AP Hug

Unit 6

Urban Area

A geographic area with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment.

Urbanization

The process by which rural areas transform into urban areas.

Central Business District

The commercial and business center of a city.

Threshold

The minimum market size needed for a business to succeed.

Range

The maximum distance consumers are willing to travel to purchase a good or service.

Gentrification

The process of renewing and rebuilding urban neighborhoods, often displacing lower-income residents.

Megacity

A city with a population of over 10 million people.

Forward Capital

A capital city that is relocated to a more strategically advantageous location.

Edge City

A suburban area that has developed its own downtown and economic base.

Suburbanization

The growth of areas on the fringes of urban centers.

Metacity

A city with a population of over 20 million.

Rank Size Rule

A principle in urban geography that states the population of a city is inversely proportional to its rank.

Primate City Rule

The idea that the largest city in a country is significantly larger than the second largest city.

Urban Renewal

The process of renovating or revitalizing urban areas.

Megalopolis

A region characterized by the continuous urbanization of multiple cities into a single, sprawling metropolitan area.

Squatter Settlement

A residential area where inhabitants occupy land unlawfully.

Slum Upgrading

The process of improving living conditions in slums.

World City

A city that is a significant node in the global economic system.

New Urbanism

An urban design movement promoting walkable neighborhoods containing a range of housing and job types.

Urban Sprawl

The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into the surrounding rural land.

Commercial Land

Land designated for business use.

Residential Land

Land designated for housing.

Central Place Theory

A spatial theory that explains the size and distribution of human settlements.

Agglomeration

The clustering of similar industries or businesses in a particular area.

White Flight

The social phenomenon where white residents leave an area as minorities move in.

Redlining

The discriminatory practice of denying services to residents of certain areas based on racial or ethnic composition.