AP Human Geography Unit 6

infilling

infilling

The use of vacant land and property within a built-up area for further construction or development

suburbanization of business

The slow but steady movement of businesses to the suburbs to take advantage of a large labor force

high-density housing

there is a high density of dwellings per unit area of property

medium-density housing

there is a medium density of dwellings per unit area of property

low-density housing

there is a smaller density of dwellings per unit area of property

filtering

A process of change in the use of a house, from single-family owner to abandonment

residential density gradient

The change in density in an urban area from the center to the periphery

McGee model

southeast Asian model

residential zones

The areas of the city devoted to where people live rather than a commercial or industrial functions

urban planning

planning for the infrastructure of a city

zoning ordinances

Specific regulations that outline the requirements and restrictions within each zone set by zoning laws

periodic markets

When small vendors from all around meet up at a certain location to sell goods sometimes weekly and sometimes annually (Farmers Market)

shanty town/informal settlement

Unplanned slum development on the margins of cities, dominated by crude dwellings and shelters made mostly of scrap wood, iron, and even pieces of cardboard

periferico

A peripheral area beyond the ring highway that contains squatter settlements

griffin-ford model

latin American model

suq

an Arab market or marketplace

colonial CBD

A city that was deliberately established or developed as an administrative or commercial center by colonial or imperial powers

citadel

a strong castle in or near a city, where people can shelter from danger, especially during a war

traditional CBD

pre-colonial, small vendors, narrow streets

galactic city model

represents a city with growth independent of the CBD that is traditionally connected to the central city by means of an arterial highway or interstate

peripheral model

describes how economic, political, and social conditions influence spatial patterns in urban areas where an inner city is surrounded by large suburban residential areas

municipality

A city or town that has corporate status and local government

annexation

internationally legal addition of new territory into an existing state

bedroom communities

a commuter suburb

unincorporated areas

areas that do not fall within the legal boundary of a city or municipality

public transportation

buses, trains, subways, and other forms of transportation that charge set fares, run on fixed routes, and are available to the public

sustainability

an approach to growth that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

smart growth policies

an urban planning approach that aims to create compact, walkable, and mixed-use communities

market area/hinterland

the area surrounding a service from which customers are attracted

gravity model

provides an estimate of the volume of flows of, for example, goods, services, or people between two or more locations

lower-order services

Services that are obtained on a regular basis and require a small area to be profitable

higher-order services

Service that is required less frequently and requires a large market area to remain profitable.

conurbation

a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area

meta cities

urban areas with over 20 million people

reurbanization

The growth in population in metropolitan central cores, following a period of absolute or relative decline in population

counter-urbanization (deurbanization)

the process by which a significant portion of the population of an urban center starts to migrate away from the city to live in suburbs or rural areas

decentralization

the tendency of people or businesses and industry to locate outside the central city

slow growth cities

urban communities where the planners have put into place smart growth initiatives to decrease the rate at which the city grows horizontally to avoid the adverse affects of sprawl

New Urbanism (new urban design)

seeks to encourage local community development and sustainable growth in an urban area. Advocates would argue for greater accessibility for pedestrians in cities and a reduced dependency on cars and highways

mixed-use neighborhoods (mixed land use)

combines residential, commercial, cultural, or institutional functions into a building, block, or neighborhood

transit-oriented development (TOD)

a planning approach where residential, commercial, and recreational areas are designed to maximize access to public transportation

walkability

ability to get places by foot

boomburbs

rapidly growing (double-digit growth) suburban cities with a population greater than 100,000

sprawl

the expansion of cities and urban areas into surrounding rural or undeveloped land

leap-frog development

occurs when developers skip over land to obtain cheaper land further away from cities, thus, leaving huge areas empty between the city and the new development

streetcar suburbs

a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation

pedestrian cities

Cities shaped by the distances people can walk

Borchert's transportation model

focuses on the development of cities in relation to the development of transportation and communication

• Sail-Wagon Epoch (1790–1830), cities grow near ports and major waterways which are used for transportation;

• Iron Horse Epoch (1830–70), characterized by impact of steam engine technology, and development of steamboats and regional railroad networks;

• Steel Rail Epoch (1870–1920), dominated by the development of long haul railroads and a national railroad network;

• Auto-Air-Amenity Epoch (1920–70), with growth in the gasoline combustion engine;

