APHG Unit 6 Vocab

Urban Area

a city and its surrounding suburbs

Metropolitan Area

a city and the surrounding areas that are influenced economically and culturally by the city

Urban Sprawl

areas of poorly planned, low-density development surrounding a city

Suburb

less densely populated residential and commercial areas surrounding a city

Edge City

a type of community located on the outskirts of a larger city with commercial centers with office space, retail complexes, and other amenities typical of an urban center

Primate City

the largest city in a country, which far exceeds the next city in population size and importance

Mega City

a city with a population of more than 10 million

Meta City

a city with a population of more than 20 million

Central Place Theory

a theory used to describe the spatial relationship between cities and their surrounding communities

Threshold

in central place theory, the number of people needed to support a business

Range

in central place theory, the distance that someone is willing to travel for a good or service

Concentric Zone Model

a model of urban development depicting a city growing outward from a central business district in a series of concentric rings

Sector Model

a model of urban development depicting a city with wedge-shaped sectors and divisions emanating from the central business district, generally along transit routes

Multiple-Nuclei Model

a model of urban development depicting a city where growth occurs around the progressive integration of multiple nodes, not around one central business district

Node

the focal point of a functional region

Galactic City Model

a model of urban development depicting a city where economic activity has moved from the central business district toward loose coalitions of other urban areas and suburbs; also known as the peripheral model

Zoning

the process of dividing a city or urban area into zones within which only certain land uses are permitted

Infrastructure

the many systems and facilities that a country needs in order to function properly

Walkability

a measure of how safe, convenient, and efficient it is to walk in an urban environment

New Urbanism

a school of thought that promotes designing growth to limit the amount of urban sprawl and preserve nature and usable farmland

Defacto -Segregation

segregation that results from residential settlement patterns rather than from prejudicial laws

Redling

practice by which a financial institution such as a bank refuses to offer home loans on the basis of a neighborhood’s racial or ethnic makeup

Block Busting

a practice by real estate agents who would stir up concern that Black families would soon move into a neighborhood; the agents would convince White property owners to sell their houses at below-market prices

Eminent Domain

a government’s right to take over privately owned property for public use or interest

Urban Renew

the nationwide movement that developed in the 1950s and 1960s when U.S. cities were given massive federal grants to tear down and clear out crumbling neighborhoods and former industrial zones as a means of rebuilding their downtowns

Gentrification

the renovations and improvements conforming to middle-class preferences

Central Business District

the central location where the majority of consumer services are located in a city or town because the accessibility of the location attracts these services

Site

a place’s absolute location, as well as its physical characteristics, such as the landforms, climate, and resources

Situation

location of a place in relation to other places or its surrounding features

Rank Size Rule

explanation of size of cities within a country; states that the second largest city will be one-half the size of the largest, the third largest will be one-third the size of the largest, and so on