AP Human Geography Unit 7: Cities and Urbanization

Urban Hierarchies

• Megacity - over 10 million; 35 in world and growing

• Megalopolis/Conurbation - several Metro areas linked (BOSNYWASH)

• Metropolitan (Metro) Area - over 50,000 to millions

• City - tens of thousands

• Towns - a few thousand

• Village - 100 or so

• Hamlet - few dozen

• Isolated dwelling - 1-10

Urban Hierarchies Population - Megacity

Over 10 million; 35 in world and growing

Urban Hierarchies Population - Megalopolis/Conurbation

Several Metro areas linked (BOSNYWASH)

100,001 - 1,000,000

Urban Hierarchies Population - Metropolitan (Metro) Area

Over 50,000 to millions

Urban Hierarchies Population - City

Tens of thousands

Urban Hierarchies Population - Towns

A few thousand

2,001 - 100,000

Urban Hierarchies Population - Village

100 or so

101 - 2,000

Urban Hierarchies Population - Hamlet

Few dozen

11 - 100

Urban Hierarchies Population - Isolated Dwelling

1-10

The Settlement Hierarchy

Population, size, and sphere of influence of settlement increases BUT number of settlements decreases

Settlement Patterns

• Dispersed

• Linear

• Nucleated

Settlement Patterns - Dispersed

Refers to the scattering of houses over a large area.

Settlement Patterns - Linear

Refers to the grouping of houses along a line.

Ex) River, roads, railway tracks, along the coast

Settlement Patterns - Nucleated

Refers to the grouping of many houses around a centre called a nucleus.

Ex) Road intersections, focal points of an area, confluences of rivers

City: Main Function

To act as an economic hub or concentrator

Types of Cities

• Emerging

• Gateway

• Entrepot

Types of Cities - Emerging

City growing in population, economic + political influence

Often in developing countries

Ex) Bangkok, Hanoi, Dubai

Types of Cities - Gateway

City connects one area or region to another

Ex) St. Louis (east to west USA), NYC (immigrants from Europe to USA)

Types of Cities - Entrepot

A major port city where goods are imported or exported

Ex) Shanghai, NYC, London, Longbeach California

What are the most influential cities?

New York, London, Tokyo

Examples of Alpha Cities

Shanghai, Singapore, LA, Mumbai

Examples of Beta Cities

Chicago, Berlin, Paris, Mexico City, Rio

Examples of Gamma Cities

Jakarta, Atlanta, Rome

Functional Zonation

The internal division of the city into certain regions (zones) for certain purposes (functions) “zoning laws”

Not random; cities are spatially organized to preform their functions as places of commerce, entertainment, production, or education

USA Zoning

• Little national government involvement (local gov.)

• Segregated zones (residential, commercial, industrial, historic) the norm

• Preference for single-family residential zones (sub-divisions)

• Large planning zones

Europe Zoning

• Strong national government involvement

• Mixed use development the norm

• No strong preference for single-family residential zones

• Smaller planning zones (blocks)

US City Characteristics

• Poorer central area; suburbs wealthy

• More car dependent

• Less walkable

• Cheaper energy; lower overall cost of living; lower unemployment

• Government policies favor suburbs, lower taxes on cars and fuel

European City Characteristics

• Richer central area; suburbs poorer

• Better mass transit

• More walkable; narrow streets

• Less violent crime

• Government policies favor less pollution, mixed zoning, higher taxes on fuel and cars

• Fewer skyscrapers

Basic Industry

City forming industry

Non-basic Industry

City serving economic activities, from services to government to manufacturing

Evolution of American Cities

1) Wagon-Sail

2) Iron-Horse

3) Steel-Rail

4) Auto-Air

5) Computer-Internet

Wagon Sail

1st in the Evolution of American Cities

1790s-1830s

Ex) Boston, Charleston, Philadelphia

Iron Horse

2nd in the Evolution of American Cities

1830-1870

Ex) Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco

Steel Rail

3rd in the Evolution of American Cities

1870-1920

Ex) Denver, LA, Dallas, Houston

Auto Air

4th in the Evolution of American Cities

1950-1980s

Ex) Phoenix, Vegas, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte

Computer Internet

5th in the Evolution of American Cities

1990s-now

Ex) “new'“ urbanization and gentrification

Central Place Theory

Developed by Walter Christaller

Predicts how and where central places in the urban hierarchy will be functionally and spatially distributed.

