ap hug 6

Site

The physical characteristics of a place, including terrain, soil, and climate.

Situation

The location of a place relative to other places and its accessibility to resources.

City

A large and permanent human settlement that typically has a dense population and significant infrastructure.

Central City

The urban core of a metropolitan area where the population and economic activities are concentrated.

MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area)

A geographical region with a high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area.

Forward Capitals

A capital city that has been relocated to encourage development in a particular area.

Urbanization

The process by which rural areas become urbanized as a result of population movement and growth of cities.

Megacity

A city with a population of over 10 million people.

Metacity

An urban area with over 20 million inhabitants.

Urban Sprawl

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

Suburbanization

The process by which people move from urban areas to residential areas on the outskirts of the city.

Boomburbs

Rapidly growing suburban areas that have emerged as cities in their own right.

Edge Cities

Suburban developments that serve as significant economic centers outside of the urban core.

Exurbs

Areas beyond the suburbs where wealthier individuals reside and often commute to the city for work.

World City

A city that holds significant influence on global affairs due to its economic, political, and cultural power.

Megalopolis

A large network of metropolitan areas that are interconnected and function as a single urban region.

Primate City

A city that is disproportionately larger than the next largest city in a country, serving as the economic and cultural hub.

Rank-Size Rule

A principle that states the population of a city will be inversely proportional to its rank in town size.

Gravity Model

A model used in urban geography to predict the interaction between two cities based on their sizes and distance from each other.

Threshold

The minimum market size needed for a business to maintain operations.

Range

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

Christaller’s Central Place Theory

A theory that explains the size and distribution of human settlements and their relationship to each other based on the provision of goods and services.

Central Business District (CBD)

The commercial and business center of a city, characterized by high land values and density of shops, offices, and institutions.