What does Theme B Changing Urban Areas cover in CCEA GCSE Geography?

Changing Urban Areas is the second human theme of Unit 2, worth a quarter of the unit. It covers urbanisation and why it happens, the pattern and functions of urban land-use zones from the central business district to the rural-urban fringe, change in cities in richer countries including inner-city decline, counter-urbanisation and regeneration, and the challenges of rapidly growing cities in poorer countries, especially squatter settlements and how they are improved.

What is urbanisation in CCEA GCSE Geography?

Urbanisation is the increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities. It is driven by rural-urban migration, with people pushed from the countryside by poverty and few jobs and pulled to cities by work and services, and by high natural increase. Richer countries urbanised early and now grow slowly, while poorer countries are urbanising rapidly today, which creates the challenges of squatter settlements.

Why does the central business district have the tallest buildings in CCEA GCSE Geography?

The central business district is the commercial heart of the city, with shops, offices and banks. It sits at the centre because that is the most accessible point, where transport routes meet, so most people can reach it. Because it is so accessible, demand for land is highest and land is the most expensive, so buildings are built upwards as high-rise to make the most of the limited, costly space.

What is counter-urbanisation in CCEA GCSE Geography?

Counter-urbanisation is the movement of people out of cities to live in smaller towns and the countryside, the reverse of urbanisation. People are pushed by congestion, pollution, crime and high city house prices, and pulled by a cleaner, quieter, cheaper rural life with more space. It is made possible by better transport and working from home. It grows commuter villages but can raise rural house prices and traffic.

How are squatter settlements improved in CCEA GCSE Geography?

Modern strategies work with residents rather than demolishing settlements. Self-help schemes give residents cheap materials, loans and legal land ownership so they improve their own homes. Site-and-service schemes provide plots already connected to water, sanitation and electricity on which people build. Upgrading improves an existing settlement in place by adding roads, water, sewerage, electricity and services such as schools and clinics.

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CCEA GCSE Geography Unit 2 Theme B Changing Urban Areas: urbanisation, urban land use, change in richer cities and challenges in poorer cities

A complete overview of CCEA GCSE Geography Unit 2 Theme B, Changing Urban Areas. Maps urbanisation and urban land use, change in cities in richer countries including decline and regeneration, and the challenges of rapidly growing cities in poorer countries, and shows how the resource-based and extended questions are marked.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.814 min readCCEA Unit 2 Theme BUpdated 2026-06-14

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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What this theme demands
The building blocks of the theme
A tale of two cities
The skills the paper rewards
Check your knowledge

What this theme demands

Changing Urban Areas is the second of the four human themes in Unit 2 Living in Our World, and is worth a quarter of the unit. It studies the growth of cities (urbanisation), how land is arranged within them, and the very different ways cities are changing in richer and poorer countries. This overview ties the dot-point pages together and shows how the resource-based paper rewards each skill.

The building blocks of the theme

The theme moves from the city in general to the contrast between richer and poorer cities.

Urbanisation and urban land use. Why cities grow, and the functions and pattern of the land-use zones.
Change in cities in richer countries. Inner-city decline, counter-urbanisation and regeneration.
Challenges in cities in poorer countries. Rapid growth, squatter settlements, and the schemes used to improve them.

A tale of two cities

The single idea that organises the theme is the contrast in development. Cities in richer countries urbanised long ago and now face decline, counter-urbanisation and the task of regeneration. Cities in poorer countries are urbanising now, so fast that housing and services cannot keep up, producing squatter settlements. Knowing whether a question is about a richer or a poorer city tells you which set of processes and solutions to reach for.

The skills the paper rewards

Theme B tests all three assessment objectives. AO1 is the definitions, land-use zones and the causes of urban change. AO2 is explaining decline, counter-urbanisation and the problems and solutions of squatter settlements, and evaluating strategies. AO3 is the skills: interpreting urban land-use maps, photographs and data in the resource booklet, including ordnance survey extracts of towns.

Changing Urban Areas is the second human theme of CCEA GCSE Geography Unit 2, worth a quarter of the unit. Urbanisation is the rising proportion of people in towns and cities, driven by rural-urban migration and natural increase. Within a city, land use forms zones: the accessible, high-value, high-rise central business district at the centre, the older inner city, the suburbs, and the rural-urban fringe. Cities in richer countries face inner-city decline from deindustrialisation and out-migration, counter-urbanisation to the countryside, and regeneration to renew run-down areas. Cities in poorer countries grow rapidly, creating squatter settlements with poor housing, no clean water or sanitation, disease and informal work, which are improved by self-help, site-and-service and upgrading schemes that work with residents.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall questions covering the whole theme. Attempt them, then check the solutions.

Define urbanisation. (1 mark)
Give one push and one pull factor for rural-urban migration. (2 marks)
Name the commercial zone at the centre of a city. (1 mark)
Why are buildings in the central business district usually tall? (2 marks)
What is counter-urbanisation? (1 mark)
Give two causes of inner-city decline. (2 marks)
What does regeneration do to a run-down area? (2 marks)
What is a squatter settlement? (1 mark)
Name two strategies used to improve squatter settlements. (2 marks)

Sources & how we know this

CCEA GCSE Geography specification — CCEA (2017)
CCEA GCSE Geography (2017) Unit 2 past papers and mark schemes — CCEA (2024)