Urban communities - Class notes

URBAN COMMUNITIES

Jorge Carrillo12th June 2012

Presentation

Concepts and definitions

Rural vs. Urban

Urban communities

Types of urban communities (slums, residential, suburbs)

Understanding the “urban”

Concepts and definitions

What is urban?

Urban agglomeration

Metropolitan area

City

Object of study vs. object of intervention

Communities

What is urban

No definition of urban places has been universally adopted by national governments

No international definition has been agreed (Census)

Nationally-decided urban criteria is not fully available, making difficult to develop uniform standard

What is urban 2Cambodia Localities with at least one of the following: (a) population density exceeding

200 per km, (b) percentage of male employment in agriculture below 50 percent, or (c) total population of the commune exceeding 2,000.

Indonesia Municipalities, regency capitals and other places with urban characteristics

Laos Areas within municipal vicinity with the center of that municipality having more than 600 residents or more than 100 households. Further, the areas have to have certain urban characteristics (roads, electricity, market function, tap water supply).

Malaysia Gazetted areas with their adjoining built-up areas and with a combined population of 10,000 persons or more. Built-up areas were areas contiguous to a gazetted area and had at least 60 per cent of their population (aged 10 years and over) engaged in non-agricultural activities. Areas had also modern toilet facilities in their housing units.

Philippines All cities and municipalities with a density of at least 1,000 persons per square kilometre; administrative centres, of at least 2,000 inhabitants, and of at least 1,000 inhabitants which are contiguous to the administrative centre, in all cities and municipalities with a density of at least 500 persons per square kilometre; and all other administrative centres with at least 2,500 inhabitants.

Thailand Municipalities

Vietnam Places with 4,000 inhabitants or more.

What is urban 3

Urban agglomeration Comprises the city or town proper and also the suburban fringe or thickly settled territory lying outside, but adjacent to, its boundaries. A single urban agglomeration may comprise several cities or towns and their suburban fringes

Metropolitan area Politically defined urban area set up for planning or administration purposes which may combine several jurisdictions (municipalities or cities) and areas of lower density under the direct influence of the city (transport, amenities, roads)

City Area of a population centre located within municipal boundaries designated as such by the central government for management, legislative and administrative purposes

7

BMA

Samut Prakan

Pathumthani

Nonthaburi

1. “Bangkok Metropolitan Administration“ Area (=special Province of Bangkok, BMA) only - 1,500 km2

2. Greater Bangkok: BMA + 3 Provinces - 4,500 km2

3. “Bangkok and Vicinity“: BMA + 5 Provinces – 7,500 km2

4. “Extended Metropolitan Region“; “Industrial Heartland“

“Bangkok“ defined

Urban structure

Subsystem Characteristics Built form

Core Knowledge, tertiary economy

PolynuclearMixed land useHotels, offices, condominiumsMass rail transit

Suburbs Residential (commuters)RetailingMature (lower value) industry

Suburban “villages” (muban)Gated communitiesMega mallsExpresswaysRadial development (North & East)

Exurbia Industrial estatesIndustrial support infrastructure

Industrial estatesPortsSpontaneous (squatter) worker settlements

Downtown

Manila Vientiane

Bangkok Canberra

Urban populationUrban Rural Total % urban 2020

South-Eastern Asia 268,064 331,961 600,025 44.7 50.0

Brunei Darussalam 308 98 406 76.0 79.0

Cambodia 2,857 11,448 14,305 20.0 22.1

Indonesia 122,885 119,441 242,326 50.7 57.2

Lao PDR 2,154 4,134 6,288 34.3 43.6

Malaysia 20,999 7,860 28,859 72.8 77.9

Myanmar 15,778 32,558 48,337 32.6 37.9

Philippines 46,326 48,526 94,852 48.8 51.6

Singapore 5,188 — 5,188 100.0 100.0

Thailand 23,689 45,829 69,519 34.1 38.0

Timor-Leste 327 827 1,154 28.3 31.8

Viet Nam 27,553 61,239 88,792 31.0 36.9

Rural-urban continuum

There is no clear demarcation between rural and urban

Physical continuity from urban centres through suburbs, sparsely populated urban areas, peri-urban communities, rural market towns, etc

Administrative divisions are set by central government, not by local realities

Rural vs. urban

Population size threshold

Population density

Contiguity of build-up area

Proportion of the labor force engaged in non-agricultural work

Presence of particular services and activities

What is a community

Spatial definition

Social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and may have a common cultural and historical heritage.

Social definition

Social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.

Communities

Urban communities

Housing and land tenure

Private sector

Public housing

Informal/illegal settlements

Urban housing

Slums

Year% of urban population

living in slums

Cambodia 2005 78.9

Indonesia 2007 23.0

Lao PDR 2005 79.3

Philippines 2007 42.3

Thailand 2005 26.0

Vietnam 2007 38.3

Slums

Urban communities

Role of money

Access to services

Social capital

Vulnerability, inequality and power

Understanding the “urban”

Cultural context

Urban as location vs. urban as condition

Dynamics

Development strategies

Globalization