Range

The maximum distance people will travel to purchase a product or service

Ex) Convenience —> Low range

Ex) Apple Store —> High range

Why? Scarcity

Threshold

The minimum number of customers needed for a product or business to succeed

Ex) Soda can —> High threshold (sell a lot)

Ex) Waterbed —> Low threshold (sell a few)

Why? How often do you need to buy it?

Hinterland

The area in which a product or business, or where any place had influence

Sometimes called the “market area'“

Often use Census Tracts (areas with about 3-8 thousand people) to locate business

Hexagonal Hinterlands

Gravity Model

The greater the influence of a city, the greater it’s impact on other cities/places around it

Larger cities pull people in from larger distances

NYC and London have more connections than NYC and Richmond

Rank Size Rule

The size of cities within a country will be in proportion to each other.

Ex) The 2nd largest city will be 1/2 the size of the largest city'; the 3rd largest should be 1/3 the size of the largest

Primate Cities

A dominant city with more than 2x the population of the next largest city

Ex) London, Paris, Mexico City

USA City Models

• Concentric

• Sector

• Multiple Nuclei

• Urban Realms

• Galactic Periphery

USA City Models - Time Period: Concentric

1920

USA City Models - Time Period: Sector

1930s

USA City Models - Time Period: Multiple Nuclei

1940s/50s

USA City Models - Time Period: Urban Realms

1960s/70s

USA City Models - Time Period: Galactic Periphery

1960s/70s/80s

Concentric Zone Model Image

“Burgess Model”

Sector Model Image

“Hoyt’s”

Multiple Nuclei Model

Urban Realms Model

The Peripheral Model

Also known as the “Galactic”

Global City Models

• Latin American

• African

• Islamic

• South East Asian

Latin American City Model

“The Griffin-Ford Model”

South East Asian Model

“The McGee Model”

Global Urban Pattern: Moscow

• Large core

• Lots of large apartment blocks from USSR era

• Lots of public transportation

• Notice “spines” of development?

Global Urban Pattern: Paris

• Very dense older urban core

• Two large airports

• Very walkable; car not as necessary

• Poorer areas on periphery

Global Urban Pattern: Boston

• Older city core

• Few “loops and lollipops'“ suburban subdivisions

• Not as car dependent

• Port centered

Global Urban Pattern: Shanghai

• Massive industrial presence

• Large dense core

• Little impact from cars, yet…

Global Urban Pattern: Atlanta

• LOTS of subdivisions (suburban sprawl)

• Car dominated city

• Lots office parks

• Poorer area in core

The Suburbs: America’s Dream?

• Outside primary city

• Car/commuter oriented

• Larger homes/plots (high energy use)

• Cheaper land

• Higher % of families w kids

• Can be very segregated

Redlining

A practice used to limit minorities of gaining loans and access to business and residential property near white neighborhoods

Began in 1930s

Outlawed in 1970s

White Flight

The movement of white urban residents to the suburbs, away from more ethnically and racially diverse areas.

Began in 1940/50s

Still happens today

Racial Steering

The practice in which real estate brokers guide prospective home buyers towards or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race.

Blockbusting

The practice in which real-estate brokers convinced white residents to sell their homes undervalue because of fears of minorities moving into the neighborhood.

New Trends in City Design

• Walkup (Walkable Urban Place)

• Walkable Neighborhood

• Drivable Edge City

• Drivable Sub-division

New Urbanism

A movement to redesign urban and suburban spaces.

What did New Urbanism Promote?

• Walkability

• Biking

• Environment Sustainability

• More energy efficiencies

• Mixed use development

• Mixed income development

• Denser development

• ‘Older” style and “retro” architechture

“Urban Death Loop”

A negative feedback cycle where one negative development in a city leads to a chain of other negative consequences, potentially causing the city's economy and quality of life to decline. It happens when businesses close, people move out of a city, and in turn, tax revenue goes down.

Gentrification

The process in which wealthier people begin to move into poorer neighborhoods in older areas of the city.

What does Gentrification Cause?

• Homes improved, new businesses open

• Property values, rents, and taxes increase over time.

• Poorer citizens are forced to move to other parts of the area or region; some become homeless