Reference no: EM133642664 , Length: 2 pages

Assignment: Rural Settlements and Urbanization of British Columbia

This assignment is marked out of 100 and is worth 5 per cent of your final mark in the course. It covers the following topics:

• The historical pattern of resource development in coastal and interior regions of the province; and the persistence of First Nations and European settlement patterns in British Columbia.

• The urban/rural nature of the population distribution; the diverse ethnic character of British Columbia's population; and the development and extent of urbanization.

• Regional character and linkages between regions within British Columbia and with other provinces, countries, and regions beyond its borders.

Part 1: Rural Landscapes of British Columbia

1. Outline the major impacts of the arrival of Europeans in the Pacific Northwest on the settlement patterns, population, andculture of the First Nations.

2. How can Staples Theory assist in the understanding of the growth of communities in rural British Columbia over the last 200 years?

3. Identify the communities created by the Instant Town Act (1965) and explain how this legislation addressed the economic andsocial problems associated with company towns and othersettlements in rural British Columbia.

The following websites will help you define concepts or answer questions in this part of the assignment:

BC Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (Government of BC) Statistics Canada, Population and Demography Accessing these websites is not required to complete this part of the assignment successfully.

Rural Settlements and Urbanization of British Columbia TRU Open Learning

Part 2: Urbanization of British Columbia

1. With reference to examples from British Columbia, for each of the followingterms, provide a brief definition:

a. Urban system

b. Heartland/hinterland

2. What are the dominant characteristics of an urban centre in British Columbia? Identify the six basic needs for a city tofunction effectively.

3. Briefly describe the function of Regional Districts in British Columbia.

The following useful websites will help you define concepts or answer questions in this part of the assignment:

Statistics Canada, Population and Demography Accessing these websites is not required to complete this part of the assignment successfully.

Part 3: Regional Character of British Columbia

1. On what geographical criteria do you think a regional synthesis of British Columbia should be based?

2. What are the dominant aspects of the physical landscape of the Vancouver Island/Coast region (e.g., geology, glaciation, biogeography and forests, coastal features, or resource, mineral, water, and energy resources)?

3. Define the following geographic regions, using maps if necessary:

a. Pacific Northwest

b. Pacific Rim

Prepare an essay on ONE of the following topics. Your essay should be no longer than 500 words (one to two pages). Illustrate your essay with relevant examples, diagrams, tables, and references to the course texts and other resources.

Complete ONE of the questions below:

1. Discuss, with examples, the importance of company towns, single-resource communities, and instant towns to the regional character of rural British Columbia.

2. Evaluate the role of "blue-print planning" in developing resources, land uses, and patterns of settlement in rural British Columbia, and identify some of the resulting environmental costs.

3. Discuss, with examples, some of the important goals, strategies, and outcomes of land-use planning and resource management over the last 20 years in British Columbia.

4. Describe the key features of either (a) or (b):

a. The transportation system of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD)

b. Capital Regional District's (CRD) green belt strategy for Victoria and its surrounding municipalities.