Cities contain the following areas:
- 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.
- CITY EXTENSIONS City extensions also known as ensanches appeared in the 19th century to provide housing to the factory workers or the bourgeoise, even nowadays new neighborhoods.
- 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.
- 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