• An urban area is a human settlement with high population density and infrastructure of built environment.

Urban areas are

created through Urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, towns, conurbations, or suburbs.
• Urban area refers to a densely populated area characterized by a high concentration of residential, commercial, industrial, and
institutional structures.
• Most inhabitants of urban areas have non-agricultural jobs
 CONCEPT OF URBAN AREA

• The concept of urban areas encompasses the characteristics, dynamics, and complexities of human settlements characterized
by high population density, infrastructure development, economic activity, and social interactions.

1. High Population Density :

Urban areas are characterized by high population density, with a large
number of people living in relatively small geographical areas. This
density leads to the formation of communities, neighborhoods, and urban
cores where social, economic, and cultural activities are concentrated.
2. Infrastructure Development:
Urban areas are marked by well-developed infrastructure, including
transportation networks (roads, bridges, public transit), utilities (water
supply, sewage systems, electricity grids), and public amenities (schools,
hospitals, parks). Infrastructure supports the functioning of urban life and
facilitates economic activities and mobility.
3. Economic Vitality: Businesses

Urban areas serve as economic hubs, hosting a wide range of industries, businesses,
markets, and services. They offer employment opportunities, attract investments, and
drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. Economic
Industries Markets
vitality
4. Transportation and Mobility:
Urban areas experience high levels of mobility and transportation demand,
requiring efficient and accessible transportation systems to facilitate the movement
Services
of people and goods. Urban mobility solutions include public transit, walking and
cycling infrastructure, ride-sharing services, and smart transportation technologies.
 CLASSIFICATION URBAN AREAS
S.NO CLASSIFICATION SUB-CATEGORY POPULATION GOVERNIG LOCAL
RANGE AUTHORITY

1 Small town Small town 1 5,000-20,000 Nagar panchayat

Small town 2 20,000-50,000 Nagar

panchayat/municipal
council

2 Medium town Medium town 1 50,000-1,00,000 Muncipal council

Medium town 2 1 lakh-5 lakh Municpal council

3 Large city -- 5 lakh to 10 lakh Muncipal corporation

4 Metropolitan city Metropolitan city 1 10 lakh-50 lakh Municipal corporation

Metropolitian city 2 50 lakh-1 crore Muncipal corporation

5 Megapolis -- More than 1 crore Municipal corporation

 GARDEN CITY MOVEMENT

• Sir Ebenezer Howard is known for his Publication Garden Cities of To-
morrow (1898), the description of a utopian city in which people live
harmoniously together with nature.
• He wanted to design an alternative for overcrowded and polluted industrial
cities of that century
• His solution centred in developing smaller “garden cities” ,linked by canal and
transit and covered by a permanent green belt.
• He founded the Garden City Association (later known as the Town and Country
Planning Association or TCPA), which created First Garden City, Ltd. in 1899
to create the garden city of Letchworth and Welywn
• Garden City Concept was an effective response for a better quality of life in
overcrowded and dirty industrial towns which had deteriorated the environment
and posed serious threat to health.
 THREE MAGNETS
COUNTRY
LIFE
1. Town – The pull of ‘Town Magnet’ are the opportunities for work and high wages,
social opportunities, amusements and well – lit streets. The pull of ‘Country
THREE
Magnet’ is in natural beauty, fresh air, healthfulness. It was closing out of nature, MAGNETS
offered isolation of crowds and distance from work. But it came at a cost of foul air, TOWN TOWN -
LIFE COUNTRY
costly drainage, murky sky and slums.
2. Country – It offered natural beauty, low rents, fresh air, meadow but had low
wages and lack of drainage. Country has dullness, lack of society, low wages, lack
of amusements and general decay.
3. Town- Country – it was a combination of both town and countryside with aim of
providing benefits of both and offered beauty of nature, social opportunity, fields if
easy access, low rent, high wages and field of enterprise. Thus, the solution was
found in a combination of the advantages of Town and Country – the ‘Town –
Country Magnet’ – it was proposed a Town in the Country, and having within it the
amenities of natural beauty, fresh air and healthfulness.
PRINCIPLES OF GARDEN CITY
• Co-operatve holding of land to insure that the advantage of appreciation of land values goes to the community,not the
private individuals
• Economic and social advantages of large scale planning
• Establishment of cities of limited size, but at the same time possessing a balanced agricultural industrial economy Urban
decentralization
• Use of a surrounding green belt to serve as an agricultural recreational area

FEATURES OF GARDEN CITY

• Contains open spaces and gardens around all the dwelling houses and factories
• Has a population which is neither too small nor too large.
• It is a city owned by all citizens on a co-operative basis
• Its is an independent entity having its own civic life and affording all daily needs with adequate spaces for schools and other
functional purposes
• It is surrounded by periphery by a green belt
 THE CONCENTRIC ZONE MODEL
The Concentric Zone Model is a theoretical urban land use model that was proposed by sociologist Ernest Burgess in 1925. It
describes how cities grow and develop spatially, based on the socioeconomic status of residents and their distance from the
central business district (CBD).

Central Business District (CBD):

• Social and civic life of city is found in this zone
• The innermost zone is the CBD, which is the commercial and
economic hub of the city.
• It contains high-rise buildings, offices, retail shops, and other business
establishments.
• It also contains economic, political and cultural life of the city
• City parks, marriage halls, higher order education facilities, hospitals
are also located in the center.
Zone of Transition
• Characterized by mixed pattern of industrial and residential land
use.
• This zone is identified by both area wise and population wise.
• This area may be slated for expansion if the business is good.
• The residential area also starts from this zone.
• Other identifying features of this zone are the old structures,
apartments ,residential slums and shabby homes.
Lower Income Working Zone
• The "working men quarters" • Solid blue-collar, located close to
factories of zones 1 and 2
• More stable than the transition zone around the CBD
• Often characterized by ethnic neighborhoods
• Spreading outward because of pressure from transition zone and
because blue-collar workers demanded better housing
Zone of Working-Class Homes:
Moving outward from the zone of transition is the zone of working-class homes. This zone consists of modest, single-family
housing occupied by blue-collar workers and lower-middle-class families. Housing conditions may vary, but generally, they
are less dense and of better quality compared to the inner-city areas.
Zone of Better Residences:
Beyond the zone of working-class homes is the zone of better residences, sometimes referred to as the middle-class residential
area. This zone features larger, more spacious homes, often with yards or gardens. Residents in this zone typically have higher
incomes and enjoy better living conditions compared to those in the inner zones.
Commuter Zone:
The outermost zone is the commuter zone, where affluent residents live in suburban areas outside the city. These areas are
characterized by low population density, large homes, and ample green space. Residents in this zone often commute to the
CBD or other employment centers in the city for work.