Unit 8: AP Human Geo

Ecumene

The permanently inhabited portion of the Earth's surface.

Rural Areas

Areas with low population density, typically associated with agriculture.

Urban Areas

Areas with high population density, characterized by cities and towns.

Suburbs

Primarily residential areas located near cities.

Urbanization

The process of developing towns and cities.

Site

The characteristics of the immediate location of a city.

Situation

The location of a place relative to its surroundings.

City-State

An urban center and its surrounding territory that forms an independent political entity.

Urban Hearth

An area where large cities first emerged due to agricultural surplus.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

A city of at least 50,000 people and surrounding counties with economic and social integration.

Urban Area

A central city and its surrounding developed land.

Micropolitan Statistical Area

A city with 10,000-50,000 people, plus its county and adjacent counties.

Nodal Region

A focal point in a region of connections, such as an MSA.

Time-Space Compression

Technological advancements reducing the friction of distance.

Borchert Transportation Model

A model explaining urban growth in relation to transportation technology epochs.

Pedestrian Cities

Cities shaped by the distances people could walk before mechanized transport.

Streetcar Suburbs

Communities that grew along streetcar lines, forming a pinwheel city structure.

Suburbanization

The movement of people from cities to residential areas on the outskirts.

Urban Sprawl

The rapid expansion of a city into the surrounding countryside.

Boomburbs

Rapidly growing communities with over 100,000 people, but not the largest in their metro area.

Edge Cities

Economic nodes developing on the periphery of large cities.

Sprawl

The rapid spatial expansion of a city into low-density areas.

Leap-Frog Development

Construction occurring beyond a city-built-up area, leaving gaps in development.

Counter-Urbanization

The movement of urban residents to rural or exurban areas.

Reurbanization

The return of people to urban areas after a period of suburbanization.

Megacities

Cities with a population of more than 10 million people.

Metacities

Massive urban areas exceeding 20 million people or a network of interconnected urban regions.

Megalopolis

A chain of connected cities forming a continuous urban area.

Conurbation

A region where multiple cities have grown together into a continuous urban landscape.

World Cities

Cities exerting global influence in finance, trade, and culture.

Urban Hierarchy

A ranking of cities based on influence or population size.

Nodal Cities

Regional command centers in an urban hierarchy.

Rank-Size Rule

A pattern in which a city's population is inversely proportional to its rank.

Primate City

A city that is disproportionately larger than others in a country, dominating economically and politically.

Gravity Model

A model predicting that larger and closer cities interact more than smaller or distant ones.

Central Place Theory

A model explaining the distribution of cities based on their service provision.

Threshold

The minimum population size needed for a service to be viable.

Range

The maximum distance people are willing to travel for a service.

Functional Zonation

The division of a city into areas with specific functions.

Urban Planning

The development and design of land use in urban areas.

Zoning Ordinances

Laws that regulate land use and building standards in urban areas.

Bid-Rent Theory

Explains land costs increasing closer to the central business district.

Central Business District (CBD)

The commercial and business core of a city.

Residential Zones

Areas designated primarily for housing.

Inner City

The central area of a major city, often characterized by higher population density and economic challenges.

Invasion and Succession

The process of new residents replacing previous residents in a neighborhood.

Urban Infill

The development of vacant or underutilized urban land.

Suburbanization of Business

The movement of businesses from city centers to suburban areas.

Infrastructure

Basic physical and organizational structures needed for a society, such as transportation and utilities.

Municipality

A city or town with its own local government.

Annexation

The process of incorporating new land into an existing city or municipality.

Incorporation

The process by which a community gains legal city or town status.

Bedroom Communities

Residential areas where most residents commute elsewhere for work.

Unincorporated Areas

Regions not governed by a municipal corporation.

Public Transportation

Shared transportation services, such as buses and trains.

Concentric Zone Model

A model describing urban structure as a series of rings surrounding a central business district. Poor live closer to CBD and rich live farther out

Sector Model (Hoyt Model)

A model describing urban growth as sectors radiating from the central business district. The poor live closer to transportation and Rich areas extend from the CBD to the Suburbs

Harris and Ullman Multiple-Nuclei Model

A model describing cities as having multiple centers (nodes) of activity. Poor live closer to the industrial zones and the rich areas are far from the CBD but close to Suburban CBD

Peripheral Model

A model describing urban areas with suburban neighborhoods connected by beltways and edge cities. Services & business (Ex: shopping malls) move away from the CBD

Galactic City Model

A model describing decentralized urban areas with multiple business nodes.

Mosque

A place of worship for Muslims, often a focal point in Islamic cities.

Citadel

A fortress protecting a city, often found in Islamic cities.

Suqs

Traditional markets or bazaars in Islamic cities.

Griffin-Ford Model

A model describing Latin American cities with a two-part central business district and a commercial spine.

Commercial Spine

A corridor of high-end commercial and residential development extending from the CBD.

Mall

A secondary commercial center in Latin American cities.

Perifrico

The outer ring of a Latin American city, often characterized by poverty and informal housing.

Shantytowns

Informal housing settlements on the outskirts of cities.

Favelas (Barrios)

Unplanned, low-income housing communities in Latin America.

Disamenity Zones

Areas lacking city services and often controlled by informal or criminal organizations.

Traditional CBD

The historic business center of a city.

Colonial CBD

A central business district shaped by colonial influences.

Periodic Markets

Markets that operate on specific days, often found in developing countries.

Squatter Settlements

Informal housing developments on illegally occupied land.

McGee Model

A model describing Southeast Asian cities with multiple focal points of activity.

Urban Infill

Process of increasing the residential density of an area by replacing open space and vacant housing with residencies.

Municipality

Local entity that is under the same jurisdiction.

Smart Growth

A planning strategy promoting sustainable and compact urban development.

Sustainability

Practices that meet present needs without compromising future generations.

Greenbelts

Protected areas of open land around cities to limit urban sprawl.

Slow-Growth Cities

Urban areas that implement policies to limit rapid growth.

New Urban Design

Urban planning focused on walkability, mixed land use, and sustainable growth.

Mixed-Use Neighborhoods

Areas that combine residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

Urban planning focused on high-density development around transit stations.

Livability

A measure of a place's quality of life, including accessibility, safety, and services.

Census Block

A geographic unit used by the census to collect population data.

Redlining

The practice of denying services to certain neighborhoods based on racial or economic factors.

Racial Segregation

The separation of people based on race in housing, education, and other services.

Blockbusting

A practice where real estate agents encourage homeowners to sell by stoking racial fears.

Ghettos

Urban areas dominated by a specific ethnic or racial group, often characterized by poverty.

Gentrification

Process where wealthier individuals move into and renovate urban neighborhoods, often displacing lower-income residents.

Urban Renewal

Government-led redevelopment of urban areas, sometimes leading to displacement of residents.

Gated Communities

Restricted-access residential neighborhoods with security features.

Food Desert

Urban areas lacking access to affordable, nutritious food.

Informal Settlements

Unplanned, often illegal housing areas lacking basic services.

Zones of Abandonment

Urban areas that have been deserted due to economic decline or disaster.

Urban Heat Island

Urban areas experiencing higher temperatures than their rural surroundings due to human activity.

Urban Canyons

Streets lined with tall buildings that channel wind and affect sunlight exposure.

Urban Wildlife

Animals that have adapted to living in urban environments.

Suburban Sprawl

The spread of suburban development into rural areas.