Cities contain the following areas:

1. THE CENTRAL ZONE contains:

• THE HISTORIC CENTRE is the oldest part of the city. From this area the city grew. The city hall and the oldest churches and institutions are located here.

• THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT OR CBD or financial and commercial quarters. Banks, financial institutions and offices are found in the CBD.
• SERVICES including museums, hospitals or university campus could be found in the central area as well as in the outskirts of large cities.

2. CITY EXTENSIONS City extensions also known as ensanches appeared in the 19^th century to provide housing to the factory workers or the bourgeoise, even nowadays new neighborhoods.

2. THE OUTSKIRTS are considered as the expanding areas of a city. There we could find:

• Residential areas for housing people who could not afford buying flats in more centric areas or want larger residences – detached homes. Schools, shopping centres and good transport infrastructures are implemented in suburbs.   
• In less developed countries the outskirts are characterized by the shanty towns or slums which are poor residential areas.

• Industrial parks and service areas could be found near the main roads around the city as the price of land is cheaper there.

4. THE RURAL URBAN FRINGE is the transition from the urban space to the rural areas and a wide range of activities and population groups can be found there.

1 Population and Settlement worksheets