Unit 6 Vocab

Blockbusting

A practice where real estate agents convince white homeowners to sell their properties at low prices by suggesting that racial minorities are moving into the neighborhood.

Borchert’s Epochs of Urban Growth

A model proposed by John Borchert that identifies five distinct periods of urban growth in the United States based on changes in transportation and communication technology.

Brown Field

Abandoned or underused industrial and commercial sites that may have environmental contamination.

Census

An official count of a population, often including demographic details.

Christaller’s Central Place Theory

A theory that explains the distribution and size of cities and towns based on their role as central places providing goods and services.

Disamenity Zones

Areas lacking desirable services or infrastructure, often occupied by poorer populations.

Food Desert

An area where residents have limited access to affordable, healthy food.

Gentrification

The process of renovating and improving a neighborhood, often leading to increased property values and displacement of low-income residents.

Gray Field

Underutilized or outdated commercial or retail spaces.

Gravity Model

A model that predicts the interaction between two places based on their size and distance from each other.

Greenbelts

Rings of open space around cities where development is restricted.

Megacities

Cities with populations over 10 million people.

Mixed-use Commercial

Developments that combine residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

New Urbanism

A planning movement promoting walkable neighborhoods and mixed-use development.

Primate City

A city that is disproportionately larger and more influential than other cities in the country.

Redlining

A discriminatory practice where banks refuse to lend money or offer mortgages in minority neighborhoods.

Rank-Size Rule

A rule that states the population of a city should be inversely proportional to its rank.

Slow-Growth Cities

Cities that limit growth to avoid the negative effects of urban sprawl.

Smart-Growth Policy

Policies designed to encourage sustainable urban development.

Suburban Sprawl

The spread of low-density residential areas outside urban centers.

Zones of Abandonment

Areas that have been deserted due to economic or social decline.

Agglomeration

The clustering of businesses and industries in a particular area for mutual benefit.

Bid-Rent Theory

A theory that explains how the price and demand for land change as the distance from the central business district (CBD) increases.

Central Business District (CBD)

The downtown or commercial center of a city where businesses and commerce are concentrated.

Counterurbanization

The movement of people from urban areas to rural areas or smaller towns.

Decentralization

The process of shifting population and businesses from the city center to suburban and rural areas.

Edge City

A large center of business and retail that has emerged on the outskirts of a metropolitan area.

Exurbs

Residential areas located beyond the suburbs, often inhabited by wealthier individuals seeking more space.

Filtering

The process through which houses are passed from one social group to another, often leading to decline over time.

Infrastructure

The basic physical systems of a city, including transportation, utilities, and communication networks.

Land-Use Zoning

The legal regulations that control how land can be used (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial).

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

A large city and its surrounding areas that are linked economically and socially.

Mixed-Income Development

A housing strategy that combines market-rate and affordable housing in the same area.

Public Housing

Government-funded housing for low-income residents.

Revitalization

The process of renovating or improving an urban area to attract new businesses and residents.

Segregation

The separation of groups of people based on race, income, or ethnicity within an urban environment.

Shantytown

An informal settlement with poor housing and lack of infrastructure, often found on the edges of cities.

Squatter Settlement

An informal and often illegal settlement where people build housing on land they do not own.

Urban Hierarchy

A ranking of settlements based on their size and economic function.

Urban Renewal

Programs that aim to redevelop urban areas, often involving displacement of existing residents.

World City

A city that serves as a major center for finance, trade, culture, and communication on a global scale.