Ap Human Unit 6

Urban Morphology

 The study of the physical form, layout, and structure of urban places.

City

A large concentration of people and buildings clustered together that serves as a center of politics, culture, and economic activity

Urbanization

The process by which cities grow and more people move to urban areas.

Agricultural Village

A small, relatively equal village where most people work in agriculture

Agricultural Surplus

Extra agricultural production beyond what farmers need for themselves, allowing food to be sold or traded

Social Stratification

The division of society into classes based on wealth, power, prestige, or production.

Synkekism

 The idea that living in cities creates social, economic, and cultural advantages

Leadership Class

A group of decision-makers in early cities who controlled resources and organized society

First Urban Revolution

The development of the first cities, which occurred independently in several early civilization hearths

Mesopotamia

The first urban hearth located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers where early cities like Ur and Babylon developed

Nile River Valley

The second urban hearth where cities developed in ancient Egypt around 3200 BCE

Indus River Valley

The third urban hearth where early cities developed in South Asia around 2200 BCE

Huang He and Wei River Valley

A Chinese urban hearth where cities formed near the confluence of these rivers around 1500 BCE

Mesoamerica

The fifth urban hearth where early cities developed in Central America around 200 BCE.

Peru

The sixth urban hearth where cities developed in the Andean region of South America around 900 BCE

Acropolis

The fortified high point of an ancient Greek city used mainly for religious buildings.

Agora

The central public space or marketplace in ancient Greek cities where people gathered to trade and discuss politics

Forum

The central public square in ancient Roman cities used for markets, government, and gatherings.

Central Business District (CBD)

The downtown core of a city with the highest concentration of business, services, and tall buildings.

Inner City

The older, central part of a city that is often surrounded by newer suburbs.

Suburb

A residential or mixed-use area located outside the central city.

Rank-Size Rule

A rule stating that the population of a city will be about 1/n the size of the largest city in the same country

• Population of the 2nd largest city = 1/2 the population of the largest city.

• Population of the 3rd largest city = 1/3 the population of the largest city.

• Population of the 4th largest city = 1/4 the population of the largest city.

Primate City

The largest city in a country that is more than twice as large as the next largest city

Megacity

A city with a population of more than 10 million people.

Megalopolis

A chain of large interconnected metropolitan areas.

Site

The physical characteristics of the land where a city is located.

Situation

The relative location of a city compared to other places and resources.

Hinterland

The surrounding area served by a city or urban center.

Urban Hierarchy

The ranking of cities based on their population size and influence.

Central Place Theory

A theory explaining how cities serve as central locations for goods and services for surrounding areas.

Market Area (Hinterland)

The region from which a city attracts customers for goods and services

Threshold

The minimum number of people needed to support a business or service

Range

The maximum distance people are willing to travel for a good or service.

Concentric Zone Model

A model that explains urban land use in rings around the central business district

• Ring #1: Bid-Rent Theory -> The CBD is the location of
  major economic activity and the most expensive
  land.

• Ring #2: Zone of Transition. Factories and industry
  with a mix of low income apartments.

• Ring #3: Another ring of low income housing. High
  population density, poor living conditions.

• Rings #4 & 5: As distance from the CBD increases,
  the cost of land is less expensive -> Larger plots of
  land -> low population density -> single family
  homes.

Sector Model

A model that shows urban areas developing in sectors or wedges outward from the CBD

Multiple Nuclei Model

A model that suggests cities develop around multiple centers rather than one CBD

Created by C.D. Harris & E.L. Ullman in 1945

• CBD remains an important location, however
  there are other, smaller business districts in
  various locations.

• Manufacturing & Industry are located near
  transportation routes for easier shipping.

• Similar businesses locate near each other to
  take advantage of labor pools, suppliers, and
  communication.

• Middle and high-income housing develops
  further from the city center and industry so
  as not to experience heavy traffic, pollution,
  etc.

Griffin-Ford Model/ Latin American City Model

A model explaining the structure of Latin American cities.

• Created by Ernest Griffin and Larry Ford in 1980

• Shares basic structures of the Concentric Zone
  and Sector City Models

• Characterized by the “spine” that runs from the
  modernized CBD in the center, through wealthy
  housing, and connects to a secondary urban
  center called the mall.

  • Spine: High-end commercial sector

  • Market: Traditional market

• As distance from the CBD increases, housing
  becomes less expensive due to a lack of critical
  infrastructure available in those areas.

McGee Model

A model explaining the structure of Southeast Asian cities

Galactic City (Peripheral Model)

A model showing modern North American cities developing around highways with multiple business districts.

