OPTION G - urban environments

Site

The actual ground on which a settlement is located; it is also known as the absolute location of a place, usually indicated by the Longitude and Latitude.

Land use/function

The main activities taking place in a settlement.

Hierarchy

The arrangement of a settlement in terms of its importance or significance.

Megacities

Cities that have a population of over 10 million.

Central Business District (CBD)

The center of all economic activities in an urban area, usually located in the city center or near a major seaport.

Urbanization

An increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities.

Urban Growth

The increase in the size of a particular settlement or the number of people living in urban centers.

Urban Sprawl

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

Ecological footprint

The measurement of the land and water a population requires to produce resources and absorb waste.

Suburbanization

The outward growth of towns and cities to engulf surrounding villages and rural areas.

Suburb

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

Brownfield site

Abandoned, derelict or under-used industrial buildings and land with potential for redevelopment.

Counter-urbanization

The movement of population away from inner urban areas to new towns or villages on the urban fringe.

Reurbanization

The development of activities to increase residential population densities within an existing city area.

Centripetal (inward)

Movement including rural-urban migration, gentrification, and reurbanization.

Centrifugal (outward)

Movement including suburbanization, counter-urbanization, and urban sprawl.

Rural-Urban Migration

The movement of people from rural to urban areas driven by urban pull and rural push factors.

Reurbanization (Urban renewal)

The revitalization of urban areas and movement of people from outskirts to urban centers.

Urban Systems Growth

A city as a system consisting of inputs, processes, and outputs.

Deindustrialization

The sustained decline in manufacturing activity and capacity.

Urban microclimate

Atmospheric conditions that differ from the surrounding area.

Urban heat island (UHI)

A metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.

Anthropogenic heat release

Heat derived from industry and domestic central heating, impacting urban areas.

Eutrophication

A condition where high nitrogen levels in pollutants lead to algae growth, affecting aquatic ecosystems.

Urban Social deprivation

Limited access to essential social services in urban areas.

Social exclusion

Ostracism of a member of society, leading to denial of access to jobs and services.

Resilient City Design

A design that enables survival, adaptation, and growth amidst urban challenges.

Eco-cities

Cities designed to be environmentally sustainable for present and future generations.

Smart Cities Design

Cities that use information and communication technologies to improve urban services.

Sub-urbanisation

The movement of people, industries or shops from inner cities to live in areas outside the city. opposite of gentrification. Due to improvement in transport network, decline in the price of farmlands, rising wages.

Counter-urbanization

The movement of population away from inner urban areas to a new town, a new estate, a commuter town or a village on the edge or just beyond the city limits/rural-urban fringe. Also called de-urbanization.

Urban Sprawl

Unplanned, uncontrolled physical expansion of an urban area into the surrounding countryside, linked to sub-urbanization. People in sprawled neighbourhoods drive to CBD to work.