Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land Use

Site Factors

Physical characteristics of a location such as climate, water sources, and topography.

Situation Factors

The relative location of a city in relation to surrounding areas such as trade routes and proximity to resources.

Megacity

A city with a population over 10 million, for example, New York or Tokyo.

Metacity

A city with a population over 20 million, such as Jakarta or Mexico City.

Bid Rent Theory

land prices decrease as distance from the Central Business District (CBD) increases.

High-order Services

Specialized services, like hospitals, which require a larger population to support them.

Low-order Services

Basic services, such as grocery stores, which can be supported by smaller populations.

Gravity Model

predicts interaction between cities based on population size and distance.

Burgess Concentric Zone Model

cities grow outward in rings from the CBD.

Hoyt Sector Model

cities develop in sectors based on transportation and economic factors.

Harris & Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model

A model that describes cities having multiple centers of activity.

Galactic City Model

suburban areas are linked by beltways, leading to declining urban cores.

Latin American City Model

wealthy residents live near the CBD, with squatter settlements on the periphery.

African City Model

A model featuring three Central Business Districts: colonial, market, and traditional.

Southeast Asian Model

A model without a formal CBD, where commercial zones cluster around ports.

Urban Sprawl

expansion of low-density developments outward from cities.

Smart Growth Strategies

mixed-use zoning, mass transit, and urban growth boundaries to manage urban sprawl.

Ecological Footprint

The impact a city has on resources and the environment.

Greenbelts

Areas where development is restricted to limit urban sprawl.

Sustainable Urban Design

public transportation, green buildings, and renewable energy zoning.

Blockbusting

realtors scare homeowners into selling due to racial fears.

Redlining

banks refusing loans to certain areas based on race.

Food Deserts

Areas with limited access to fresh food.

Public Housing

Government-subsidized housing for low-income residents.

Ghettoization

The formation of high-poverty, minority-dominated urban areas.

Disamenity Zones

Areas lacking infrastructure and basic services.

Zones of Abandonment

Deserted urban areas due to economic decline.

Brownfields

Abandoned industrial sites that may be contaminated.

Urban Renewal

redevelopment of blighted areas to attract investment.

Gentrification

renovation of urban neighborhoods, often displacing lower-income residents.

Mixed-Use Developments

Projects that combine residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

New Urbanism

promotes walkable, community-oriented neighborhoods.

Public Mass Transit

Transportation systems like light rail, bus rapid transit, and subways.

Zoning Types

Traditional, Mixed-Use, and Inclusionary.

Urban Growth Boundaries

Limits on urban expansion to protect farmland and green space.

Farmland Protection Policies

prevent urban development on agricultural land.

Census Tracts

Geographic regions with about 10,000 people used for demographic studies.

Social Area Analysis

examines socio-economic factors like income, race, and ethnicity.

Regional Planning

cooperation between city, county, and state governments.

Squatter Settlements

Informal, often illegal housing areas in rapidly growing cities.

Law of Primate Cities

a country's largest city is disproportionately larger than the next largest.

Rank-Size Rule

The rule that states the nth largest city is 1/n the size of the largest city.

Infrastructure & Sustainability

cities invest in roads, utilities, and mass transit to support urban growth.

Role of Transportation

Cities grow due to access to trade, highways, ports, and railroads.

What are the challenges of mega/meta cities?

Rapid population growth, strain on infrastructure, traffic congestion, and informal settlements.

Top 4 World Cities

New York, London, Tokyo, Paris.

World Cities and Global Influence

Cities that are primary nodes in global economic networks.

Characteristics of World cities

Global financial hubs, diverse economies, international corporate headquarters, major transportation networks.

Density

High in urban cores, medium in suburbs, low in rural areas.

Market Area (Hinterland)

The area served by a central place.

Threshold

Minimum population needed for a service.

Range

Maximum distance people travel for a service

Suburbanization & Sprawl

Driven by GI Bill, highways, prefab construction, desire for space.

Squatter Settlements Characteristics

Lack of infrastructure, sanitation, and formal housing.