Most modern; developed in 1997 by Chauncey Harris. Focuses on
the decentralization and suburbanization of urban environments.

• As suburbanization and the ownership of cars increased
  starting in the 1950s, urban areas developed differently than
  in the past.

• Includes edge cities, they’re like mini-CBDs, which include
  shopping, entertainment, and offices, and are typically
  located along transportation routes.

Shantytown

Informal settlements often found on the edges of cities in developing countries

Edge City

A large suburban area that has developed its own businesses, shopping centers, and offices.

Gentrification

The process of renovating older urban neighborhoods, often leading to rising housing costs

Redlining

A discriminatory practice where banks refuse loans or insurance to people living in certain neighborhoods

Blockbusting

A discriminatory real estate practice that accelerated racial segregation in cities

Urbicide

The destruction of cities during war or conflict.

Urban Renewal

The redevelopment of older city areas to improve housing and infrastructure

Gated Communities

Residential areas with restricted access and security

McMansions

Large suburban homes often criticized for size and style

Public Housing

Housing owned and operated by the government for low-income residents

Filtering

The process where housing passes from higher-income residents to lower-income residents over time

Commercialization

Commercialization – Converting land or buildings to commercial use.

Urban Sprawl

The spread of urban development into surrounding rural areas

Greenbelt

A ring of protected open space around a city to limit urban growth.

Smart Growth

Urban planning that focuses on sustainable and efficient city development

New Urbanism

An urban design movement that promotes walkable neighborhoods and mixed land use

Zoning

Laws that regulate how land in a city can be used.

Urban Planning

The process of designing and organizing the physical layout of cities.

Transportation Network

Systems of roads, railways, and transit that connect different parts of a city.

Sustainable City

A city designed to minimize environmental impact and support long-term livability.

World City (Global City)

A city that plays a major role in global economic and political systems.

Borchert’s Epochs of u.s. Urban Growth First Stage: The Sail-Wagon (1790-1830)

• cities were clustered within
  sixty miles of the Atlantic coast

• Interior cities grew up on rivers with
  good access to the coast

Borchert’s Epochs of u.s. Urban Growth Second Stage: The Iron-Horse (1830-
1870)

• steam engines powered boats, which
  promoted the growth of river cities

• Regional rail networks connected
  cities and resources to industrial sites

  • Steamboats increased the
    movement of goods, and river
    cities emerged with significant
    growth

Borchert’s Epochs of u.s. Urban Growth Third Stage: The Steel Rail (1870-1920)

• Transcontinental railways emerged

• Industrial centers in the Northeast and
  Midwest continued to grow

• River cities, such as New Orleans,
  declined as rail centers, such as
  Chicago, grew

Borchert’s Epochs of u.s. Urban Growth Fourth Stage: Auto-Air-Amenity (1920 to
Present)

• Railroads declined, and cars
  (through increased highway
  construction) allowed cities to
  spread out

• Air travel increased, and airport
  hubs emerged

• Major urban growth in the Great
  Lakes region due to the automobile
  industry and in Sunbelt cities

Favelas, Squatter Settlements, Slums:

A household
that cannot provide one of the following basic
living characteristics:

• Durable housing of a permanent nature that
  protects against extreme climate conditions

• Sufficient living space, which means no more
  than three people sharing the same room

• Easy access to safe water in sufficient amounts
  at an affordable price

• Access to adequate sanitation in the form of a
  private or public toilet shared by a reasonable
  number of people

Metacities

Metropolitan areas with populations
of more than 20 million people.

Urban Decentralization

the movement of a
population away from an urban areas
traditional core to peripheral areas

Suburbanization:

The process of people moving,
usually from cities, to residential areas on the
outskirts of cities.

Boomburbs

a Suburb that has grown
rapidly into a large and sprawling
city with more than 100,000 residents

Exburbs

Community on the outside edge
of traditional suburbs

The Urban Hiearchy

• Modern cities operate within an
  interconnected urban hierarchy.

• Different cities have different functions
  within the system, with larger, more
  influential cities landing higher on the
  hierarchy, while cities with smaller
  populations and economies fall lower on
  the hierarchy.

• Models & theories were developed by
  geographers to explain the relative sizes
  and spatial organization of cities

The Gravity Model

• Model that illustrates the spatial
  relationship/amount of interaction
  between locations of different sizes -
  flows of people, trade, traffic,
  communication, etc.

• Considers the distance between two
  locations and their relative sizes.

• Larger cities interact more often with
  other large cities, rather than small
  cities.

• Small cities are drawn to the influence
  and impact of large cities

High-Order Goods & Services

Expensive, desirable or unique - large threshold & range. Typically found in higher-order locations, such as major cities.

