APHUG units 1-7

Absolute distance

describing how far a distance is quantitative units of distance (miles, kilometers, etc.)

Projection

a method of taking a 3D object and putting in on a 2D plane

Reference Map

maps that emphasizes the location of places (without data attached)

Relative distance

describing the distance between locations using qualitative terms or non-traditional measurements of distance (one hour north of)

Spatial distribution

arrangement of a phenomenon across the Earth's surface

Spatial Interaction

the flow of goods, people, or information among places, in response to localized supply and demand

Thematic maps

a map that displays not only locations but maps a topic or theme of information with the location

Case study

detailed observations that provide insight into a group of people in a specific area

Census

an official count of individuals in a population (in the USA, it happens every 10 years)

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

software that captures, manages, analyzes, and displays data that is collected geographically

GPS (Global Positioning System)

a system that measures distance from a series of satellites to determine location on the planet

Qualitative data

subjective information that is opinion based, is usually descriptive, and often expressed as text

Quantitative data

objective data that is fact based, usually measurable and usually expressed in numbers

Remote sensing

the science of making measurements of the earth using sensors on airplanes or satellites

Geospatial

relating to data that is specific to one location

Absolute location

describing where something is using the exact site on an objective coordinate system

Distance decay

the idea that the interaction between two places declines as the distance between them increases

Friction of distance

a metaphor that explains that effort must be used to overcome distance

Relative location

describing the position of a place as compared to (or relative to!) another landmark

Time-space compression

the idea that the world feels smaller than it used to because of increased technology in transportation and communication

Environmental determinism

the belief that a physical environment is THE reason that some societies are strong while others are weaker

Environmental possibilism

the belief that a physical environment plays a role in the development of a society, but is NOT the ONLY factor at work

Natural resource

a physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value

Sustainability

the goal of the human race reaching equilibrium with the environment; meeting the needs of the present without while also leaving resources for future generations

Scale

the relationship between the distance on the ground and the corresponding distance on a specific map - also a concept describing how "zoomed in" you are while studying a geographic trait

Scale of Analysis

how zoomed in or out you are when looking at geographic data

Formal region

a region that is based quantitative data (data that can be documented or measured) - These have formal boundaries. EX: governments, linguistic region, religious region, etc…

Functional region

a region based around a node or focal point - terrestrial radio broadcasts are an example of this

Region

a place larger than a point and smaller than a planet that is grouped together because of a measurable or perceived common feature

Vernacular region (or perceptual region)

an area that shares a common qualitative characteristic, it's only a region because people believe it's a region. EX: the South

Density

the frequency in which something exists in a given area. Three types of density are arithmetic density, physiological density, and agricultural density.

Culture

The body of customary debliefs, social forms, and material traits that together constitute a group's distinct tradidions

Cultural Landscape

the title of our textbook and more importantly, the visible changes that humans make to the enviroment including buildings, crops, and signs

Contagious diffusion

when a cultural trend is transmitted from person to person from an original source to numerous others, similar to a virus or viral video

Diffusion

the process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another. Relocation Diffusion and Expansion Diffusion (stimulus, hierarchical, contagious)

Expansion diffusion

a trend is spread from its originating place, outward

Hierarchical diffusion

the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places

Relocation diffusion

the physical spread of a feature or trait by people migrating

Stimulus diffusion

when a feature or idea spreads, but is changed by those adopting the idea

Globalization

worldwide integration and development which results in the expansion of international cultural, economic, and political activities

Hearth

a source of culture (where a culture began)

Toponym

a place name

Uneven development

unequal distribution of people, resources, and wealth within a region

Gravity Model of Spatial Interaction

The interconnectedness of 2 places depends on their distance and population. One of the mot popular theories - (population1 x population2)/distance squared.

