Urban Models and Concepts

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key urban models and concepts.

Bid-Rent Theory

A theory that illustrates how the price and demand for real estate changes based on the distance from the central business district.

Blockbusting

The practice of frightening homeowners into selling their homes at low prices when they hear a family of another race or ethnicity is moving in.

Brownfield

Sites of abandoned factories; a property which has the potential to be a hazardous waste, pollutant, or contaminant.

Central Business District (CBD)

The commercial heart of a city that is the focal point of transportation and services.

Central Place Theory

A theory that explains how services are distributed and why a regular pattern of settlements exists, proposed by Walter Christaller.

Concentric Zone Model

Burgess' model where the city is structured as a series of rings around the CBD, with housing getting larger and more expensive the farther away it is from the center.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation of people that occurs 'by fact' rather than by law.

Disamenity Zone

Areas not connected to city services and often controlled by drug lords and gangs, typically located in unsafe regions.

Ecumene

The permanently inhabited portion of the earth’s surface.

Edge City

A city that exists on the fringes of a larger city, acting as a regional hub for recreation, business, or community activity.

Eminent Domain

Laws that allow the government to seize land for public use after paying owners market value.

Ethnic Enclave

Relatively small, ethnically homogenous communities situated within a larger and more diverse cultural context.

Exurbanization

The movement of suburbanites further out into rural areas.

Gated Community

Walled or fenced neighborhoods with limited access.

Gentrification

The process of wealthier residents moving into a neighborhood, making it unaffordable for existing residents.

Gravity Model

A model stating that places that are larger and closer together will have more interaction than those that are smaller and farther apart.

Greenbelts

Areas of undeveloped land designated to surround urban areas.

Informal Economy

The portion of the economy that is not taxed, regulated, or managed by the government.

Latin American Cities Model

An urban model that reflects Latin American culture, characterized by a CBD with a commercial spine.

Megalopolis

A chain of interconnected cities.

Mixed-Use Neighborhood

Neighborhoods with a mix of residential and commercial buildings, not separated into zones.

Multiple Nuclei Model

An urban model where a city grows from several independent points rather than a single CBD.

New Urbanism

A movement in urban planning focused on reducing urban sprawl and creating livable neighborhoods.

Primate City Rule

A situation where the largest city in an urban system is more than twice as large as the next largest.

Redlining

The process by which banks refuse loans to those wanting to purchase and improve properties in certain urban areas.

Smart Growth

A set of policies in the US aimed at preserving farmland and open spaces near cities.

Urban Decay

The deterioration of an urban area due to age or neglect.

Urban Sprawl

The rapid spread of development outward from the city.

Zoning

The idea that zones or regions of an urban area have specific and distinct purposes.