AP Human Geography Unit 6

Central place theory

States that settlements are located una hierarchical pattern, with larger settlements serving as central places that provide goods and services to smaller settlements in the surrounding area

• created by Walter Christaller in 1933

• Seeks to explain the number, size, and location of human settlements in an urban system

Megacities

Urban areas with a population of over 10 million people

• eg Paris

Metacities

Urban areas with a population exceeding 20 million people

• Eg. Tokyo

Challenges of urbanization

• traffic

• Pollution

• Crime

• Waste

• Rising property prices

Rank size rule

An observation about the relationship between population size and city ranking within a country

• second largest city will be ½ the size of the largest city, third largest city will be 1/3 the size the largest city, etc.

• Eg. The US

Primate city

The largest city in its country or region, significantly larger than any others in the urban hierarchy

• typically the economic, political, and cultural hub of the country

• Disproportionate influence over the rest of the country

Alpha cities

Plays a significant role in the global economic network

• primary hub for finance, commerce, trade, arts, culture, etc.

• direct impact on economic and political global affairs

Beta cities

A city that links moderate economic regions into the world system

• important but not vital to global economic functions

• Eg. Chicago, Barcelona, Amsterdam

Gamma cities

A city that links smaller regions or countries into the world system

• less influence than alpha or beta cities

Metropolis

A very large city often regarded as the central or main city of a country or region

• large population, offers many services

Megapolis

A chain of roughly adjacent metropolitan areas, which are interconnected with each other

• this term can be used to describe a region that consists of several large cities and their surrounding areas in close proximity

Urban structure models (city models)

Theoretical frameworks that represent the structure and organization of cities, explaining how different areas within a city serve different purposes

Concentric Zone Model

An urban model designed by Ernest Burgess suggesting that cities grow outward from a central area in concentric rings (like the layers of an onion)

• center is the most densely populated and developed area

• Social and economic characteristics tend to be homogeneous within each zone

First layer of concentric zone model

CBD

Second layer of concentric zone model

Transition zone

Third layer of concentric zone model

Low income housing zone

Fourth layer of concentric zone model

Middling income housing zone

Fifth (outer) layer of the concentric zone model

Commuting zone

Sector model

An urban land use model proposed by Homer Hoyt in 1939 suggesting cities develop in sectors, rather than rings, and these sectors extend out from the CBD

• determined by transportation accessibility, land availability, and social/economic factors

• Each sector has a distinct social structure

• Outer regions characterized by residential land use

Multiple nuclei model

Developed by geographers C.D Harris and E.L Ullman in 1945 and suggests that a city develops around several centers, each serving a different purpose

• location and type of land use within a city is determined by a combination of transportation accessibility, land availability, and social/economic factors

• No CBD

Bid-rent theory

Land/real estate/ rental costs are higher in and around a city’s central businesses district due to demand

peripheral model (galactic city)

Proposes that large, sprawling developments on the outskirts of metropolitan areas are becoming a distinctive feature or contemporary urban landscapes

• home to white-collar workers who commute to the city center for work

Latin American City Model

Shares similarities with the concentric zone and sector models

• center market shares CBD with a modern business center plus religious and government buildings

• Wealthy residents live in the blocks adjoining both sides of the spine

• A radial Road circles the city

• Disamenity zones are high-poverty areas that often include squatter settlements

African city model

• concentric rings and sectors radiating from the center

• Has 2 CBDs: created by colonial power, traditional, a zone for open-air markets

Southeast Asian City Model

Represents Southeast Asian cities that grow around ports and lack a clearly defined CBD

• only two formal zones remain constant: the port zone and a zone of intensive market gardening on the periphery

• Share characteristics with the concentric model

Land-use segregation

Things such as economic activities, housing types, ethnic groups, and government zones all tend to be in discrete zones

Areal differentiation

The process of distinguishing one geographical area or region from another based on its unique physical and cultural characteristics

zoning

municipal or local laws or regulations that govern how real property can and cannot be used in certain geographic areas

Suburban sprawl (suburbanization)

The growth of cities outside of an urban area

Edge city

An urban area with a large suburban residential and business area surrounding it

Exurbs

Residential, prosperous, but rural areas beyond the suburbs

Leapfrog development

When developers skip over land to obtain cheaper land further away from cities, thus, leaving huge areas empty between the city and the new development

Squatter settlements

A collection of buildings aimed to provide housing and shelter for poor people in a city

• people who live here do not have legal rights to the land

Favelas

A slum or shantytown located within or on the outskirts of the countries largest cities

Disamenity zones

The very poorest parts of cities that in extreme cases are not even connected to city services

Infrastructure

The basic physical and organizational structures needed for a society to function

High-density housing

Eg. High rise apartment complex

Medium-density housing

Eg. A suburb with more than 1,000 people living within a square mile

Low-density housing

An exurb where neighboring houses each own an acre of land

Infilling

Where open space presents an economic opportunity for landowners to build small multi-family housing units, placing more people into existing city blocks

Urban filtering

The process by which homes depreciate in quality as they age and tend to be occupied by lower-income households

Sustainable design

Optimizes building performance and minimizes negative impacts on building occupants and the environment

Smart Growth

An overall approach of development and conservation strategies that can help protect our health and natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, socially diverse, and resilient to climate change

Smart growth policies

• mix land use

• Take advantage of compact building design

• Create a range of housing opportunities and choices

• Create walkable neighborhoods

• Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place

• Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environments

• Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities

• Provide a variety of transportation choices

• Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective

• Community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions

Urban sprawl

The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into rural areas due to population growth over time

• characterized by low-density residential housing units located relatively far from from commercial centers

New urbanism

A planning and development approach that promotes walkable, mixed-use neighborhood design, diverse populations, and spaces that are vibrant and human scaled

• promotes environmentally friendly habitats

Slow-growth cities

Slow the pace or development to retain sense of place and preserve open space

• part of smart growth policies

Urban growth boundaries

Borders to a city’s edges to limit how far a city can expand outward

Greenbelt

Areas of undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas

• designed to limit urban sprawl and preserve natural environment

West European City model

Urban filtering

The process of subdivision of houses and occupancy by successive waves lower-income

• less maintained building

• Lower rent costs

Redlining

When a lending institution refuses to offer home loans on the basis of a neighborhood’s racial or ethnic makeup

Blockbusting

When real estate agents would stir up concern that African-American families would soon move into a neighborhood to convince white property owners to sell their houses at below-market prices

gentrification

Process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses, often displacing current inhabitants in the process

• leads to renovation of older buildings and increases property value

• Causes alterations or loss of cultural or historic landmarks

Affords housing

The financial capacity of individuals or families to rent or buy adequate housing without compromising other basic needs

Inclusionary zones

Municipal and county planning ordinances that require a given share of new construction to be affordable by people with low to moderate incomes

Public housing

Government-subsidized residential buildings provided for low-income families

Rent control

A government program that places a ceiling on the amount that a property owner can charge for leasing a home or renewing a lease

Urban growth boundaries

separates urban areas from the surrounding natural and agricultural lands

• eg. Greenbelts

Farmland protection

Discourages Federal activities that would convert farmland to non agricultural purposes

Urban renewal

A process of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities

Brownfields

Abandoned or underused industrial/commercial facilities where redevelopment is complicated by environmental contamination

Grayfields

Underutilized real estate or land area

• things like shopping centers/malls are especially susceptible to this as their layouts no longer meet current trends

Urban infilling

Can redevelop these areas and put the land to better use