Urban patterns vocab

Urbanization

the growth of cities and the increasing proportion of the population living in urban areas, making the place more urban.

Suburbanization

The process where people, businesses, and industries move from the central city (the urban core) to the surrounding areas (suburbs).

Megacity

A very large city, typically with a population of more than 10 million people.

Metacity

A large urban area with a population exceeding 20 million, representing the largest urban agglomerations on Earth. 

Edge cities

A concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown or central business district, in what had previously been a suburban, residential or rural area.

Boomburbs

A large, rapidly growing city that retains a suburban character, even as it reaches populations typical of urban core cities.

Urban sprawl

The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into surrounding rural land, characterized by low-density residential and commercial development, often leading to environmental and social consequences. 

Primate city

a city that has a population two or more times the population of the second largest city in the country and is the center of political & economic power.

Exurbs

Residential area beyond the suburbs, located on the fringe of a metropolitan area, characterized by low housing density and a strong connection to the city's economy and commuting patterns. 

Rank Size Rule

A country's cities are arranged in a hierarchy where the population of any city is inversely proportional to its rank in the size distribution. 

Gravity Model

Predicts interactions between places (like migration or trade) based on their population size and the distance between them, with larger populations and shorter distances leading to greater interaction. 

Christaller’s Central Place Theory

Walter Christaller in 1933, explains the spatial distribution of settlements and their functions, proposing a hierarchical system where larger settlements provide services to smaller ones, with a focus on market areas and consumer behavior. 

Infilling

Involves building on vacant or underutilized lots within existing urban areas, rather than expanding outwards into undeveloped land. 

New Urbanism

design and development movement that aims to improve quality of life by creating walkable, compact neighborhoods with diverse housing and jobs. It's based on the principles of traditional town and city building, with walkable streets and blocks, close proximity of housing and shopping, and accessible public spaces. 

Greenbelts

A policy and land-use designation, typically a ring of undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas, intended to limit urban sprawl and protect natural spaces.

Gentrification

The process where wealthier residents move into and renovate previously low-income areas, leading to increased property values and often the displacement of long-term, lower-income residents. 

Redlining

The discriminatory practice of denying or limiting financial services, such as mortgages and insurance, to residents of certain areas based on their race or ethnicity, often leading to segregation and disinvestment in those communities. 

Blockbusting

A process by which real estate agents convince white property owners to sell their houses at low prices because of fear that black families will soon move into the neighborhood.

Squatter Settlements

Areas where people live in improvised housing structures, often without legal ownership or permission to occupy the land, typically arising from rapid urbanization and lack of affordable housing.

Brownfields

Properties, often in urban areas, that have been previously used for industrial or commercial purposes and may now be contaminated with hazardous substance.