HGAP Unit 6

Site

the place where the settlement is located. Absolute location of a city Ex. on a hill or in a sheltered valley

Situation

describes where the settlement is in relation to other settlements and features of the surrounding area. Relative location of a city Ex. the settlement surrounded by forest or next to a large city

Urbanization

the movement of people from rural areas to cities.

Origins of Urbanization

1. Early humans were nomadic, meaning no permanent home 2. Some decided to stop and stay put in certain areas (settlements originated in Mesopotamia: part of the Fertile Crescent in SW Asia). 3. These areas began to grow in size and became cities as we know them today 4. Early settlements were agricultural villages that formed after humans began growing food and crops 5. Typically located in fertile river valleys (nutrient rich topsoil/silt and water source for crops) 6. Farmers were able to produce surplus crops which could feed larger populations 7. Led to people being able to pursue other occupations and trades

Socioeconomic Stratification

differentiation of society into classes based on wealth, power, production or prestige.

First Urban Revolution

agricultural and socioeconomic innovations that led to the rise of early cities.

Factors that influence Urbanization

Transportation: innovations in transportation have shaped and reshaped the layout and size of cities and their surrounding areas over time. Communication: innovations in communication systems allowed businesses, and therefore cities, to grow.

Rural to Urban Migration

movement of people (typically farmers) from rural settlements to urban centers in search of jobs.

Redevelopment

set of activities intended to revitalize an area that has fallen on hard times.

Megacities

10 million inhabitants or more (Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing, Dhaka, Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto)

Metacities

20 million inhabitants or more (Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, São Paulo, Mexico City)

Micropolitan Area

Population between 10,000 - 50,000 people. Smaller City and Surrounding Towns/Counties

Megalopolis

a region in which several large cities and surrounding areas grow together

Metropolitan statistical area

a central city of at least 50,000 people and urban areas linked to it

Suburbanization

a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of (sub)urban sprawl.

Sprawl (or urban sprawl)

tendency of cities to grow outward in an unchecked manner

Edge Cities

nodes of economic activity that have developed in the periphery of large cities.

Exurbs

a district outside a city, especially a prosperous area beyond the suburbs. Often found near farmland, beaches or mountains

Boomburbs

large, rapidly growing, incorporated communities of more than 100,000 residents that are not the biggest city in their region.

World City

(or global city) a city that is a control center of the global economy, in which major decisions are made about the world's commercial networks and financial markets.

Urban Hierarchy

Ranking urban settlements by: Population size and economic function (i.e. # of services provided)

World City

Dominant City in Terms of Economic Standing

Examples of World Cities

New York, London, Tokyo

Megalopolis

An extended Conurban Area, Consisting of Several Cities

Example of Megalopolis

BosNYwash (the Area from BOSTON to NEW YORK to WASHINGTON DC)

Alpha City

Primary Regional Nodes in the Global Economy (Similar to World Cities)

Examples of Alpha Cities

New York, London, Hong Kong, Sydney

Beta City

Secondary Regional Nodes in the Global Economy (One Step Down from Alpha)

Examples of Beta Cities

Washington DC, Dallas, Berlin, Wuhan

Gamma City

Tertiary Regional Nodes in the Global Economy (One Step Down from Beta)

Examples of Gamma Cities

Cleveland, St. Petersburg, Austin, St. Louis

Transportation Services

Activities designed to assist a person to travel from one place to another to obtain services or carry out life's activities.

Communication Systems

Advanced communication systems that provide immediate access to information.

Business Services

Services which serve as links to the corporate headquarters of international companies.

Rank-Size Rule

The country's nth-largest settlement is 1/n the population of the largest settlement.

Primate City

An urban area that dominates its country's economy, culture, and political affairs and is more than twice the population of the next largest city.

Examples of Primate Cities

London, Paris, Bangkok

Christaller's Central Place Theory

Explains how services are distributed and why a regular pattern of settlements exists.

Central Place

A settlement that makes certain types of products and services available to consumers.

Threshold

The # of people required to support businesses.

Range

The distance people will travel to acquire a good.

Low-Order Central Place Functions

Used by consumers on a regular/daily basis and people are not willing to travel far to use them (e.g., Walgreens, gas station, grocery store).

High-Order Central Place Functions

Used less frequently by consumers and people are willing to travel further for it (e.g., baseball games, football games, hospitals).

Gravity Model

Interaction of places based on their population, sizes, and distances between them.

Concentric-Zone Model

Urban model by Burgess; divides the city into five concentric zones, defined by their function, centered around the CBD.

Sector Model

Created by Homer Hoyt; zones expanded outward from the city center along transportation corridors creating a wedge shape.

Multiple Nuclei Model

Created by Chauncey Harris & Edward Ullman in 1945 for developed countries and large expanding cities.

