Urban Functions and Structure: City Areas and Roles
Urban Structure & Functions of the City
The term “duties of a city” refers to the activities taking place in it, primarily industrial, commercial, and service sectors. A city’s classification often depends on the predominant activity:
A) Commercial Role
Historically, trade has been a source for many cities, especially those at crossroads. All cities, to some extent, play this role in their area of influence (local market), sometimes becoming large national or international markets.
B) Industrial Function
Cities are ideal for industrial locations due to labor and capital availability. Industry, in turn, makes cities grow. Typically, there is industrial diversity, but some cities are mono-industrial.
C) Administrative or Political Role
Many cities originated almost exclusively to govern a territory (state or province), such as Washington D.C. and Brasília. Sometimes, even if this function wasn’t the origin, it has significantly increased the city’s size and level, as seen in Madrid and Berlin. Political power institutions are deployed in cities.
While one function may predominate, large urban centers typically combine all three. Other specific functions include:
D) Military Role
Historically important in city origins, this role now tends to merge with the administrative function, often resulting in military bases.
E) Cultural Function
Culture has also been a source for many cities and is present in some form in every city. Types include:
- Religious Centers: Major pilgrimage sites (Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, Mecca).
- Historical and Artistic Cities: With major tourist attractions (Prague, Venice, Florence).
- University Cities: Oxford, Cambridge.
F) Tourism and Recreation Function
Cities that thrive on beaches, spas, resorts, etc., such as Monte Carlo, Cannes, Las Vegas, and Marbella.
Urban Structure: Areas of the City
A) Central Sector or CBD (Central Business District)
This is the hub for shopping and financial services, featuring main shops, banks, offices, and leading companies. Characteristics:
- Excellent accessibility and communications: railway stations, metro, bus terminals.
- Very high pedestrian traffic density, leading to parking and traffic congestion issues.
- Concentration of the tertiary sector (limited housing and almost no industry).
B) Residential Areas (Homes)
Residential areas occupy most of the city. Broadly, there are two types of properties: single-family (houses) and multi-family (apartment blocks). Within residential areas, we can distinguish:
- Core: Old or historic homes, often degraded multi-family units, mainly occupied by retirees, immigrants, and low-income populations.
- 19th-Century Expansion: Quality multi-family housing for the upper middle class. High prices in these areas often lead to offices moving in.
- 20th-Century Peripheral Areas:
- Low-cost Residential Areas: Multi-family housing for the lower-middle class.
- High-priced Residential Areas: Houses for the upper class.
C) Industrial Areas
Several types exist:
- Within the city: Small, discrete, and clean industries.
- Industrial Estates: On city outskirts and along communication lines (rail, road), for larger or polluting industries. Mostly built in the 1950s and 60s.
- New Industrial Areas (Business Parks): Located near the city with good services for businesses, primarily related to new technologies.
D) Business Areas
Primarily coinciding with the CBD, but shopping areas are located throughout the city. Recently, there’s a trend towards creating department stores on city outskirts, combining commerce and entertainment (cinemas, bars, restaurants), such as the Park Corridor example.
E) Suburban Areas
Areas recently absorbed by city growth, with a mix of industrial and rural zones (e.g., Vicálvaro, Vallecas in Madrid). These areas may contain major industries (tending to disappear), agricultural land, residential zones, and fallow land for speculation (previously agricultural land, now appearing abandoned while awaiting construction to drive up prices).
F) Metropolitan Area
People economically dependent on the city but residing independently.