What are land use zones?

Land-use zones are urban areas with particular functions, such as retail, residential and industry. All cities have different land-use zones. These include:

Commercial land use: hotels, shops, offices, and other businesses cluster together in the central business district (CBD) at the centre of the city. Commercial land use is also found along major roads. In cities in developed countries, commercial land use is also found on the city edge, in businesses and in retail parks.

Industrial land use: factories, office complexes, workshops, and science parks are examples of industrial land use. The older manufacturing industry is typically found close to the city centre in the inner city. The newer industry is mainly found on industrial estates on the edge of the city.

Residential land use: this is housing where people live and takes up the most space in a city. Housing density is high close to the city centre, with a high proportion of flats and apartments. High-density, back-to-back terraced housing is typically found in the inner city, where homes for factory workers were built. Housing density falls with distance from the city centre. Low-density detached, and semi-detached housing is typically found in the suburbs.

Land-use models contain zones showing their different functions. The main zones are:

• CBD
• Inner City 
• Suburbs
• Rural-Urban Fringe