APHG VOCAB UNIT 6

Affordability

the ability of individuals or families to afford housing, goods, and servieces in an urban area, often influenced by income levels and cost of living

African City Model

a model of urban structure that exxplains the spatial layout of cities in Africa, typically featuring a colonial CBD, a traditional CBD, and a market zone, with sectors of ethnic neighborhoods and informal settlements

Air Quality

the degree to which to which the air in a particular area is clean or polluted, often measured by levels of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter

Bid-Rent Theory

a theory that explained how land value and rent change as one moves away form the Central Business District (CBD), with land prices decreasing with distance

Big Box Rental

large retail stores or warehouses, such as Walmart or Home Depot, that dominate suburban landscapes and commercial real estate

Blockbusting

a practice in which real estate agents stir up racial fears to encourage white property owners to sell their homes quickly, often leading to segregation and urban decline

Boomburbs

rapidly growing suburban cities that maintain suburban characteristics but have populations comparable to large urban cities

Borchert’s Model

a model of urban evolution in the US based on transportation advancements, identifying five epochs: Sail-Wagon, Iron house, Steel Rail, Auto-Air-Amenity, and High-Tech

Brownfields

abandoned or underused industrial and commercial sites that may be contaminated by hazardous waste or pollution

Burgess Concentric Zone Model

a model that describes urban land use as a series of concentric rings surrounding the CBD, with different socioeconomic zones radiatng outwards

Central Business District

the core commercial and business center for a city, characterized by high land values, skyscrapers, and dense development

Christaller’s Central Place Theory

a theory that explains the distribution of services and settlements in hierachical pattern based on market areas

City government

the administrative organization responsible for governing a city, managing public services, and enforcing laws

City infrastructure

the foundational systems of a city, including transportation, utilities, sewage, water supply, and communication networks

City-States

independent, sovereign cities that function as states, historically seen in ancient Greece (e.g., Athens, Sparta)

Climate change

long-term shifts in temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns, often attributed to human activities like fossil fuel consumption.

County government

a level of local government responsible for governing a county, overseeing infastructure, public, services, and law enforcement

De facto segregation

segregation that occurs without explicit legal enforcement, often due to historical, social and economic factors

Decentralization

the redistribution of population, industry, and government from central urban areas to suburban and rural locations

Deurbanization

the decline of urban populations as people move to rural or suburban areas, often due to economic changes or lifestyle preferences

Disamenity zones

areas within a city with limited access to services, often characterized by poverty, crime, and substandard housing

Ecological footprint

a measure of the environmental impact of human activities, representing the amount of natural resources consumed

Ecumene

the inhabited or permanently settled portions of the Earth's surface where people have established communities

Edge cities

urban areas located on the outskirts of large cities, characterized by concentrations of office space, retail and entertainment

Eminent Domain

the power of the government to take private property for public use, often with compensation

Energy Use

the consumption of energy resources, including fossil fuels and renewable resources, in urban development and daily life

Exurbs

areas beyond the suburbs that are semi-rural but still connected to the urban economy and commute networks

Farmland protection policies

regulations designed to prevent urban sprawl from encroaching on agricultural land

Favelas

informal settlements or slums, particularly in Brazil, characterized by poor housing conditions and lack of basic services

Food Deserts

urban or rural areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food, often due to a lack of grocery stores

Functional Fragmentation of Govt

the division of governmental responsibilities among various local, regional, and national agencies

Galactic City Model

a model that describes modern cities as decentralized with multiple centers of economic activity, often influenced by automobile dependency

Gentrification

the process of wealthier individuals moving into urban neighborhoods, leading to rising property values and the displacement of lower-income residents

Geographic Fragmentation of Govt

The presence of multiple overlapping governmental jurisdictions within a single metropolitan area

Gravity Model

"a model that predicts interaction between places based on their population size and distance from one another"

Greenbelts

areas of open space, parks, or agricultural land surrounding a city to prevent urban sprawl

Harris-Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model

A model of urban land use that suggests cities have multiple centers (nuclei) of activity rather than a single CBD

Housing density

The number of housing units per unit of land, afficting urban form and planning.

Hoyt Sector Model

A model of urban land use that suggests cities grow in wedge-shaped sectors extending from the CBD

Infilling

The development of vacant or underused land within an existing urban area .

Informal economy

"Economic activities that occur cutside official regulation, often in developing countries (c.g., street vending)"

Inner Cities

Older, central parts of cities that often face economie challenges and urban decay.

Latin American City Model (Griffin-Ford)

" A model that explains urban growth in Latin America, featuring a distinct commercial spine and peripheral squatter settlements."

Megacities

"Cities with populations exceeding 10 million, often facing challenges like congestion and infrastructure strain"

Metacities

Urban areas with populations exceeding 20 million, exhibiting complex urban growth patterns.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

"A region that includes a central city and its surrounding suburbs with a high degree of social and economic integration."

Mixed land use

"The combination of residential, commercial, and industrial functions in a single area to promote sustainable urban development."

Neighborhood government

Local goverment structures managing community affairs within a city

New Urbanism

An urban planning movement promoting walkability, mixed-use development, and sustainable design

Nodal region

A region centered around a focal point (eg, a metropolitan area with surrounding suburbs

Periphery

In world-systems thoory, the less-developed countries that provide raw materials and labor to core countries

Primate city

A city that is disproportionately larger than other cities in a country and dominates economic and political life

Qualitative data

Non-numerical data used in human geography, such as interviews and observations

Quantitative data

Numerical data used to analyze geographic patterns, such as census statistics

Rank-size rule

A pattern in which a country's second-largest city is half the size of the largest city, the third-largest is a third, and so on

Redlining

A discriminatory practice where banks and insurers refuse services to certain neighborhoods based on racial composition

Sanitation

Public health measures related to waste disposal, water quality, and cleanliness in urban environments

Semi-periphery

Countries that are industrializing and have characteristics of both core and periphery nations

Site

The physical characteristics of a place, such as climate, topography, and natural resources

Situation

The location of a place relative to other places and its connectivity

Slow-growth cities

Urban areas that implement policies to control and manage population growth

Smart-growth policies

Urban planning strategies that aim to reduce sprawl and promote sustainable development

Southeast Asian City Model (McGee)

A model describing cities in Southeast Asia, featuring a port as the main focal point

Sprawl

The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into surrounding rural land

Squatter settlements

Unplanned, informal housing developments lacking legal ownership and basic services

State government

the government responsible for governing a state within a country

Suburban sprawl

the spread of low-density, car-dependent suburban development

Suburbanization

the movement of people and businesses from urban centers to surrounding suburbs

Sustainable design initiatives

urban planning efforts aimed at reducing environmental impact and improving livability

Transportation-oriented development

urban development centered around public transit hubs

Urban growth boundaries

restrictions on urban expansion to preserve rural land

Urban renewal

Programs aimed at revitalizing decaying urban areas

Urban sustainability

Strategies to create environmentally friendly, livable cities

Urbanization

the increase in population and infrastructure in cities

Walkability

the degree to which a city or neighborhood is pedestrian-friendly

Water Quality

the safety and cleanliness of water sources in urban environments

World cities

cities that serve as global economic, cultural and political hubs

Zones of abandonment

urban areas that have been deserted due to economic decline

Zoning practices

government regulations that control land use and urban development

Zone of Transition

the area between the CBD and residential zones, often undergoing change