Urbanization Vocab

Urban area

A densely populated area with extensive infrastructure and development. Example: New York City.

Metropolitan area

A central city and its surrounding suburbs that are economically linked. Example: Greater Los Angeles.

Infill

Development of unused land within an existing urban area. Example: Building apartments on empty downtown lots.

Edge city

A concentration of business and retail outside a traditional downtown. Example: Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Urban sprawl

Uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into rural land. Example: Suburban growth around Phoenix.

Boomburg

A rapidly growing suburban city. Example: Gilbert, Arizona.

Exurb

A residential area beyond suburbs where people commute to the city. Example: Areas outside Washington, D.C.

Threshold

Minimum population required to support a service. Example: A town needing enough people to support a grocery store.

Rank-size rule

A pattern where the nth largest city is 1/n the size of the largest. Example: U.S. city distribution.

Primate city

A country’s largest city dominates economically and politically. Example: Paris.

Central place theory

Explains distribution of cities based on goods and services. Example: Larger cities offer specialized services.

Range

Maximum distance people travel for a service. Example: Traveling farther for a hospital than a convenience store.

Metacity

A city with over 20 million people. Example: Tokyo.

World cities

Cities that have global economic and cultural influence. Example: London.

Megacity

A city with over 10 million people. Example: Mexico City.

Concentric Zone Model

City grows outward in rings from a central CBD. Example: Chicago (historically).

Sector Model

City develops in wedges along transportation routes. Example: Industrial corridors in early cities.

Multiple Nuclei Model

City has multiple centers of activity. Example: Los Angeles.

Galactic City Model

A decentralized, automobile-dependent city structure. Example: Modern U.S. metro areas.

African City Model

City with colonial CBD and surrounding informal settlements. Example: Nairobi.

Latin American City Model

CBD with a central spine and elite housing sector. Example: Mexico City.

Southeast Asian City Model

Port-based city with mixed colonial and traditional influences. Example: Jakarta.

Apartheid

Legal racial segregation enforced by government. Example: South Africa (historical).

Disamenity zones

Areas with poor environmental conditions. Example: Housing near landfills.

Squatter settlements

Informal housing without legal land ownership. Example: Kibera in Nairobi.

Nodes

Central points of activity in a city. Example: Transit hubs.

Zoning

Laws that regulate land use. Example: Separating residential and commercial areas.

Mixed-use developments

Areas combining residential, commercial, and business uses. Example: Shops with apartments above.

Walkability

How easy it is to walk in an area. Example: Dense European city centers.

Smart-growth policies

Strategies to limit sprawl and promote sustainability. Example: Expanding public transit.

Ecological footprint

Environmental impact of a population. Example: Cities requiring large resource inputs.

Transportation-oriented development

Development focused around transit hubs. Example: Housing near subway stations.

Mixed-use zoning

Zoning that allows multiple land uses. Example: Residential and retail together.

Traditional zoning

Zoning that separates land uses. Example: Suburban neighborhoods.

New urbanism

Planning approach promoting walkable, mixed-use communities. Example: Seaside, Florida.

Slow-growth cities

Cities that limit development to preserve quality of life. Example: Boulder, Colorado.

Urban growth boundary

A limit placed on city expansion. Example: Portland, Oregon.

Greenbelt

Protected open land around a city. Example: London.

De facto segregation

Segregation by practice rather than law. Example: U.S. housing patterns.

Redlining

Denying loans to certain neighborhoods based on race. Example: U.S. policies in the 1900s.

Blockbusting

Persuading homeowners to sell cheaply by exploiting racial fears. Example: Mid-20th century U.S.

Zones of abandonment

Areas with declining investment and services. Example: Parts of Detroit.

Filtering

Process where housing shifts to lower-income residents over time. Example: Older homes becoming affordable.

Inclusionary zoning laws

Policies requiring affordable housing in developments. Example: NYC housing policies.

Land tenure

Legal ownership of land. Example: Formal vs informal ownership.

Eminent domain

Government taking private land for public use. Example: Building highways.

Environmental injustice

Disproportionate environmental harm to minority communities. Example: Factories near low-income areas.

Urban renewal

Redevelopment of urban areas. Example: Rebuilding downtown districts.

Gentrification

Wealthier people moving into and upgrading poorer neighborhoods. Example: Brooklyn.

White flight

Movement of white residents from cities to suburbs. Example: Post-WWII U.S.

Restrictive covenant

Legal agreements restricting property ownership (historically racial). Example: Early 1900s housing deeds.