Galactic (Peripheral) City Model

Consists of an inner city, surrounded by large suburban residential and business areas and tied together by transportation nodes (edge cities).

Latin American City Model

Model developed by Griffin and Ford attempting to generalize Latin American cities.

African City Model

Created by Harm DeBlij - fast growing cities with three CBDs: Colonial CBD, Traditional CBD, and Market CBD.

Quality of Residence

The quality of residence gets poorer the farther from the CBDs.

Lack of Development

Lacks elite, middle class, or gentrification zones which shows a lack of development.

Ethnic Neighborhoods

Reflect tribalism that exists throughout Africa.

Southeast Asian Model

Developed in 1967 by T.G. McGee, studying cities in Southeast Asia with shared land-use aspects.

Old Colonial Port Zone

A characteristic of the Southeast Asian Model, surrounded by a commercial business district.

Alien Commercial Zone

Dominated by Chinese merchants in the Southeast Asian Model.

Bid Rent Theory

A geographical economic theory that refers to how the price and demand for real estate change as the distance from the central business district increases.

Low Density Housing

Residential homes with lots of open space and fewest people per geographic unit (Suburbs).

Medium Density Housing

Includes townhomes and single unit housing.

High Density Housing

High rises with the most people per unit (cities), where land is more expensive.

Infiling

The process by which population density in an urban center is increased by building on waste land or underused land.

Infrastructure

The location and quality of a city's infrastructure directly affects its spatial patterns of economic and social development.

Economic Development

Dependent upon the location and quality of infrastructure, such as public transportation and communication systems.

Forward Capitals

The action of moving the national capital away from an overcrowded primate city to a new location.

Smart-Growth

Urban planning that avoids urban sprawl and focuses on long term implications with sustainable design initiatives.

New Urbanism

Features walkable blocks and streets, housing and shopping in close proximity, and accessible public spaces.

Greenbelts

Areas of undeveloped land around an urban area that limit urban sprawl and include running and biking paths.

Slow-Growth Cities

Cities that slow their growth to limit problems associated with growth and improve sustainability.

De Facto Segregation

Racial segregation that happens by fact rather than by legal requirement

Positive of Urban Sustainability

Reduction of sprawl, improve walkability and transportation, improved and diverse housing options, and improved livability and promotion of sustainable options.

Negatives of Urban Sustainability

Increased housing costs, possible de facto segregation, and potential loss of historical or place character.

Quantitative Data

Information about a city's population provided by census and survey data that shows changes in population composition and size in urban areas.

Qualitative Data

Information from field studies and narratives that provide insights into individual attitudes toward urban change.

Redlining

A discriminatory real estate practice in North America in which members of minority groups are prevented from obtaining money to purchase homes or property in predominantly white neighborhoods.

Blockbusting

A real estate technique to encourage people to sell their property at a very low price by giving the impression that the neighborhood was changing for the worse, especially in reference to minorities moving in.

Affordable Housing

Residential units that are economical for the section of society whose income is below the median household income.

Access to Services

Measure of people's ability to pay for services without financial hardship.

Rising Crime Rates

Contributing factors include lack of job availability, less access to quality schools, and real or perceived lack of opportunity.

Environmental Injustice

Disproportionate exposure of communities of color and the poor to pollution and its effects on health and the environment.

Disamenity Zones

Areas located within the city characterized by slums and the homeless and in extreme cases are controlled by gangs.

Zones of Abandonment

Areas with lack of jobs, declining land values and falling demand that cause people to leave and businesses to close.

Squatter Settlements

Residential areas characterized by extreme poverty with shelters constructed of found materials that usually exist on land outside of cities that are neither owned nor rented by its occupants.

Zone of Abandonment (Disamenity Zone)

The very poorest sectors of cities that in extreme cases are not connected to regular city services.

Land Tenure

System regulating the rights to ownership and control and usage of land.

Inclusionary Zoning

Planning ordinances that provide affordable housing to people with low to moderate incomes.

Local Food Movements

Food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed, often accompanied by a social structure and supply chain different from the large-scale supermarket system.

Urban Renewal

The redevelopment of areas within an urban area, typically neighborhoods in economic decline.

Gentrification

The restoration of deteriorated urban areas by wealthier people who move into, renovate, and restore housing and sometimes businesses.

Urban Sustainability

The goal of improving the social and economic conditions of an increasingly urbanized population while maintaining environmental quality.

Suburban Sprawl

The spreading of developments (such as housing developments and shopping centers) into suburban or rural areas.

Brownfield

A property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

Ecological Footprint

Measure of the human pressures on the natural environment from the consumption of renewable resources.

Responses to the Challenges of Urban Sustainability

Regional planning efforts, remediation and redevelopment of brownfields, establishment of urban growth boundaries, and farmland protection policies.