Unit 6 Notes - Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes

Urbanization

Process of developing towns and cities.

Site

Characteristics at the immediate location (physical features, climate, labor force, structures).

Situation

Location relative to surroundings and connectivity (e.g., near a mine, coast, railroad).

City-State

Urban center (city) and surrounding territory/agricultural villages.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

City of ≥50,000 people + county + adjacent counties with high social/economic integration (U.S. definition).

Micropolitan Statistical Area

Cities of >10,000 inhabitants (but <50,000) + county + integrated surrounding counties.

Borchert's Transportation Model

Urban growth based on transportation technology epochs: Sail-Wagon, Iron Horse, Steel Rail, Auto-Air-Amenity.

Suburbanization

People moving from cities to residential areas on the outskirts.

Boomburbs

Rapidly growing communities over 100,000 (not the largest city in metro area).

Edge Cities

New mini downtowns of hotels, malls, restaurants, and office complexes along transportation routes.

Megacities

Population > 10 million.

Metacities

Continuous urban area > 20 million. Interconnected urban systems.

Megalopolis

Connected cities (e.g., Bos-Wash Corridor).

Conurbation

Uninterrupted urban area made of towns, suburbs, and cities.

Exurbs

Prosperous residential districts beyond the suburbs.

Deurbanization

Urban residents leaving cities (Counter-Urbanization).

World Cities

Cities exerting influence beyond national boundaries; control centers for the global economy.

Urban Hierarchy

Cities ranked by influence or population size within an urban system.

Rank Size Rule

The nth largest city in a region will be 1/n the size of the largest city.

Primate City

The largest city in an urban system is more than twice as large as the second largest.

Gravity Model

Larger, closer places have more interaction than smaller, farther ones.

Central Place Theory

Explains city distribution based on central places providing goods and services.

Threshold

Necessary population to support a business or service.

Range

Distance people travel to obtain goods or services.

Higher Order Services

Specialty businesses need a large population.

Lower Order Services

Basic services on daily basis; require a low population.

Hexagonal Hinterlands

Market areas shaped as hexagons.

Concentric Zone Model

Model of urban structure with rings of different land uses around a central business district (CBD).

Hoyt Sector Model

Model of urban structure with sectors radiating out from a central business district (CBD) along transportation routes.

Multiple Nuclei Model

Model of urban structure with several nodes of activity, rather than a single central business district (CBD).

Galactic City Model

A post-industrial city model where the city is decentralized and has edge cities. (also, Peripheral Model)

Squatter Zones

Areas, often in developing countries, where people live without legal rights to the land.

Disamenity Zones

The very poorest parts of cities that in extreme cases are not even connected to city services and may be controlled by gangs or drug lords.

Traditional CBD

The central business district often in older cities that developed historically, usually before World War II.

Colonial CBD

The central business district a legacy of colonial rule and urban planning with distinctive architectural design and functions.

Latin American City Model

A model describing urban structure, has a CBD and a spine of services and amenities with squatter settlements.

African City Model

A model describing urban characteristics, including a traditional CBD, a colonial CBD, and a market zone.

Southeast Asian City Model

A model describing urban land use, with a port zone and lacking a formal CBD.

Infilling/Urban Infill

Building on underused lands within a city.

Zoning Ordinances

Regulations defining how property may be used (residential, commercial, industrial).

Urban Planning

A process of promoting growth and controlling land use.

Infrastructure

Basic structures/facilities for society's operation (e.g., buildings, roads).

Municipal

Relating to a city or town or its government.

Municipality

A city or town with its own government.

Sustainability

Using resources to ensure availability for future generations.

Greenbelts

Areas of undeveloped land around an urban area.

New Urban Design

Urban planning approaches focused on creating walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods.

Mixed-Use Development

Developments with a mix of residential, commercial, and/or industrial uses.

Smart Growth Policies

Concentrate development to combat sprawl.

Slow Growth Policies

Limit growth

Quantitative Data

Data that can be measured numerically.

Qualitative Data

Data that contains descriptions and characteristics.

Redlining

practice denying services to residents of certain neighborhoods based on race or ethnicity

Blockbusting

practice of real estate agents convincing white property owners to sell at low prices because of fear that persons of color will soon move into the neighborhood

Inclusionary Zoning

Zoning regulations that create incentives or requirements for affordable housing development in new developments

Zones of Abandonment

Areas in a city that have been deserted by their owners or occupants

Urban Renewal

redevelopment of areas within a large city, typically involving the clearance of old buildings

Eminent Domain

The right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, even if the owner does not wish to sell it.

Gentrification

process of wealthier residents moving into a less affluent neighborhood and improving it

Informal Settlements

areas where groups of housing units have been constructed on land that the occupants have no legal claim to, or occupy illegally; Unplanned settlements.

Suburban Sprawl

The expansion of human populations away from central urban areas into low-density, car-dependent communities.

Ecological Footprint

An estimated amount of land needed to support a person's lifestyle.

Brownfields

A property which has the presence or potential to be a hazardous waste, pollutant or contaminant.

Urban Redevelopment

Rebuilding parts of a city