AS Geo Topic 6: Urban areas and mangement

Braindrain

Skilled workers move to urban areas workers behind in turn reducing economic growth

Urban growth

the proportion of the population living in urban areas instead of rural areas

Gentrification

The process where increased investment and an influx of higher income residents into historically low income neighbourhoods drives up property values. This transformation often replaces the existing community and cultural identity, forcing long-term residents to leave the area.

Conurbation

Villages, towns and cities merging and sprawling out to make a larger settlement

Urbanisation

Increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas (towns and cities)

Suburbanisation

Movement of people and services from the centre to the edge of towns and cities (the suburbs)

Urban sprawl

Low-density outward expansion

Counterurbanisation

Movement of people away from towns and cities to the countryside

Re-urbanisation

Movement back to cities or towns, where the populations had previously declined

Urban regeneration

Re-development of a city or town that was preciously in social and economic decline

Hierarchy of urban areas

A system that ranks cities and towns based on a number of factors, such as population size and range of services and influence.

Sphere of influence

refers to the area or region around a place, like a town or city, where it has a big impact or influence.

World city

A city which has a significant influence over continental and global economies.

Primate cities

A city which has a significantly larger population than other cities in the country or area.

Alpha++ cities

In all analyses, London and New York stand out as clearly more integrated than all other cities and constitute their own high level of integration.

Alpha+

cities Other highly integrated cities that complement London and New York, largely filling in advanced service needs for Pacific Asia.

Alpha & alpha- cities

Very important world cities that link major economic regions and states into the world economy.

Beta cities

These are important world cities that are instrumental in linking their region or state into the world economy.

Gamma level cities

These can be world cities linking smaller regions or states into the world economy, or important world cities whose major global capacity is not in advanced producer services. Cities with sufficiency of services These are cities that are not world cities as defined here but they have sufficient services so as not to be overtly dependent on world cities. Two specialised categories of city are common at this level of integration

Horizontal urban structure

Urban development characterised by low-rise, dispersed development spread over a wide area, often associated with urban sprawl, suburban growth and extensive land use.

Vertical urban structure

Urban development characterised by high-rise buildings, high densities and intensive land use, often associated with central business districts or areas where land values are high.

Meaning of place

individual or collective perceptions of place.

Representation of place

how a place is portrayed or viewed/seen in society.

Sense of place

we develop our sense of place through experience and interaction with it.

Sustainable development

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.