Urbanization and City Structure Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts regarding urbanization, city structure, suburbanization, and sustainability.

What is urbanization?

The process of developing cities and towns.

Define ecumene.

A permanent settlement inhabited a portion of the earth’s surface.

List the three settlement classifications mentioned in the lecture.

Rural areas, urban areas, suburban areas.

How did agriculture lead to permanent settlements?

It allowed people to stop hunting and gathering, which forced them to move.

What are the three characteristics of the first cities?

Food supply, social classification, and leadership roles.

What does percent urban measure?

The ratio of people living in urban areas to those in rural areas.

Define city-state.

A city surrounded by territory and agriculture/rural settlements.

What are the earliest urban hearths mentioned?

Nile River Valley, Indus River, Huang-He River, Tigris-Euphrates Valley.

Define metropolitan area.

An area consisting of neighboring cities that connect.

What is the difference between metropolitan statistical area and micropolitan statistical area?

Metropolitan has at least 50,000 people; micropolitan has more than 10,000 but less than 50,000.

Define suburbanization.

A large residential area near an urban area.

What is sprawl?

The growing size of cities in terms of land.

What is gentrification?

The process of converting an urban neighborhood from low-income to high-income.

What is urban infill?

The process of using undeveloped land in urban areas.

What are smart growth policies?

Policies aimed at making cities more sustainable and combating urban sprawl.

What is the primary goal of transit-oriented development (TOD)?

To create compact areas by locating business communities and mixed-use neighborhoods near transportation sites.

Define brownfield.

Areas of ruined buildings and polluted or contaminated soil.

What do urban canyons refer to?

Urban areas where structures create intensified winds and block sunlight.

What are food deserts?

Urban zones that lack food stores, contributing to health problems.

What characterizes a world/global city?

Cities of significant power that influence global dynamics.

What is the significance of density gradient in urban planning?

It describes how residential areas change from dense to less dense as distance from the city center increases.

How do cars affect urban infrastructure?

They consume valuable urban land for parking and contribute to pollution.

Define redlining.

The practice of denying loans to residents in certain urban areas, often affecting minorities.

What is the Fair Housing Act of 1968?

Legislation that made it illegal to deny housing to minorities.

How does environmental injustice relate to urban areas?

It refers to the preferential placement of marginalized communities in hazardous locations.

Why are communication networks important for cities?

They help attract corporations and support economic growth.

What challenges do megacities face in Asia and Africa?

Pollution, disease, high prices, and civil unrest.

What does the term 'exurb' refer to?

A residential area beyond the suburban area, usually private and calmer.

What are some criticisms of smart growth?

High prices, congestion, limited housing options, and potential for increased crime.

What role does sustainability play in urban planning?

It aims to reduce urban sprawl and mitigate environmental impacts.

How does filtering work in residential zones?

The process of a house passing from one social group to another.

What is the gravity model?

It predicts that larger and closer places interact more than smaller and farther places.

What defines a prime city?

A city that is significantly larger and more powerful than its second largest city.

Why do cities engage in urban renewal?

To clear slums and build new developments.