GEOGRAPHY FINAL

• Urbanization

Migration from rural to urban areas driven by push/pull factors.

• Push Factors

Poverty, limited resources, conflict in rural areas.

• Pull Factors

Jobs, education, healthcare, better infrastructure in cities.

• Rapid Growth Problems

Underemployment, slums, informal settlements, lack of services.

• Federal Policies

Interstate Highway Act (1956) led to suburban sprawl; FHA promoted suburban homeownership and practiced redlining.

• Central Business District (CBD)

Commercial hub, tall buildings, surrounded by transition and residential zones.

• Accessibility vs. Space

Wealthy live in suburbs with longer commutes; poor live near work, smaller homes.

• Polycentric Metropolis

Multiple nodes such as edge cities and urban realms; example: Boston–Washington D.C.

• Problems of Cities

Sprawl (environment/health), fiscal squeeze, infrastructure decay, poverty cycles.

• Urban Form

Compact, historic cores with plazas, squares, markets.

• Planning History

Renaissance & Baroque periods used urban design to display wealth and power; Haussmann Paris created wide avenues and Beaux Arts style.

• Modern Movement

Machine

• Neighborhood Stability

Durable housing, long

• Design Principles

Reflect culture, protect privacy, adapt to climate.

• Key Structures

Jami (mosque), Kasbah (citadel).

• Layout

Markets organized by occupation; residential quarters around courtyards; twisting lanes for shade.

• Urban Form

Compact, circular, privacy

• Rapid Growth

Rural push and urban pull with high underemployment.

• Dualism

Coexistence of formal (global) and informal (local) economy.

• Informal Sector

Street markets, recycling, small industry; supports livelihoods but low pay and unsafe.

• Slums/Squatter Settlements

Overcrowding, poor sanitation, health risks.

• Community Example

Dharavi, Mumbai: dense informal economy, recycling, cheap rent.

• Slum Policies

Clearance causes displacement; upgrading improves living conditions.

• Inequality

Doha: wealthy residents vs. poorly paid migrant workers; gated districts.

• Global Service Hubs

Cities host media, sports, finance, cultural events (e.g., Doha, Al Jazeera).

• Labor Issues

Dhaka garment workers: sweatshops, unsafe conditions, long hours.

• Urban Challenges

Traffic congestion, air pollution, long commutes, health impacts in peripheral cities.

• Future Trends

Polycentric development, global interconnection, sustainability concerns.

• CBD

Center of city, commercial hub.

• Polycentric

Multiple suburban nodes.

• Sprawl

Environmental, health, and fiscal problems.

• European cities

Compact, historic, social housing.

• Islamic cities

Privacy, climate

• Peripheral cities

Dualism, slums, informal economy.