Infrastructure

the basic facilities and installations that help a government or community run, including roads, schools, phone lines, sewage treatment plants and power generation

Temporal

relating to time

3 Types of Distribution

density, concentration, and pattern

Capitalism

an economic system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled mainly by private owners for profit, rather than by the state - limited government control of the economy

Cartography

the science of drawing maps

cold war [lower case]

a state of political hostility between countries characterized by threats short of open warfare

Cold War [upper case]

the state of political hostility that existed between the Soviet Union and the US and their allies from 1945 to 1990

Communism

an economic system in which all (or nearly all) trade and industry are collectively owned by the state and not by individual citizens - near total control of the economy by the government

Concentration

how closely packed together objects are. Dispersed (spread out) or clustered (close together)

Network

a chain of communication, transportation, or ideas that connects places

Socialism

an economic system in which trade and industry are partially collectively owned by the state and partially privately owned by individual citizens - partial control of the economy by the government

Spatial

it's not as complicated as it sounds - a fancy word for describing how things are organized in space

Post-modern architecture

an architectural style that emphasized breaking the rules of the rigid style of modern architecture

Site

a way of describing where a place is based on the physical characteristics of the surrounding area

Situation

a way of describing where a place is based on its relationships with the surrounding areas

Urbanization

population shift from rural to urban areas

Boomburbs

a suburban city that is rapidly growing, is as large as a major city, but retains its suburban feel

Edge city

a relatively large urban area situated on the outskirts of a city, typically beside a major road

Exurbs

an area outside of the denser inner suburban area which has an economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing density, and growth

Megacity

a large metropolitan area with a population higher than 10 million

Metatcity

a large metropolitan area with a population higher than 20 million

Suburbanization

a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs

World cities

a large city that is very important to the global economy

Primate city

is the largest city in its country or region, disproportionately larger than any others in the urban hierarchy

Rank-size rule

the nth largest city in a given country will have 1/n of the population of the largest city in that country

Christaller's central place theory

Range

the maximum distance that someone is willing to travel to receive a specific service

Threshold

the minimum number of people needed for a service to be worthwhile

Market area (or hinterland)

geographic zone containing the people who are likely to purchase a firm's goods or services

Central business district (CBD)

the main business and commercial area of a town or city

Infilling

new development that is placed on vacant or undeveloped land within an existing community

De facto segregation

racial segreation that happens organically instead of being enforced by law

Greenbelt

an area of open land around a city where development is prohibited

Mixed land use

that blends a combination of residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or industrial uses that provides pedestrian connections

New urbanism

an urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighborhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types

Placelessness

when places begin to feel the same due to loss of cultural and historical ties

Slow-growth cities

cities that are actively trying to control their growth to promote sustainability

Smart growth

planned urban development that aims to reduce environmental effects

Walkability

a meaure of how friendly a city is to getting around by walking

Zoning practices

local laws that define which types of economic activities can take place in specific areas of a city

Combined statistical area (CSA)

an area with MSAs and µSAs that are close together and economically linked

Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)

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

Micropolitan statistical area (µSA)

labor market areas in the United States centered on an urban cluster with a population at least 10,000 but less than 50,000

Blockbusting

real estate agents convincing people to sell houses because of minorities or poor people moving into the area and making money by reselling the property for a higher price

Council of government

cities and counties coming together for coordination and urban planning

Disamenity zone

the very poorest parts of cities that in extreme cases are not even connected to city services (amenities) and are controlled by gangs and drugs (Favelas in Rio).

Environmental injustice

when marginalized groups face higher levels of environmental risk due to others actions

Gentrification

people renovating housing in low-income areas to increase the value - rising property values will eventually force the original low-income residents out

Redlining

the practice of refusing to loan money to specific areas because of poverty in the area

Slum

a heavily populated area of a city where poor resident live in substandard homes

Squatter settlement

groups of house made out of cheap, non-traditional materials built on land not owned by the residents

Urban renewal

the redevelopment of areas within a large city, typically involving the clearance of slums

Zone of abandonment

areas or neighborhoods where most people migrate away often due to lack of jobs

Brownfields

a former industrial or commercial site that people percieve to be contaminated environmentally

Suburban Sprawl

the expansion of a city away from urban centers outward with a tendency to turn into suburbs farther out

Greyfields

economically outdated real estate - named after the sea of ashphalt that often accompanies these sites