The varying powerof different stakeholders in relation to the experience of, and management of, urban stresses
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Urban microclimate modification and management, including the urban heat island effect, and air pollution patterns and its management
Traffic congestion patterns, trends and impacts
Contested land use changes, including slum clearances, urban redevelopment and the depletion of green space
Managing the impacts of urban social deprivation, including the cycle of deprivation and geographic patterns of crime |
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Case study of air pollution in one city and its varying impact on people
Traffic congestion patterns, trends and impacts
- Case study of one affected city and the management response
Bucharest's chronic traffic problems make it Europe's most congested city
Nine days a year: that is the average time drivers spend stuck in traffic in Europe's most congested city, Bucharest, due to subpar road infrastructure and the sheer amount of cars clogging the streets, as seen in images made available by epa on Saturday.
According to a study by GPS maker TomTom, Romania's poor road safety education also contributes to its capital's perennial traffic problems, placing it fifth worldwide out of cities with the worst traffic.
"The city lacks a beltway to prevent bottlenecks, forcing vehicles to transit through the capital," Catiusa Ivanov, a local journalist, told EFE.
TomTom's study showed that driving a certain distance takes about 50 percent longer during rush hour than when the traffic flow is more fluid.
The lack of parking spaces causes the main roads to become choked with parked cars, making transit even harder, Ivanov added.
This means that on average, Bucharestians spend 57 minutes each day trapped in traffic jams.
Over the course of a year, this amounts to the equivalent of nine days spent drumming one's fingers on the steering wheel while summoning all the patience one can muster.
"The construction works meant to alleviate traffic are progressing very slowly, while the number of vehicles has increased dramatically," said Ovidiu Popa, a driving instructor who lamented the lack of change in the city's urban planning since the 1980s.
Bucharest's car-to-person ratio is huge: while the city officially has a population of only 2.1 million inhabitants _ although some estimates put it as high as 2.6 million _ there are some 1.3 million registered vehicles.
That growing rate shows no sign of slowing down; more than 30,000 vehicles were registered in the first four months of 2017.
"I'm obsessed with the fact that we don't have a beltway with two lanes in each direction, but also with our roads being filled with potholes and not having clear surface markings," Popa added.
The veteran instructor complained about the avalanche of new drivers who have taken just 32 hours of driving lessons, which he feels is not nearly enough time to learn the proper rules and regulations or to get used to such congested conditions.
"Only a third of Bucharestians pass the driving test on their first try; no matter how well you teach them, many fail due to nervousness and the intensity of the city's traffic," Popa explained.
TomTom's global analysis ranked the world's major cities according to their "congestion levels," a parameter that measures the difference in driving time between rush hours and low-traffic periods for the same distances.
That variable stands at about 50 percent in Bucharest, which trails only Mexico City (66 percent), Bangkok (61 percent), Jakarta (58 percent) and the Chinese city of Chongqing (52 percent).
In Rio de Janeiro, for example, the congestion level is 47 percent, while in Buenos Aires it amounts to 42 percent. Madrid comes in at a relatively-low 25 percent.
Bucharest's city hall has announced plans to introduce priority lanes for public transport while adding 600 new trolleybuses, trams and buses, as well as renovating some of the city's main access roads by 2030.
For many despairing road users, however, those changes cannot come soon enough.
A local association tackling the problem, Psiho TrafiQ, recommends that drivers respect the rules, avoid high-traffic intersections and eschew using the car during peak congestion times.
Psiho TrafiQ's president, Mihaela Rus, told EFE that bottlenecks were directly linked to a rise in accidents, due to high levels of frustration among drivers impatient to clear the dense traffic.
"We need to choose alternative forms of transport such as buses, the subway, bicycles and motorbikes," she added.
Nine days a year: that is the average time drivers spend stuck in traffic in Europe's most congested city, Bucharest, due to subpar road infrastructure and the sheer amount of cars clogging the streets, as seen in images made available by epa on Saturday.
According to a study by GPS maker TomTom, Romania's poor road safety education also contributes to its capital's perennial traffic problems, placing it fifth worldwide out of cities with the worst traffic.
"The city lacks a beltway to prevent bottlenecks, forcing vehicles to transit through the capital," Catiusa Ivanov, a local journalist, told EFE.
