Geography Urban Environments Vocabulary

IB

counter-urbanization

a process involving the movement of population away from inner urban areas to new towns

suburb

a residential area within or just outside the boundaries of a city

suburbanization

the outward growth of towns and cities to engulf the surrounding villages/rural areas

• may result from the out-migration of the population from the inner urban areas to the suburbs or from inward rural-urban movement

urbanization

the process by which an increasing percentage of a country's population comes to live in towns and cities

• may involve both rural-urban migration and natural increase

urban sprawl

the unplanned and uncontrolled physical expansion of an urban area into the surrounding countryside

• closely linked to the process of suburbanization

rural-urban migration

movement of people away from the countryside to towns and cities

gentrification

reinvestment of capital into inner-city areas (i.e. improvement of residential areas)

• gentrification is a more market-driven process

• renovating and improving a neighborhood, often resulting in an increase in property values

brownfield sites

abandoned

urban renewal

revitalization of urban areas and a movement of people back into these areas

• comprehensive program of redevelopment that can involve the demolition and replacement of existing buildings and infrastructure.

centripetal movement

a shift of the population and economic activity from the periphery to the centre of the urban area

• Rural-Urban Migration

• Gentrification

• Urban Renewal

centrifugal movements

a shift of the population and economic activity from the centre of the urban area to its periphery and beyond

• suburbanization

• counterurbanisation

sustainable urban management strategy

an approach to urban management that seeks to maintain and improve the quality of life for current and future urban dwellers

aspects of management may be social, economic or environmental

Settlement Heirarchy

when settlements are naked in order of size or importance

shanty towns

illegal self-help settlements

classified as slums of hope or slums of despair

central business district (CBD)

commercial and economic core of a city

urban heat island (UHI)

urban areas that are generally 2-4* C warmer than those of the surrounding countryside

eco-city/sustainable city

a city designed to have minimal environmental impact

urban ecological footprint

the amount of land required to sustain its metabolism that is to provide the raw materials on which it feeds and processes the waste it produces it excretes

urban settlement

an area of habitation that provides services to the surrounding countryside

rural settlement

a dwelling or group of dwellings that simply provides housing for farm workers

urban decay

the abandonment and lack of demand for inner city areas as a result of slowing or declining population growth rates in MEDCs

Peak Land Value Intersection (PLVI)

the point in a CBD with the highest land value

• degree of connectedness of a location has in relation to transport communications

• associated with retail, industry, and residential uses

• and proximity to CBD

distance decay

a principle which states that land prices usually fall away quite sharply from the PLVI

bid-rent theory

a principle that states that retailers can afford the highest rents

population density hollow

in the CBD residential land use is usually outbid by retailing and office space so the population of the CBD part of the city is low

Burgess model

land uses are arranged around the CBD in concentric circles, with the profitable uses being found closest to the city center

Multiple Nuclei model

land uses are arranged in cells or patches throughout the city depending on the availability and the quality of land

• an urban area develops around a number of different business centers

• there are several nuclei that act as growth points

Hoyt Sector model

land uses are arranged in sectors rather than concentric circles. wealthy live on higher ground

manufacturing and industry is along transport routes

Sphere of Influence

distance people are willing to travel to get to a certain place

• threshold population - minimum number of people are willing to travel to support a settlement or service

• range - the max distance people are prepared to travel to obtain particular services

Order of Goods

Higher Order

• requires a higher threshold population to support the service or business

• goods that are not purchased as often

Low order

• convenience of goods

• smaller threshold population to make money as people buy products often

Central Place Theory

A theory that explains the distribution of services

all settlements act as a centre that people travel to access different services

larger settlements are fewer and farther apart than smaller settlements and provide services for more people willing to travel farther.

Secondary Land Value Peak

like PLVI but not centered around an CBD - retail into one small area and not other industries and residential not willing to pay

Microclimate

Climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area

urban climate

weather patterns in cities

Urban Stress

Pollution

Relative urban social deprivation

hardship caused by lack of access to services that majority of a population have

Absolute urban social deprivation

hardship that is potentially life-threatening or leads to physical or mental health problems- changes with time

Lorenz Curve

shows income distribution in a society - shows actual wealth - used to show inequalities in distribution

Gini Coefficient

A measure of income inequality within a population

Urban management

policies, plans, programs, and practices that seek to ensure that population growth is matched by access to basic infrastructure, shelter, and employment.

Social Deprivation

reduction or prevention of culturally normal interactions between an individual and the rest of society

• factors

  • mental illness

  • poverty

  • poor education

  • low socio-economic status

Deindustrialisation

sustained decline in manufacturing activity and capacity

• decline in output from manufacturing or decrease in the number of ppl employed in manufacturing

Forced relocation

speculative activity to developed land often leads to displacement of communities living in low value properties and can no longer afford to live in an area