migration
The population density of the whole urban area continues to rise through time with the highest population density always at the city centre.
The density gradient has remained relatively constant from the centre
There is a horizontal expansion of the city
But the extent is much smaller than that of the MDCs because of late start of urbanisation and suburbanisation affected by poor infrastructure.

10. Suburbanisation
In early stages, population density in the city centre increases
But as time passes, the density gradually exhibits a declining trend
People move out and leave a density crater at the city centre
Outward movement extends the city fringe
As the population growth in the MDCs is small, the continued horizontal expansion of urban area leads to flattening out of population density  very gentle density gradient

11. Reasons for the spatial and temporal changes of population density within a city
TRANSPORT
The most desirable, hence most expensive, site for all urban land uses lie close to the city center, where maximum accessibility is provided by converging transport routes
ECONOMIC FACTOR
The further a site is from the city center, the greater are the transport costs involved in its use.
but because of reduced competition, land rent of such sites is lower
These lower land values encourage lower intensity of use away from the city center  lower intensity of land use for residential and other uses.

12. Reasons for the spatial and temporal changes of population density within a city
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTOR
Low – income groups tend to live closer to center for more immediate accessibility to their working places and lower transport costs.
As a result, the poor live in small amounts of the valuable / expensive lands and live at high densities
High – income groups can afford the time, cost and inflexibility of longer daily journeys between the periphery and city centre  Land is cheaper on the outskirts of a city, thus the rich consume more of it for their larger and more wide of spaced house.

13. Reasons for the spatial and temporal changes of population density within a city
HISTORICAL FACTOR
Due to historical process of urban development there would be a tendency for lower densities in the newly-developed areas than in the older earlier developed residential areas.

14. Reasons for the spatial and temporal changes of population density within a city
Increase of suburban manufacturing and retailing / commerce around the fringes of large cities now attracted residential settlement, producing multi- centred urban settlements  produces lower density gradient by increasing the attraction of the suburbs and lowering the attraction of the city center
Access to open space in suburban areas
increasing attraction of suburbs
complicating the pattern of land values in suburbs

15. Variations in the rates at which population densities decrease
Due to
different per capita car ownership
the proportion of manufacturing jobs available
the extent of “twilight” zones
the cost of public transport
the age and extent of the urban area

16. Temporal changes of population density in WESTERN and NON-WESTERN Cities

17. Western cities

18. At time t, in the early stage of growth
Residential densities are very high towards the center but decrease rapidly with increasing distance from the city center
This reflects the early central location of factories are the absence of effective means of public transport

19. At T1, centrifugal movement of residential population is made possible by increasing flexible transport system with the city periphery
The area of maximum density moves outwards from the city center as the commercial core expands and redevelopment of old central housing occurs

20. Densities decline sharply in city centre (where commercial and industrial functions displace former residents), but increase and reach further out into the suburbs with the growth of commuting
This reflects the impact of urban planning, which aims to achieve lower residential densities

21. The density gradient therefore becomes more gentle
Suburbanization helps to flatten the shape of the density curve by increasing the area of city.

22. Temporal changes of population density in Western cities

23. Non-western cities

24. There is a continual increase of densities throughout the whole urban area, that is densities increase while the gradient remains the same
Due to the rapid centripetal movement of residential population from rural areas to urban areas, i.e. rural- urban migration.

25. Because
there is crowded downtown area with dense population and congestion, as people who move up socio-enonomic ladder and reside here
They push up the slope of the density curve near and around the city centre
at the same time, the periphery becomes crowded with migrants from the surrounding countryside
The poor transport systems push outwards more slowly than western cities of similar populations.
They therefore tend to be more compact and have greater overall population densities

26. Temporal change of population density in non-western cities

27. Changing population density around the city centre over time

28. Describe the peak density.
- Flatten
Peak is lower and shifts away from centre

29. Explain Positive reasons: Suburbanization Higher mobility
Higher income
Desire for better living environment

30. Negative reasons:
Redevelopment
Slum clearance
Density control
Job opportunity, housing provision in suburban area

31. What are the environmental implications of the changes in population density?
1. Improvement of inner environment
More open space
Removal slum areas
2. Traffic congestion, pollution
3. Urban encroachment into rural

32. Draw a population density curve from Central to Shatin.
Include the following places: Central / TST, Mongkok/Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon Tong, New Kowloon, Shatin/Tai Po

33. HK urban population density
3 peaks + 3 craters

34. Explanations
Peaks
: high accessibility; public housing; suburban (new towns)
Craters
: CBD, high-income residential areas , rural

35. HK Urban land rent Rent declines with increasing distance from centre
High peaks, Mini peaks, Trough

36. High peaks:
CBD, high-income residential areas
Mini peaks:
new town, traffic intersection
Trough: squatters, rural