TomTom's study showed that driving a certain distance takes about 50 percent longer during rush hour than when the traffic flow is more fluid.
The lack of parking spaces causes the main roads to become choked with parked cars, making transit even harder, Ivanov added.
This means that on average, Bucharestians spend 57 minutes each day trapped in traffic jams.
Over the course of a year, this amounts to the equivalent of nine days spent drumming one's fingers on the steering wheel while summoning all the patience one can muster.
"The construction works meant to alleviate traffic are progressing very slowly, while the number of vehicles has increased dramatically," said Ovidiu Popa, a driving instructor who lamented the lack of change in the city's urban planning since the 1980s.
Bucharest's car-to-person ratio is huge: while the city officially has a population of only 2.1 million inhabitants _ although some estimates put it as high as 2.6 million _ there are some 1.3 million registered vehicles.
That growing rate shows no sign of slowing down; more than 30,000 vehicles were registered in the first four months of 2017.
"I'm obsessed with the fact that we don't have a beltway with two lanes in each direction, but also with our roads being filled with potholes and not having clear surface markings," Popa added.
The veteran instructor complained about the avalanche of new drivers who have taken just 32 hours of driving lessons, which he feels is not nearly enough time to learn the proper rules and regulations or to get used to such congested conditions.
"Only a third of Bucharestians pass the driving test on their first try; no matter how well you teach them, many fail due to nervousness and the intensity of the city's traffic," Popa explained.
TomTom's global analysis ranked the world's major cities according to their "congestion levels," a parameter that measures the difference in driving time between rush hours and low-traffic periods for the same distances.
That variable stands at about 50 percent in Bucharest, which trails only Mexico City (66 percent), Bangkok (61 percent), Jakarta (58 percent) and the Chinese city of Chongqing (52 percent).
In Rio de Janeiro, for example, the congestion level is 47 percent, while in Buenos Aires it amounts to 42 percent. Madrid comes in at a relatively-low 25 percent.
Bucharest's city hall has announced plans to introduce priority lanes for public transport while adding 600 new trolleybuses, trams and buses, as well as renovating some of the city's main access roads by 2030.
For many despairing road users, however, those changes cannot come soon enough.
A local association tackling the problem, Psiho TrafiQ, recommends that drivers respect the rules, avoid high-traffic intersections and eschew using the car during peak congestion times.
Psiho TrafiQ's president, Mihaela Rus, told EFE that bottlenecks were directly linked to a rise in accidents, due to high levels of frustration among drivers impatient to clear the dense traffic.
"We need to choose alternative forms of transport such as buses, the subway, bicycles and motorbikes," she added.
Contested land use changes, including slum clearances, urban redevelopment and the depletion of green space
- Detailed contrasting examples of two affected neighbourhoods and their populations
Exam questions
C. Using examples, discuss the varied effects of human activity on urban microclimates. [10]
a. Describe the pattern of deprivation shown on the map. [3]
b. Explain how and why the pattern of deprivation might differ for a city in a low income country. [2+5]
Remember that 2+5 is no longer common. Here they are looking for how the pattern differs (2) and then why (5)
b. Explain how and why the pattern of deprivation might differ for a city in a low income country. [2+5]
Remember that 2+5 is no longer common. Here they are looking for how the pattern differs (2) and then why (5)
Examine the patterns of urban stress that have developed within one named city as a result of contested land use changes. [10]
Briefly define urban stress within the context of the question.
Introduce Dharavi (Mumbai) or Rio (Brazil) slum. Include place specific data.
Key Features of Urban Redevelopment. Outline redevelopments - positive.
How Does Urban Redevelopment impact in and around slum? Outline impacts on slum and residents - negative (location 2 – contrasting).
How does Urban Redevelopment impact on green spaces?
Conclusion. Major social impacts. Summary of arguments made.
Briefly define urban stress within the context of the question.
Introduce Dharavi (Mumbai) or Rio (Brazil) slum. Include place specific data.
Key Features of Urban Redevelopment. Outline redevelopments - positive.
How Does Urban Redevelopment impact in and around slum? Outline impacts on slum and residents - negative (location 2 – contrasting).
How does Urban Redevelopment impact on green spaces?
Conclusion. Major social impacts. Summary of arguments made.
Exemplar 10 mark Paper 1 question