Low-Order Goods & Services

Inexpensive, common, everyday
needs. SMALLER threshold & range.
Typically found in lower-order
locations, such as towns, villages,
and hamlets.

bid-rent theory

the value of land is influenced by its
relationship to the market

• Most desirable and accessible land is near the
  market and costs the most money.

  • Farmers are able to purchase LESS land so
    farming is typically INTENSIVE in order to earn a
    profit.

• The least desirable and accessible land is located
  the furthest from the market and costs the least
  money.

  • Farmers are able to purchase MORE land and
    farming is typically EXTENSIVE and can earn a
    profit.

Hoyt Sector Model

Created by Homer Hoyt in 1939

• Sectors develop along transportation
  routes.

• Low-income housing develops
  surrounding industry and major
  transportation routes.

• Middle and high-income housing
  develops further from the city center
  and manufacturing so as not to
  experience heavy traffic, pollution, etc

African City Model

• Created by Harm de Blij in 1962

• Characterized by 3 CBDs, and reflects the
  influence of colonialism throughout the
  continent.

• Traditional CBD: Small shops, narrow streets

• Colonial CBD: Big streets, straight, often in grid-
  like patterns, with government buildings with
  European architectural styles. *Sense of place!

• Market Zone: Traditional open-air markets.

• Mostly outdated, but the 3 CBDs can still be seen
  on the *cultural landscape today in some African
  countries.

Southeast Asian City Model

• Created by Terrance Garry McGee in 1967

• Characterized by a port zone, which was the center of
  commerce in colonial SE Asia - export-oriented, so no
  CBD.

• History of Chinese immigrants throughout SE Asia - on
  the model, there is a secondary commercial zone for
  Chinese business called the Alien commercial zone.

• History of colonialism results in a Western commercial
  zone in which merchants from European countries are
  located.

• Market gardening zone is distinctive due to the climate
  and agricultural land use in SE Asian locations.

Zoning

a regulation about what type of
development or land use can occur in a
specific location.

Infilling

Redevelopment of vacant land to improve the surrounding area.

Infrastructure

refers to the basic support systems needed
to keep a society and economy running smoothly

sustainable city

• Focus #1 - Reducing the city’s impact on the environment

• focus #2 - Livability, high quality of life with opportunity and
  stability

Mixed-Use Development

Planned urban development that
includes multiple uses such as retail,
residential, educational, recreational
and businesses.

Walkability

Walkability provides urban residents with
safe, convenient and efficient ways to walk
or bicycle to important places.

Transportation Oriented Development

Access to public transportation is another
aspect of sustainable urban development

Greenbelts

• An area of green space such as a park,
  agricultural land, or forest around an
  urban area intended to limit urban sprawl.

• Also sometimes referred to as an urban
  growth boundary.

• Protected area that helps limit pollution,
  protects local wildlife habitats.

• Historically used in Great Britain, but the
  idea has widely spread as a characteristic
  of sustainable urban design.

Slow Growth Cities

• Another sustainable urban design
  policy that intends to decrease the
  rate that cities grow outward in an
  attempt to reduce urban sprawl.

• This can be achieved by implementing
  greenbelts or by using zoning policies
  to restrict the development of land.

• Utilizes urban growth boundaries to
  place a geographic limit on
  development surrounding a city.

Qualitative Data

Data that involves
descriptive depictions or characteristics
of a research topic - often based on
people’s perceptions or opinions.

Quantitative Data

Data that involves
numbers and statistics - can be
measured.

Ecological Footprint

Uses land as
currency to measure how fast we
consume resources and generate
waste compared to how fast nature
can absorb our waste and generate
new resources.

Climate Change & Energy Consumption

Urban areas consume massive amounts of
energy - mostly fossil fuels, which cause
the emission of greenhouse gases that
impact the ozone layer and cause climate
change.

Brownfield

Large, abandoned industrial sites
in central cities and suburbs, due to the shift
from manufacturing to service-based
economies. Typically unsafe and polluted.

Food Deserts

Locations where
residents’ access to affordable,
healthy food options (especially
fresh fruits and vegetables) is
restricted or nonexistent due to
the absence of grocery stores
within convenient traveling
distance.

Disamenity Zones

Locations that are typically
physically unsafe with dangerous
terrain that are not connected to
city services.

Inclusionary Zoning

Areas where city
governments require that developers must
include low and medium-income housing
options in their projects to obtain building
permits.

Urban Renewal

Programming funded by
federal government grants after WWII
intended to redevelop and modernize
blighted, abandoned and/or industrial
urban areas.