Geography - Challenges of an Urbanising world - Glossary

Central Business District (CBD)

The centre of a city where many offices and shops are located.

Commuter Village

A rural village separate from the city but within commuting distance (by car, train, etc) for its residents to work in the city.

Counter Urbanisation

Migration away from a city because of urban problems (crime, congestion, etc).

Dereliction

Where buildings are left unused or unoccupied.

Deindustrialisation

A city with a declining economy and high levels of unemployment.

Formal Work

Work agreed in a contract, with regular income and safe working conditions.

Informal Work

Self-employed or temporary work, which provides a small wage and limited health regulations.

Integrated Transport

A system that links different types of transportation to give commuters access to the whole city.

International Migration

The movement of people between countries, for work or long term residence.

Lower Income Country (LIC)

A country of low wealth and a limited level of development.

Megacity

A city with a population greater than 10 million people.

Middle Income Country (MIC)

A country of sufficient wealth and a good level of development.

Multicultural City

A city that shares and encourages many different cultures and religions, besides the national culture.

Net Migration

The total number of people entering minus the number of people leaving a country.

Population Density

The amount of people per square area of land. It's a measure of how squashed together or spread out a population is.

Pull Factors

Reasons why a person may feel attracted towards living in the city.

Push Factors

Reasons why a person may feel they need to move away from a rural area.

Quality of Life

The environment and community a person is part of, as well as their health and access to essentials.

Regeneration

A city tries to change its appearance or reputation through new building constructions.

Remittance

A family member living in a different country can send money back to their country of origin to support their family substantially.

Rural-Urban Migration

Individuals move their homes from a rural area to the urban city, for work opportunities or a better quality of life.

Social Inequality

The difference in quality of life between the highest income family and lowest income household.

Squatter Settlements

Clusters of temporary housing which migrants or low-income families live in, often built on unfavorable land.

Suburbanisation

Migration to live on the periphery (suburbs) of a city or town.

Trans-National Company (TNC)

A business with operations in more than one country.

Urban Sprawl

The process of a city growing and spreading out, taking over surrounding greenfield land.

World City

A city with global influence through politics, businesses, or travel.