Unit 6 Vocabulary

Borchert’s Transportation Model

Division of urban history into four epochs with effects on a city’s form, size, density, and arrangement.

City-State

An urban area and its surrounding territory and agricultural villages.

Ecumene

The portion of Earth’s surface with permanent human settlement.

Metropolitan Area (Metro Area)

A collection of adjacent cities economically connected with high and continuous population density.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

In the US, a region with at least one urbanized area as its core.

Micropolitan Statistical Area

In the US, a region with one or more urban clusters of at least 10,000 people as its core.

Rural

Areas containing farms and villages with low concentrations of people.

Pedestrian Cities

Cities shaped by the distances people could walk.

Percent Urban

Indicator of the proportion of the population living in cities compared to rural areas.

Streetcar Suburbs

Communities that grew up along rail lines.

Suburbs

Primarily residential areas near cities.

Urban

Areas containing cities with high concentrations of people.

Urban Area

A central city plus land developed for commercial, industrial, or residential purposes including suburbs.

Urban Hearth

An area where seasonal floods and fertile soils allowed for an agricultural surplus.

Urbanization

An ongoing process that does not end once a city is formed.

Boomburbs

Rapidly growing communities over 100,000 people but not the largest in the metro area.

Conurbation

An uninterrupted urban area made of towns, suburbs, and cities.

Counterurbanization (deurbanization)

Urban residents leaving cities for rural areas.

Edge Cities

Nodes of economic activity on the periphery of large cities with commercial functions.

Exurbs

Prosperous residential districts beyond suburbs.

Leap-Frog Development

Developers purchase land and build communities beyond city peripheries.

Megacities

Cities with a population of 10 million people or more.

Megalopolis

A chain of connected cities.

Metacities

Continuous urban areas with a population greater than 20 million people.

Reurbanization

People returning from suburbs to live in the city.

Sprawl

The rapid expansion of a city's spatial extent.

Suburbanization

The process of moving from cities to residential areas on the outskirts.

Urban hierarchy

A system of cities ranked by influence or population size.

World (Global) Cities

Cities with influence that extends beyond national boundaries.

Central Place Theory

Explains the distribution of cities based on the need for goods and services.

Gravity Model

Larger and closer places have more interactions than smaller, farther places.

Higher Order Services

Expensive services that need a large population to support them.

Lower Order Services

Less expensive services that require a small population for support.

Market Area

A zone containing potential customers for goods or services.

Primate City

The largest city in an urban system, more than twice the size of the next largest.

Range

Distance people are willing to travel for specific goods or services.

Rank Size Rule

States the nth largest city will be 1/n the size of the largest city.

Threshold

Population size necessary for a service to exist and remain profitable.

Urban System

An interdependent set of cities interacting on various scales.

African City Model

Describes cities with a traditional CBD, colonial CBD, informal economy, and informal settlements.

Bid-Rent Theory

Land value decreases as distance from the city center increases.

Central Business District (CBD)

The commercial heart of a city, often at its physical center.

Concentric Zone Model

Describes a series of rings surrounding a central business district.

Galactic City Model

A model with a CBD surrounded by smaller nodes mimicking its functions.

Griffin-Ford Model

Describes Latin American cities with a two-part CBD.

Industrial/Commercial Zone

Area outside the CBD dedicated to industry and transportation.

Multiple Nuclei Model

Suggests suburbanization occurs around multiple centers or nodes.

Residential Zone

Areas where people live, separated from CBD and industrial zones.

Sector Model

Describes how land use forms wedges or sectors from the CBD.

Southeast Asian City Model

Describes urban land use centered on former colonial port zones.

Filtering

The process of passing houses from one social group to another.

Inner City

Residential areas surrounding the CBD.

Residential Zones

Areas devoted to where people live.

Suburbanization of Business

Movement of commerce from cities to suburbs for lower costs.

Urban Infill

Increasing residential density by replacing vacant land with residences.

Urban Planning

Promoting growth and controlling changes in land use.

Zoning Ordinances

Regulations defining property usage in geographic regions.

Annexation

The process of adding land to a city’s territory.

Incorporation

Legally forming a new city.

Infrastructure

Facilities and systems serving population needs.

Municipality

Local entity under the same jurisdiction.

Public Transportation

Government-operated buses, subways, and trains.

Unincorporated Areas

Populated regions outside legal boundaries of any municipality.

Greenbelts

Undeveloped lands around urban areas to limit growth.

Livability

Principles supporting sustainable urban design.

Mixed Use Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with a blend of homes and businesses.

New Urbanism

Implementing smart growth policies in communities.

Slow Growth Cities

Cities adopting policies to limit urban sprawl.

Smart Growth Policies

Strategies to combat sprawl and promote sustainable cities.

Sustainability

Using resources without permanent environmental damage.

Transit Oriented Development (TOD)

Mixed-use communities near mass transit stops.

Urban Infill

Building on underused lands within a city.

Census Block

A small geographic area in urban settings for statistical purposes.

Census Tracts

Contiguous geographic regions for census data collection.

Population Composition

Makeup of a population identified by a census.

Quantitative Data

Countable or measurable information.

Qualitative Data

Personal perceptions and descriptions based on qualitative studies.

Blockbusting

When ethnic groups sell homes upon knowing others are moving in.

Eminent Domain

Government's right to claim and use private property for public good.

Environmental Injustice/Environmental Racism

Disproportionate exposure of minorities to pollution and inadequate protection.

Gated Communities

Walled neighborhoods with restricted access.

Gentrification

Conversion of lower-income neighborhoods into wealthier areas.

Ghettos

Poverty-stricken areas occupied by minority groups.

Inclusionary Zoning

Incentives for developers to set aside low-income housing.

Informal Settlements

Densely populated areas lacking proper planning and services.

Land Tenure

Legal proof of ownership of land or structures.

Racial Segregation

Living in neighborhoods separated by race or ethnicity.

Redlining

Banks denying loans based on location and demographics.

Urban Renewal

Clearing slums to replace them with new development.

Zones of Abandonment

Areas deserted by owners due to economic or environmental reasons.

Brownfield

Dilapidated and contaminated land.

Rush Hour

Peak commuting times when pollution levels increase.

Suburban Sprawl

Rapid expansion of development outward from the inner city.

Urban Heat Island

City area that is warmer than surrounding regions due to urban development.

Urban Redevelopment

Renovating sites in cities by clearing existing structures.

Urban Wildlife

Animals thriving in urban areas, posing potential health risks.