AP Human Geography: Unit 6 Terms

ecumene

the permanently inhabited portion of the earth’s surface

site

describes the characteristics at the immediate location

situation

refers to the location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places

city

a place where people come together to build a clustered settlement and have relatively high concentrations of people

metropolitan area

a collection of cities that are all economically connected and the population density is high and continuous

suburbanization

the process of people moving from cities to residential areas on the outskirts of cities

sprawl

the rapid expansion of the spatial extent of a city

leap-frog development

developers purchase land and build communities beyond the periphery of the city’s built area

edge cities

nodes of economic activity that have developed in the periphery of large cities. They formed because they are usually located by major transportation routes.

exurbs

the prosperous residential districts beyond the suburbs. They formed because people who live in ____ usually work remotely via technology and remove the need to commute.

boomburbs

rapidly growing communities with a total population of over 100k people but are not the largest city in the metro area. They formed because they develop differently than a traditional city.

counter-urbanization

the counter-flow of urban residents leaving cities

megacity

a city that has a population of more than 10 million people

metacity

a continuous urban area w/ a population greater than 20 million people and has a network of urban areas that have grown together to form a larger interconnected urban system

world cities

cities that exert influence far beyond their national boundaries. They typically have media hubs, financial centers w/ influential stock exchanges, banks, and headquarters of multinational corporations.

rank-size rule

describes one way in which the sizes of cities within a region may develop.

The Nth largest settlement is roughly 1/n the population of the largest settlement.

primate city

more developed than other cities in the system and more powerful

the gravity model

larger and closer places will have more interactions than places that are smaller and farther apart from each other

market area

(Christaller’s Central Place Theory) a zone that contains people who will purchase goods or services

threshold

(Christaller’s Central Place Theory) the size of the population necessary for any particular service to exist and remain profitable

range

(Christaller’s Central Place Theory) the distance people will travel to obtain specific goods or services

central business district

the commercial heart of a city and is the focus of transportation and services

bid-rent theory

explains that land in the center of a city will have higher value than land farther away from the CBD, meaning that land use will be more intense and costs will be higher closer to the CBD

industrial/commercial zone

the zone outside the CBD dedicated to industry and may include manufacturing, warehousing, and transportation. generally separated from residential areas.

zoning ordinances

regulations that define how property in specific geographic regions are used. The 3 categories are:

• residential

• commercial

• industrial

residential density gradient

the variation of population and housing-unit density moving farther from the inner city. as one moves farther from the inner city, population and housing-unit density declines.

filtering

houses pass from one social group to another

invasion and succession

the process by which one social or ethnic group gradually replaces another through filtering

urban infill

the process of increasing the residential density of an area by replacing open space and vacant housing w/ residencies.

infrastructure

the facilities and systems that serve the population

redlining

the process by which banks refuse loans to those who want to purchase and improve properties in certain urban areas

blockbusting

when people of an ethnic group sold their homes upon learning that members of another ethnic group were moving into the neighborhood

inclusionary zoning

offers incentives for developers to set aside a percentage of housing for low-income renters or buyers

eminent domain

allows the government to claim private property from individuals, pay them for the property, and then use the land for the public good

gentrification

the process of converting an urban inner-city neighborhood from a mostly low-income, renter-occupied area to a predominantly wealthier, owner-occupied area of a city

informal settlements

densely populated areas built without coordinated planning and without sufficient public services for electricity, water, and sewage

zone of disamenity

abandoned land, or undeveloped open spaces such as parks

zone of abandonment

areas of a city that have been deserted by their owners for either economic or environmental reasons

environmental racism

the disproportionate exposure of minorities and the poor to pollution and its impacts and the unequal protection of their rights under the law

food deserts

urban zones that lack food zones and contribute to health problems for poorer residents

ecological footprint

the impact of human activity on the environment

brownfields

abandoned lots being targeted for development. They are visual reminders on the landscape of how the centers of cities have changed over time.

smart growth policies

policies made to combat urban sprawl and help cities become more sustainable and equitable

new urban design

a set of strategies to put smart growth into action within communities

transit-oriented development

locates mixed-use residential and business communities near mass transit stops, resulting in the creation of more compact communities, decreasing the need for automobiles