AP Human Geo - Unit 6 Vocabulary

Urbanization

The process of population concentration in urban areas, along with the physical growth and expansion of cities.

Suburbanization

The movement of people, industry, and businesses from central cities to the suburbs, often resulting in suburban growth.

Site

The physical characteristics and attributes of a specific location, including its topography, climate, and soil.

Situation

The location of a place relative to its surroundings and its accessibility to other areas.

Megacity

An extremely large city, typically with a population of over 10 million people.

Metacity

A city with an exceptionally large population, exceeding 20 million people.

Perhipery

The outer or less developed regions surrounding a city or country.

Semi-Perhipery

Regions that are intermediate in terms of development, often serving as a link between core and periphery areas.

Sprawl

The unplanned and often uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into nearby rural lands.

Edge City

A concentration of businesses and entertainment facilities in the suburbs, often resembling a small city.

Exurb

Areas beyond the suburbs characterized by low population density and rural or semi-rural characteristics.

Boomburb

A rapidly growing suburban community with a strong local economy and increasing population.

World City

A major international city that serves as a global hub for finance, culture, commerce, and transportation.

Globalization

The process of increased interconnectedness and interdependence among countries and regions, resulting in greater economic, cultural, and political exchange.

Interdependence

The mutual reliance and interconnectedness of countries, regions, or cities on each other for various resources and services.

Central Place Theory

A geographic theory that explains the distribution of goods and services in relation to the spatial pattern of settlements.

Rank-Size Rule

A rule stating that the second largest city is 1/2 the size of the largest city. The third largest is 1/3 the size of the largest, and so on.

Primate City

A city that has more than double the population of the next largest city.

Concentric Zone Model

An urban model that describes cities as a series of concentric rings or zones, with different functions and characteristics in each zone.

Sector Model

An urban model that suggests that cities grow in a series of sectors, with certain areas becoming more desirable for various activities.

Multiple Nuclei Model

An urban model that suggests that cities have multiple centers of development and activity, each with its own unique characteristics.

Galactic City Model

An urban area characterized by decentralized suburban development, often associated with automobile-dependent transportation patterns.

Bid-Rent Theory

An economic theory that explains how the price and demand for land vary with proximity to the city center.

Low-Density Housing

Residential development characterized by a low concentration of housing units per acre, often in suburban areas.

Medium-Density Housing

Residential development with a moderate concentration of housing units per acre, typically in transitional or mixed-use areas.

High-Density Housing

Residential development with a high concentration of housing units per acre, often found in urban cores or high-rise buildings.

Infrasctructure

The physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society, including transportation, utilities, and communication networks.

Zoning

The regulation of land use and development within a municipality or city, often through the designation of specific zones for different types of activities.

Mixed-Land Use

The practice of combining different types of land use, such as residential, commercial, and industrial, within the same area or development.

Walkability

The ease with which people can walk to various destinations, often influenced by factors like sidewalks, street design, and proximity of amenities.

Smart-Growth

A planning approach that aims to create sustainable, well-planned urban areas with reduced environmental impact.

New Urbanism

An urban design and planning movement that emphasizes walkability, mixed land use, and community-oriented development.

Greenbelt

An area of open land or parkland surrounding a city, often designed to limit urban sprawl and protect natural environments.

Slow-Growth City

A city that prioritizes controlled and limited development to maintain quality of life and environmental sustainability.

Quantitative Data

Data that is expressed in numerical or statistical form, often measurable and objective.

Qualitative Data

Data that is descriptive and non-numerical, often involving subjective observations or attributes.

Redlining

A discriminatory practice in which banks and lenders refuse to provide loans or services to certain neighborhoods or communities, often based on racial or ethnic criteria.

Blockbusting

A practice in which real estate agents encourage homeowners to sell their properties at low prices by suggesting that a change in the racial or ethnic composition of the neighborhood is imminent.

Disamenatity Zones

Areas within a city characterized by extreme poverty, lack of basic services, and substandard living conditions.

Squatter Settlement

Informal and often illegal housing developments that are built by individuals or families on land they do not own or have legal rights to.

Gentrification

The process of urban renewal and redevelopment in which higher-income individuals and businesses move into a historically disadvantaged neighborhood, often leading to the displacement of lower-income residents.

Suburban Sprawl

The uncontrolled and often inefficient expansion of suburbs into previously undeveloped or rural areas.

Ecological Footprint

A measure of the environmental impact of an individual, community, or nation, often expressed in terms of the land and resources required to support a particular lifestyle or level of consumption.

Brownfields

Abandoned or underutilized industrial or commercial properties that may be contaminated or environmentally compromised.