ESS Topic 8.2 Urban Systems and Urban Planning - SL and HL (new syllabus)

Urban ecosystem (8.2.1)

A community composed of living and non-living components in a city environment. Central Park in New York contains trees, birds, soil, and water features.

Biotic components (8.2.1)

Living parts including plants, animals, and other organisms. Pigeons, rats, street trees, and humans in Chicago.

Abiotic components (8.2.1)

Non-living parts including soil, water, air, climate, and topography. Concrete pavement, rainwater, air temperature, and building foundations in Tokyo.

Urban area (8.2.2)

A built-up space with high concentration of people, buildings and infrastructure. Singapore has density exceeding 8,000 people per square kilometer.

Rural area (8.2.2)

A space with relatively low concentration of people and dispersed settlements. The Australian Outback has fewer than 1 person per square kilometer.

Population density (8.2.2)

The number of individuals living in a specific space. Mumbai has approximately 30,000 people per square kilometer.

Infrastructure (8.2.2)

Built systems providing services like transportation, water, electricity, and waste management. London Underground provides public transportation for 5 million daily riders.

Urban system (8.2.3)

The interconnected network of buildings, microclimate, transport, utilities, humans, plants and animals. Amsterdam's canals integrate water management, transportation, and recreation.

Urbanization (8.2.4)

The shift from countryside to cities. China's city dwellers increased from 20% in 1980 to 65% in 2023.

Rural-urban migration (8.2.5)

The movement of people from countryside to cities. Millions of Bangladeshis travel from villages to Dhaka seeking employment.

Push factor (8.2.5)

Conditions that drive people to leave a place. Drought in Ethiopia forcing farmers to abandon land.

Pull factor (8.2.5)

Conditions that attract people to move to a place. Job opportunities in Dubai attracting workers from South Asia.

Internal migration (8.2.5)

Movement of people within the same country. Mexicans moving from villages to Mexico City for work.

Suburbanization (8.2.6)

The movement from dense city centers to lower-density peripheral areas. American families moving from Detroit to surrounding communities.

Urban sprawl (8.2.6)

The spreading of low-density development into previously undeveloped land. Los Angeles extending across valleys and hills for 130 kilometers.

Urban planning (8.2.8)

Decision-making about the best use of land and buildings to meet community needs. Barcelona's Superblock program redesigning streets for pedestrians and cyclists.

Sustainable urban planning (8.2.9)

Development considering environmental, social, and economic well-being. Copenhagen's car-free zones, bike lanes, and renewable energy systems.

Ecological urban planning (8.2.10)

A holistic approach treating cities as interconnected living systems with interdependent components. Singapore's vertical gardens and green roofs integrating nature throughout the city.