Urbanization APHug

Urbanization

The growth of cities and the increase in the number of people living in urban areas

City/Urban Area

A densely populated place with lots of buildings, jobs, and services

Metacity

A city w/ more than 10 million people

World city

A major city that has global influence in economics, culture, politics, and transportation

Primate city

The larges and most important city in a country, much bigger than the next largest city

Rank-Size rule

The idea that the second largest city is about half the size of the largest, the third largest is one third, and so on

Suburbanization

Movement from the city center to the suburbs

Gentrification

Wealthier people move into older neighborhoods and renovate them

Filtering

Older housing moves down to lower- income groups over time

Redlining

Refusing loans or services to certain neighborhoods, often based on race

Blockbusting

Encouraging home owners to sell cheaply, by spreading fear that a neighborhood is changing.

Squatter settlements

Informal settlements built without legal land ownership or services

Services

Jobs that provide support or products rather than making raw materials, such as retail, banking, and health care

Bid-rent theory

Land closest to the city center is the most expensive because people compete for the best location

Threshold

The minimum number of customers needed to support a business

Range

How far people are willing to travel to use a service

Central place theory

Explains how settlements are arranged to provide goods and services to people

Gravity model

Predicts interactions between places based on size and distance

Burgess concentric zone model

Says a city grows in circle rings from the center outwards, the downtown area is the middle and each outer ring has different housing or use. (The further you go the less crowded and more residential it gets, EX: Chicago)

Hoyt sector model

Areas grow in wedges or slices because development follows transportation routes, and the value of land. (EX: a wealthy neighborhood might grow along a MAIN BOULEVARD or near a PARK becasue people want a nice place and easy access)

Multiple Nuclei Model

More than one center or “Nucleus”. Instead of one downtown controlling everything, different parts of the city develop their own hubs, like a shopping center, industrial area, or university district. (EX: Los Angeles)

Galactic city model

Large central city, with smaller business centers and suburbs around it, Connected by highways. (Like a city with a big central core, and smaller centers “orbiting” around it)

African City model

A city with a COLONIAL center, a traditional center, ethnic neighborhoods, and informal settlements on the edge.

Latin American city model

A city with a central business district, an elect sector, middle class housing, and squatter settlements farther out.

Southeast Asian Model

A city with several centers of activity, including a port, commercial areas, government areas, and different residential zones.