• High-Technology Epoch (1970–present), expansion in service and information sectors of the economy

social heterogenity

groups where members have diverse characteristics such as differing races, religions, languages or socioeconomic statuses

nodal/functional region

An area organized around a central focal point or node

micropolitan statistical area

an urbanized area of between 10,000 and 50,000 inhabitants

population composition

the characteristics of a population. This can be age, gender, race, and occupation

livability

All the characteristics of a community that contribute to the quality of life of the people who live there

census block

the smallest geographic area for which the Bureau of the Census collects and tabulates decennial census data

eminent domain

the power of federal, state, and local governments to acquire land from private landowners and convert it to public use or to a use with public benefit

urban renewal

where cities remove residents from low income areas and rebuild the area to attaract higher income residents

scattered site

The technique of scattering small public housing projects throughout a troubled area in order to reduce likelihood of crime and other problems

inclusionary zoning

municipal and county planning ordinances that require or provide incentives when a given percentage of units in a new housing development be affordable by people with low to moderate incomes

affordability

the ability to afford resources

informal settlements

area in a city that is less developed; where people live on land illegally and build homes

land tenure

The legal rights, as defined by a society, associated with owning land

disamenity zone

The very poorest parts of cities that in extreme cases are not connected to regular city services and are controlled by gangs and drug lord

zones of abandonment

a disamenity zone where all people have left the area because they chose a better living area

environmental injustice (environmental racism)

The ways in which communities of color and poor people are more likely to be exposed to environmental burdens such as air pollution or contaminated water

gated communities

housing developments that are fenced off and monitored for security

urban canyon

A place where the street is flanked by buildings (usually sky scrapers) on both sides, creating an environment similar to that of a canyon

rush hour

The four consecutive 15-minute periods in the morning and evening with the heaviest volumes of traffic

urban wildlife

native animals have no habitat, urban wildlife spreads disease and can be a nuisance, feral populations can be dangerous or upset the ecological balance.

suburban sprawl

the spread of suburbs, or suburban areas, into surrounding rural land

ecological footprint

impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources

brownfields

a property that is potentially contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants; are often abandoned or underused industrial or commercial properties that may pose a risk to human health and the environment

urban redevelopment

involves renovating a site within a city by removing the existing landscape and rebuilding from the ground up

city-state

A small sovereign state that is made up of a town or city and the surrounding area

percent urban

indicator of the proportion of the population that lives in cities and towns as compared to those that live in rural areas

settlement

A permanent collection of buildings and inhabitants

exurbs

residential, prosperous, but rural areas beyond the suburbs

suburbs

residential areas located outside the urban core of a city but within commuting distance

urban

The built up area in and around a city

rural

Sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities

ecumene

land that is permanently populated by human society

Agglomeration

Grouping together of many firms from the same industry in a single area for collective or cooperative use of infrastructure and sharing of labor resources. Ex: Cells

Bid-Rent Theory

How the price and demand on real estate changes as the distance towards the Central Business District increases. Ex: Stores

Blockbusting

A process by which real estate agents convince white property owners to sell their houses at low prices because of fear that persons of color will soon move into the neighborhood. Ex: 1950's

CBD

The downtown heart of the central city, the CBD is marked by high land values, a concentration of business and commerce, and the clustering of the tallest buildings. Ex: Skyscrapers

Census Tract

Small country subdivisions delineated by the US Census Bureau as areas of relatively uniform population characteristics, economic status, and living conditions. Ex: 2,500 to 8,000 persons

Commuter Zone

The outer most zone of the Concentric Zone Model that represents people who choose to live in residential suburbia and take a daily commute in the CBD to work. Ex: Emigrants

Deindustrialization

Process by which companies move industrial jobs to other regions with cheaper labor. Ex: 1970's

Economic Base

A community's collection of basic industries. Ex: Wealthy

Edge City

A large node of office and retail activities on the edge of an urban area. Ex: U.S.

Entrepot

A port where merchandise can be imported and re-exported without paying import duties. Ex: India

Favela (barrio)

Slum-like communities. Ex: Brazil

Female-Headed Household

A household dominated by a woman.

Gateway City

Cities that act as ports of entry and distribution centers for large geographic areas. Ex: San Francisco

Gentrification

A process of converting an urban neighborhood from a predominantly low-income renter-occupied area to a predominantly middle-class owner-occupied area. Ex: California

Ghetto

A section of a city occupied by members of a minority group who live there because of economic or social pressures. Ex: Europe

Global Cities

A term for mega-cities that emphasizes their global impact as centers of economic, political, and social power. Ex: Money

Globalization

The trend toward increased cultural and economic connectedness between people, businesses, and organizations throughout the world. Ex: Communication

Greenbelt

A ring of land maintained as parks, agricultural, or other types of open space to limit the sprawl of an urban area. Ex: Farms

High-Tech Corridors

An area along a limited-access highway that houses offices and other services associated with high-tech industries. Ex: Silicon Valley

Hinterland

The market area surrounding an urban center, which that urban center serves. Ex: Boondocks